UP alumni Nelis Brink and Jean Smith, both BEng Electrical Engineering graduates from the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment and IT, have designed two apps,  PlatoonCarrier and PlatoonShipper, to digitally connect the two sectors in the freight market, making it possible for carriers to take advantage of empty return trips and shippers to get better deals.

“As a carrier, they can upload somebody else's freight and get paid for that. A fleet owner can also manage his fleet and his drivers from the app,” says Dr Engelette Kruger, spokesperson for the project.

“For shippers there is also a benefit, because they can upload their freight on the on-demand auction and get quotes from all carriers that are en route anyway. All shipments are tracked and digital contracts between carriers and shippers are sent when a transaction takes place. All transactions are blockchain-secured.” 

According to the designers, their experience with a company in the transport industry highlighted the challenges faced by carriers and shippers. Carriers struggled to find return loads quickly and at competitive prices while having to wait up to 90 days for payments from brokers. Shippers, on the other hand, had to make numerous calls to brokers in order to get their shipments handled. Their experience also highlighted the high level of distrust in the industry and the ineffective paperwork trail needed in order to get original delivery documents back to the shipper before payment could effect. The use of blockchain technology creates a secure and trusted environment for all those involved in the transaction.

“The apps can be used across the globe and have been built in support for foreign languages and the maps we use are standard Google Maps. The apps are free to download from app stores and margins are built into the price a shipper sees before they book. The apps will expand in future to include features such as good in-transit insurance. We are currently engaging insurance companies in this regard,” said Smith.

“It is also important to scale and expand the app into the rest of Africa and the world,” Smith added.

Both Brink and Smith advise anyone whose goal is to be in the digital space to read as many articles on the subject as possible to keep up to date with all the latest technologies and solutions. “We have found that it is important to keep up with the latest technology since the app/ web development environment is constantly improving and evolving.”

Visit Platoon Freight for more information.