FM
app
*FreightMax
The primary business problem addressed by the app revolves around cargo theft, a significant issue in the U.S. logistics market, particularly over the past two years. Here's how the issue manifests and how the app provides a solution.
In this section, the carriers or the drivers can manage their loads and filter all the necessary data.
Drivers are sent by carriers to pick up loads arranged by agents. In some cases, the agents misuse the system, picking up loads under false pretenses or diverting them elsewhere. Drivers end up not getting paid because the intermediary company disappears, and the original client cannot trace the load due to a lack of transparency. This situation has led to frustration among drivers, cargo theft, and loss of trust in logistics processes.
The app ensures payment security for drivers. When a load is booked through the app, drivers are guaranteed their payment regardless of issues with intermediaries. It also enhances security for clients by tracking the cargo via GPS, ensuring the load's location, stops, and delivery timeline are fully transparent.
Driver and Carrier Management: Tools for financial management (e.g., tracking pending, paid, and earned amounts). Driver and truck performance tracking (e.g., loads handled, fuel consumption, driving speed). Operational Efficiency: Real-time load tracking using GPS. Insights into driver performance and truck usage to optimize resource allocation.
The research process involved multiple approaches to understand the needs of carriers, drivers, and brokers and to design a functional app for the logistics industry. Here's a breakdown of the methods used.
In this section, the carriers see their completed loads.
Studied various apps available in the U.S. logistics market, including paid apps that required user verification and approval. Examined the features these apps offered and identified missing functionalities..
Conducted interviews with over 20 real carriers to understand their needs. Found that carriers preferred simplicity and practicality over complex features. Their primary requirements were: Adding drivers and trucks easily. Managing load statuses (e.g., approved, in transit, delivered, confirmed). Receiving payments promptly.
Gathered insights from brokers, who emphasized the importance of real-time GPS tracking. Brokers wanted the ability to see the exact location of drivers on a map and track their success rates.
Recognized the varying levels of access required by different brokers and branches within the logistics network. Implemented permission-based visibility for tracking drivers and loads, ensuring brokers only see relevant data.
The results demonstrates early traction and adoption among the target audience, reflecting the app's relevance and potential for growth in the logistics market.
In this section, the carriers can see the upcoming loads.
Registered Drivers: Over 5,000 drivers have registered on the platform.
Active Users: 20% of the registered drivers have downloaded and are actively using the app.
Several challenges arose during the development and usage of the app.
In this section, the carriers can add and remove trucks and drivers.
Initially, the app marked a load as "in transit" as soon as the pickup date arrived. However, brokers and carriers pointed out that the load shouldn't be considered "in transit" until the driver has physically reached the pickup location. Similarly, the app would mark the load as "completed" when the drop-off date arrived, but delays in the drop-off process led to the need for a label indicating when a drop-off was delayed. These changes required adjusting the app's logic to better reflect the actual logistics process.
Handling Deletions of Trucks and Drivers:Trucks and drivers could be deleted from the system, but it was crucial to retain their historical data for reporting purposes. To address this, the team decided to implement filters so users could see data from deleted trucks and drivers. For example, if a carrier has multiple trucks and each one has completed various loads, they would still be able to track earnings even after removing certain trucks from the system.
The app needed to ensure that users could view detailed data, such as the total earnings per truck, without losing visibility on individual performance. Instead of showing individual numbers per truck, the app was modified to present stable filters that could provide a clearer overview without overwhelming the user with too many details.
During testing, the demonstration was conducted offline, and the app was shown on large screens for the initial phase. The goal was to make sure users could intuitively interact with the app, as it was crucial for the product to meet their real-world needs. This approach helped to address some issues during the early stages of development, as it allowed for direct interaction and immediate feedback, refining the user experience.
There are certain features already in place for tracking and marketing purposes, similar to the practices used by
Google and Facebook. The system is designed to track technical aspects and also facilitate marketing activities.
For example, information can be extracted from the system and transferred to platforms like Facebook or Google to target the appropriate audience. Other processes are not yet implemented, but there are considerations for adding features like these in the future. The current setup allows flexibility in adjusting or adding metrics as needed.
