Green Cure for ‘Empty Truck Syndrome’

March 30, 2016

by: Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c

Trucking fresh-picked produce from his family’s RT Fresh farm in the western Negev to other parts of Israel was no problem for Avishai Trabelsi. The problem was the return runs. Empty trucks on the road add up to a huge waste of fuel and manpower, as well as unnecessary air pollution and traffic.

So, Trabelsi resigned as CEO of the transportation arm of the business and recruited two partners to found Quicargo Technologies, offering an online marketplace for shippers and carriers to benefit from unutilized truck space. “I saw that more than half the time my trucks were running empty,” he tells ISRAEL21c. “I’m paying salary and gas but not gaining any profit from the return trip. It made no sense. I saw it as a huge opportunity. If I could find a solution for the empty space, it would result in a net profit.”

Trabelsi and his partners started working on a platform to take these empty spaces and sell them to businesses that need to transport goods in the direction the trucks are returning to home base. It was not easy to build the platform, but Trabelsi says it’s easy to use. Using Quicargo’s website or Android app, the shipper enters the details and within seconds receives quotes from carriers with drivers in the area and available space to match the request. In most cases, carriers with unused loading space can offer shippers attractive prices while realizing a profit on that otherwise wasted space, making it a win-win proposition.

After choosing the preferred carrier based on pricing, location and driver ratings, mutual contact information is provided and the shipper receives an SMS when the truck is approaching. “After the driver arrives and picks up the cargo, you can track the trip on your smartphone and get notification of delivery via email and SMS, and then rate the driver for future deliveries,” says Trabelsi.

Following a successful trial of the service in Israel, Trabelsi is seeking investors and strategic partners to introduce Quicargo in Europe as a high-tech solution for a widespread profit-sucking, gas-guzzling phenomenon in ground cargo transport.

 

Source: Excerpt of an article reprinted with permission, ISRAEL21c, www.Israel21c.org 

Photo Credit: lassedesignen/shutterstock.com