Uber has changed the way people are getting around most cities in this country and throughout the world. It has disrupted the taxi industry and is a threat to the old-school livery industry in the same way the Internet has turn the news and the magazine industry upside down.
This technology is now coming to the trucking industry in a new app called Convoy. Convoy will put together shippers and truckers on loads around the country. The shipper will put in what the freight is, where it’s from, and where it’s going to. Truckers signed up for Convoy will receive this information via text and pick up the loads as they need them. It’s sort of the broker relationship on steroids.
With this new technology still in its infancy the results will be determined at a later date. Proponents of this app say that truckers will be able to get more business quicker and more efficiently than before. Opponents of this technology say that this could make things too efficient causing a decrease in revenue for the trucker long-term. Like most technological advances it’s affect on people is less important than the overall revenue it will generate. And as more competitors come into the market new options will become available that will benefit both the trucker and the shipper but the squeeze on revenue could still be there.
Convoy is still in its funding stage so you will not see it available nationwide for a while yet. Keep an eye out for it though because this will get more buzz as it moves forward. This app or some future version of it will change the way the trucking industry operates. It’s important to stay on top of this technology so you know how to run your business in the future.