Category Archives: Logistics

How Dan Lewis Built Convoy In To A $2.7 Billion Trucking Software Company Within 4 Years

How Dan Lewis Built Convoy In To A $2.7 Billion Trucking Software Company Within 4 Years

Convoy is a digital freight network App started by Dan Lewis in 2015. Convoy reduces overall costs for shippers, providing asset-like reliability and performance. Convoy enhances efficiency by providing open access to real-time data insights that allow shippers to enhance their operations.

Convoy also maximizes income for carriers by keeping their trucks fully loaded on the roads and provides them with flexibility to run without much hassle.

Convoy has helped to eliminate 72 Million Metric Tons of Carbon Emissions. Prior to starting Convoy, Lewis used to work for Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Convoy’s CEO and Co-founder Dan Lewis says “I’d had some really bad ideas”. “This one, every time I shared it with someone from the industry, they were excited about it and felt like it was necessary.”

Lewis used to visit shippers and truck stops in order to learn about the industry and to generate feedback on Convoy’s business plan. He remembered going to the shipper’s office for the first time, so anxious that all he could do was ask to use the toilet.

But Lewis noticed the industry needs lot of changes when he spoke with drivers and shippers about his ideas. And this is how He perfected Convoy in to becoming a great App as we see it today.

But within 4 years, Convoy is one of Washington’s top unicorns, valued at more than $1 billion. Convoy is funded by high-profile investors such as Jeff Bezos, Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates and U2’s Bono. Convoy’s competitors are C.H. Robinson, the largest freight broker in USA.

Convoy also competes with Uber Freight, a relatively new entrant in the market.

Convoy claims that its latest milestone in automated pricing will help it work more effectively and will result in lower prices for shippers and trucks for carriers. The technical breakthrough comes just one month after Convoy ‘s new $400 million funding round at a valuation of $2.7 billion.

“We’ve been working for the past four years on improving our pricing models. And as we’ve been building more and more density we have more and more data for us to train our models” said Ziad Ismail, Chief Product Officer of Convoy. “We’ve also gotten more drivers to use our app. The combination of those two things have led us to 100-percent automated pricing in Convoy’s top markets.”

By using Convoy, Truckers gain more as they have more loading options, better routes, and less “empty mile” journeys. Convoy aims to maximize capacity and minimize costs for shippers with more truckers on its platform. Automated brokering provides added advantages to both sides of the marketplace.

Convoy has become the most powerful digital freight network App, using machine learning and automation to link shippers and carriers to transfer millions of truckloads, saving shipper money, growing carrier earnings, and reducing carbon waste as well.

email

Uber Freight Gets $500M Funding, Its Trucking Logistics Business Is Now Valued At $3.3B

Uber Freight Gets $500M Funding, Its Trucking Logistics Business Is Now Valued At $3.3B

Uber Freight, Uber’s trucking logistics arm, today reported a $500 million Investment. This investment is led by Greenbriar and now values Uber Frieght at an estimated $3.3 billion.

Uber Freight helps match carriers with shipper loads, using technology to speed up and automate a conventional manual process involving email and phone calls. After its launch in 2017, it has had nearly 65,000 carriers on its network and works with shippers including AB Inbev, Nestle, LG, Niagara Bottling, Heineken, Land O’Lakes and more.

“Uber Freight has developed an creative and successful approach to logistics technology that we believe will be highly scalable in the coming years,” said Michael Weiss, Greenbriar’s managing partner.

“In particular, we believe that carriers and shippers will increasingly be drawn to the comfort and simplicity that Uber Freight provides in a dynamic marketplace.”

Uber Freight has emerged as a rival to Seattle start-up company called Convoy, which also runs a digital platform for shippers and carriers. Convoy was started by former executives from Amazon.

Convoy raised $400 million in valuations of $2.7 billion in November and recently hired former Expedia Group CEO Mark Okerstrom as its new president.

Uber Freight reported an adjusted net revenue of $211 million for its most recent quarter.

XPO Logistics To Add 15,000 Employees For The Holiday Season

XPO Logistics To Add 15,000 Employees For The Holiday Season

XPO Logistics, which offers services such as freight brokerage, less-than-truckload, and last-mile distribution of heavy goods such as appliances and furniture, said it plans to hire 15,000 workers for the festive season. This increases its workforce by around 15%.

Industry leaders such as FedEx and UPS, the two largest shipping companies in USA, have started telling clients that they are running out of room for the upcoming festive season. Industry demand is expected to surpass capacity by over 7 million packages a day. According to the research firm ShipMatrix, shipping demand is estimated to be about 86.3 million parcels per day in the peak season, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, compared to a capacity of 79.1 million a year earlier.

XPO Logistics is the largest company in North America for the last mile distribution of heavy goods such as furniture and appliances, giving it exposure to a sector that has steadily grown during the crisis.

Roche announces $500M for new manufacturing logistics hub and promises 500 jobs

Roche announces $500M for new manufacturing logistics hub and promises 500 jobs

Roche is investing $500 million into its Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario to set up a new hub to manage the logistics of its global supply chain.

Amazon announces $100 Million in logistics investments in Mexico

Amazon announces $100 Million in logistics investments in Mexico

In a recent press release, Amazon revealed that it has invested $100 million to open new warehouses in Mexico, including the first shipping centers outside the populated capital city, to provide quicker delivery.