A mobile app that will enable truckers to connect cargo shippers directly and in real-time, has been unveiled in Kenya.
The mobile app, by providing real-time analytics to those in the logistics industry, will hopefully address some of the challenges that the sector faces in Kenya.
Tai+, an Estonian based mobile app, will also provide cargo stakeholders with a marketplace where customers who are seeking reliable cargo transporters will be linked to transporters seeking consistent cargo.
According to Tai+ chief executive Rait Raal, the app will bring sanity in the sector that has been riddled with lack of proper systems. The app will also address issues affecting players by promoting trust and transparency in cargo handling process as truckers will be able to see all cargo features including the price before choosing to take the shipment, the Tai+ CEO added.
“This will also enable business owners to be able to access data analytics that helps them in making the best decisions for their business,” Raal said.
Raal described Tai+ as an application that will “totally disrupt the digital space by creating an opportunity for the logistics industry to address perennial cargo transportation challenges.” The challenges range from real time information sharing, need for return cargo, demand for transport services as well as provide regular cargo.
“We are here to set global logistics standards by making cargo transportation business simpler, more reliable and give the customer more control on meeting the cargo needs,” he said.
In a press statement, Tai+ said that in Kenya, the logistics industry has faced several disruptions emanating from both the regulatory and digital environments locally and globally. “These trends have further been compounded by dynamism in customer demands for more information and control on services they consume without the need for multiple intermediaries,” Tai+ said.
As an example, Raal said the ongoing expansion process at the Port of Mombasa has seen cargo volumes continue to increase daily to stand at over 1.3 Million TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent) per day making it very difficult for only 10, 000 trucks available in the Kenyan market to fully satisfy this growing demand. This leads to delays, penalties and disgruntled customers.
Raal added, “The App will provide a transparent platform to bridge the demand for regular cargo shipments and demand for reliable carriers by bridging the gap between supply and demand in the transport industry on an online platform.” This, according to the Tai+ CEO, will guarantee reliable and safe cargo freight.
The app which is downloadable on Play store for Android devices, is backed by technology developed by European (Estonian) company Reach-U and has already attracted 300 trucks signed up.
