Trucker Path announced an expansion of its shipping marketplace platform with the public beta testing of Trucker Path Truckloads. Trucker Path began private testing of Truckloads in March with a limited number of fleets and owner-operators. The shipping marketplace platform is now available upon request.
Now any truck fleet or operator, shipper or broker interested in trying out Truckloads can access it via a web portal or directly from the Trucker Path application. Direct access via Trucker Path offers drivers accustomed to using the application a familiar entry into the shipping marketplace, according to Trucker Path. Carriers and drivers can also find a feature called Trucker Path FastPay, which guarantees settlement for approved shippers within 48 hours of the delivery.
To find a load, carriers open the Trucker Path web-based client in their browsers and scan available loads using various search parameters. Truck drivers can use the Trucker Path app to scan the surrounding area for new truckloads or view them in a list. The drivers or fleets then make an offer on the available loads to trigger negotiation between the driver or fleet and the shipping party.
The shipper can see the trucker’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) information and rating. After both parties reach an agreement, they receive all the relevant information about each other and the freight.
“During our first phase of private testing, we offered the Truckloads platform to a select number of users, including three major trucking firms, each with more than a billion dollars in revenues,” said Ivan Tsybaev, CEO of Trucker Path. “Working with them, we’ve developed an easy-to-use application, which will help more truckers find new loads. Our Trucker Path app already provides truckers access to information about parking, fueling and other points of interest along their routes. This is a great way to complete the package by offering them a load finder.”
Carriers can register for an account at no cost and then search the site for available loads. After just a couple of months of initial testing, Trucker Path’s Truckloads platform has attracted over 300 brokers. And there have been more than 30,000 loads posted to over 15,000 truck operators and fleets, according to Tsybaev.
During the public beta testing, carriers or drivers won’t need to pay a transaction fee to use the Truckloads shipping marketplace platform. The application is also open to brokers and shippers, who can register for a free account and post available loads on the site.
Tsybaev said based on the experience of the initial testers, he sees how Trucker Path Truckloads could make long-haul truck driving more appealing to a younger generation who are turned off by the amount of time drivers must spend away from home.
“With Truckloads, brokers find it easier to match carrier capacity with the needs of shippers,” he added. “Consequently, drivers spend less time waiting for their next shipments or they find more shipments closer to home. That allows them to go home more often, spending less time on the road hauling empty trailers to their next loads.
Brokers, carriers and shippers can negotiate prices, assign or accept loads, and have status updates from pickup to delivery. They can access the information using an online portal, Tsybaev said. Or they can have load status updates from the platform delivered directly to their fleet management software.
Because the application provides truckers access to information about truck-friendly stops, fueling stations and other points of interest along their routes, Trucker Path has quickly become one of the most popular mobile-based applications in the trucking industry, Tsybaev explained. Trucker Path recently began offering truckers the ability to search for truck parking. Consequently, over the past six months, Trucker Path has been averaging about a 20 percent month-to-month growth rate and has attracted a user base of nearly 300,000 by putting everything drivers need to know at their fingertips.
“Because the Trucker Path application attracts so many truckers, it offers brokers a huge pool from which to choose the right carrier,” said Charles Myers, vice president of business development. Myers is an expert in the online-auction model of commercial truckload brokering. Before joining Trucker Path, Myers served as general freight manager for uShip.com and as president of commercial load board service, Getloaded.com.
“With more than 80 percent of drivers now using smartphones, it makes sense to do as much of the work as possible on those phones,” Myers said. “Trucker Path Truckloads includes tracking, document transfer and payment features, as well as load sourcing, making our shipping marketplace platform one of the simplest and most effective tools in the industry for brokers and carriers.”
