The drayage industry could be the next area of transportation disrupted by mobile technologies.
Dray Alliance, an on-demand drayage solution for import/export shippers and enterprises, sees an opportunity to "Uberize" the industry through a seamless mobile experience. David Sacks’ Craft Ventures also sees the possibilities, leading a $3.5 million round of seed financing.
“Drayage is currently the most neglected area of the transit supply chain.The nuances of drayage create distinct challenges and opportunities that are quite different from other trucking segments such as FTL and LTL,” says Jeff Fluhr, general partner at Craft Ventures. “Focus on drayage is what sets Dray Alliance apart. That focus, combined with deep industry expertise, technical skills and entrepreneurial grit is why we believe this team will emerge as the leader in the sector.”
Dray Alliance says its mobile technology is already generating hundreds of thousands in savings for shippers, ocean carriers and freight forwarders by connecting them with drayage truckers who deliver containers to destination warehouses. Current partners include toy manufacturer Mattel and the global shipping company CMA CGM Group.
“The drayage trucking industry still depends on emails and spreadsheets for its daily operations, leading to massive inefficiencies that result in lower earnings for truckers, less predictability in delivery times, and 20 percent to 50 percent increases in the drayage trucking cost of freight deliveries for shippers. This is not in the best interest of anyone involved,” adds Steve Wen, CEO of Dray Alliance. “Dray Alliance will bring Uber-like, airport pick-up efficiency to the drayage industry by providing a seamless mobile experience, more predictability in delivery time, and better economics for shippers, carriers and truckers.”
