On-Demand Freight Movement And Logistics App – Uber for Logistics
The freight industry is entering a new era. There is too much going on, and each year has the potential to grow into something bigger than the last one. The factors are obvious and pretty ominous. With the exponential growth of e-commerce, we are suddenly in a market with a high freight demand with an insufficient amount of trucks to go around.
Along with that, local trucking industries are often fragmented and inefficient in their method of operation. Carrying back empty containers because cargo cannot be found for a return leg is not exactly a profitable venture. Approximately 15% of all operational costs are spent on repositioning empty containers, and the longer the freight waits to be filled, the higher this percentage grows. This is what has got us all looking for the next Uber for Logistics app.
Shippers usually use a broker to connect them with a carrier. This would work out great for everyone if the process was not so convoluted, or the broker commission wasn’t as high as 20%. Perhaps it is time for things to change a little. It is the 21st century. It’s high time we millennials got ourselves an Uber for Logistics app. If you’re serious about making an impact in the transportation and logistics industry, make sure to have a look at this McKinsey report.
The On-Demand Economy
There is a necessity for an alternative to fusing the logistics industry with the on-demand business model. An on-demand logistics app is still a niche field for a market in its infancy. An on-demand app for freight movement, or as we prefer to call it: “Uber For Logistics” will make transportation and delivery services easier – reconnecting the demand to the supply in a new manner, simplifying work costs, introducing transparency, and improving overall sales. So, what does an on-demand transport and logistics app mean for the people?
For operators, this means a greater and better-connected marketplace, which means more profits. For shippers, it means more saving on overheads and time. Everyone leaves a happy camper.
3 Sides of On-Demand Freight Movement Logistics App
As with any On-Demand app, there need to be 3 versions of the app. This is because of the presence of multiple parties involved in the picture, and all of them need to be coordinated without many inefficiencies through the application layer of your on-demand freight movement & logistics app solution. Let’s talk about all the 3 parts one at a time as all of them are crucial for the success of your on-demand transport and logistics delivery app. Years of experience and A/B Testing has made our specialists in On-Demand app development to understand everything there is about the different components of an uber for logistics app.
Customer App – As in any other business on the face of the earth, the customer must come first here too. Since you’re trying to make a smart solution for logistics, the application for your on-demand freight movement & logistics solution outta be smart too. Right?
The first step is to create easy and seamless registrations and sign-in options. Following that there must be proper arrangements for the customer to post their requirements. After that, the “locations” need to be taken care of. This will include PICK-UP Location, Drop-Off Location and Pin locations which are meant for a myriad of reasons. Tracking features will be needed which can be easily done by using Google Firebase, MapWorks and many other tools available online. For any consultation regarding the location features in your on-demand freight movement and logistics app, feel free to get in touch and we shall get our best developers at it.
Driver App – The driver app must be as simple as possible, free of any complex features. The first thing that the driver app needs to have is a Quick Menu which makes it easy for them to check whatever they want while on a trip, or waiting for one. You can also choose whether or not the driver app should have the option to accept a task or not. Since the driver will have to be on the move, and pass through all sorts of locations, it is important for them to have maps and locations working at all points of time while on a trip.
You can also chip away a number of back-office inefficiencies with the help of features that enable adding receipts, taking customer’s signature which will be connected with the dashboard at the operations end. If you are planning to make the uber for logistics app, you might as well be the same for drivers too.
DashBoard/Admin Panel – Now, since you are looking to run this business of on-demand freight movement and logistics app, you must be able to run it without any hassle. Which means a great admin panel must be there which allows the operators to track everything from both ends, be it the customer or the people in your fleet. Task Management capabilities is a must for the dashboard.
Employees and partners who head different sections in your on-demand freight movement logistics platform can be made sub-admins so they can manage their respective forte. Quality Assurance can be taken care of too, by adding analytical tools which track task performance of drivers and other elements involved in any given process.
Pointers for launching On-Demand freight movement and logistics app.
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Being a self-sustained marketplace
The app needs to act like a market – or a broker – that directly allows shippers to select jobs. This direct communication channel would require a real-time location-based system, with the functionality to conduct secure online payments. This might require the entire arsenal of a mobile app, a web app, and a server to store user data securely.
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Real-time tracking and maps
To be a real hit on the market, the app should be able to locate the driver, the customer, and actually be able to track the cargo in real time. The drivers should be able to consult maps with probable routes and real-time traffic updates in order to completely optimize the process.
First of all, you need to choose the right map providers. Google Maps or MabBox Fabric might be the best options for your on-demand freight movement app. Once you’ve chosen the map provider, you need to get on with the tracking. Google’s Geolocation API is something that you can trust on, for implementing tracking into your OnDemand freight movement and logistics app development.
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Communication between the supply and demand
The drivers should be able to see the jobs available in the area, specifics of the package, contact the customer about it – either over chat or call – and allow both the driver and customer to receive notifications over the entire process. The dashboard/admin panel that the operators use must have total control and information about the nitty gritty of the supply and demand related to your
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Integrated payments
Transparency and instant payments is a dream. The payments need to carefully calculated over the weight, distance, size of the goods, and the amount of supply available. Payments need to be quick, secure, and convenient in your on-demand freight movement and logistics app. The entire variety of options – credit cards, debit cards, cash, net banking, and several digital wallets – should be incorporated in the design to ensure customer convenience.
In a normal app, Google In-App billing could be the simplest and easiest to implement. However, if your app needs to process transactions which do not have a specified unit of quantity, you will need to go for payment integrations like Stripe and Braintree.
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Hassle-free documentation
The app should be able to have customers upload all the relevant documentation and insurances when necessary. They should be able to see the movers’ certifications to confirm their legitimacy. Delivery confirmation should also be a prominent feature.
Also Read: On-Demand Photographer Marketplace.
Creation Process
The key to developing an on-demand freight movement and logistics app lies in its ability to match the loads. This means that the app should be able to match the item to be moved with a carrier. This doesn’t need an arsenal of employees and resources to develop. A clean, simple UI, along with trusted carriers should be the solution to this issue. Partnering with carrier companies and expanding your network should be worked on simultaneously while developing the uber for logistics app.
While this expansion takes place, the reliability of carriers should remain the first and foremost priority if you want long-term success of your transport and logistics app. If the carriers can be trusted, more shippers would be willing to use your application instead of an alternative. The carriers should be screened before being accepted so that you meet the highest industry standards and earn trust.
Our On-Demand Capabilities
We have been working with a bunch of teams in the on-demand or as many people like to call it, Uber-Of-X space. From deploying robust payment modes and rating-and-reviewing system in an on-demand app to making slick tracking features along with a great admin panel, Sodio really has mastered the craft of creating awesome On-Demand platforms.
Are you looking to create an On-Demand freight movement and logistics app? Feel free to get in touch with us. Our team will be glad to work at your uber for logistics app.
