Computational intelligence methods play an important role for supporting smart networks operations, optimization, and management. In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), increasing the number of nodes has a need for transferring large volume of data to remote nodes without any loss. These large amounts of data transmission might lead to exceeding the capacity of WSNs, which results in congestion, latency, and packet loss. Congestion in WSNs not only results in information loss but also burns a significant amount of energy. To tackle this issue, a practical computational intelligence approach for optimizing data transmission while decreasing latency is necessary. In this article, a Softmax-Regressed-Tanimoto-Reweight-Boost-Classification- (SRTRBC-) based machine learning technique is proposed for effective routing in WSNs. It can route packets around busy locations by selecting nodes with higher energy and lower load. The proposed SRTRBC technique is composed of two steps: route path construction and congestion-aware MIMO routing. Prior to constructing the route path, the residual energy of the node is determined. After that, the residual energy level is analyzed using softmax regression to determine whether or not the node is energy efficient. The energy-efficient nodes are located, and numerous paths between the source and sink nodes are established using route request and route reply. Following that, the SRTRBC technique is used for congestion-aware routing based on buffer space and bandwidth capability. The path that requires the least buffer space and has the highest bandwidth capacity is picked as the optimal route path among multiple paths. Finally, congestion-aware data transmission is used to minimize latency and data loss along the route path. The simulation considers a variety of performance metrics, including energy consumption, data delivery rate, data loss rate, throughput, and delay, in relation to the amount of data packets and sensor nodes.