Businesses are now able to effortlessly receive multiple quotations to road freight a load and then decide which one best suits their needs and budget – completely on-line.
With the introduction of Transbid, a web-based logistics user interface, companies in essence put their requirements out for tender and wait for the bids to come in. The entire transaction is handled electronically, with www.transbidsa.co.za the user-friendly platform on which suppliers of transport/freight services and potential clients interact.
The principle is simple: Log. Load. Deliver.
Transbid is a supply chain facilitator, linking those who need to move loads big or small, and move them 100 km or 1 000 km, with companies that move ‘stuff’. So whether the need is to transport 50 000 litres of milk from Pietermaritzburg to Palmietfontein or wooden furniture from Nelspruit to Naboomspruit, Transbid can make it possible.
The owner of the milk or the furniture loads their requirements on the website – filling in various fields of information such as volume, mass, number of units, whether the load is flammable or toxic and other information such as start and end points and the timeframe. They also put in the amount they are willing to pay, and registered transport companies are able to respond to their needs.
Says Rowan Hoenselaar , the driving force behind Transbid: “We believe that a system such as this is what the road freight industry needs to maintain a competitive edge. Instead of using an asset such as a truck and trailer on a bit of a hit and miss basis, we can help transport companies large and small maximise efficiencies.
“For example, instead of a truck making a journey only partially filled, Transbid creates an opportunity to fill it completely, by bringing in additional loads of an appropriate size and type. The same applies on a return leg, where trucks are often seriously under-utilised. Transbid also enables loads to be picked up at way-points anywhere along a route so that losses can be reduced, or – even better – profits can be increased! This is Information Technology for the road freight industry, with all the advantages that come with it.”
The website has a high level of functionality and enables users to rate the service they received while registered transporters can receive potential loads as an email notification. Loads can be filtered, and for example, if a company does not have the facility to carry hazardous materials, they won’t receive unwanted notifications. Cross-border transportation can also be facilitated.
“Each time a company wants to move a load they log it as a new transaction, with a new set of parameters. The landscape is a fluid and fast-moving one, ensuring that the owner of the load finds the best transporter/price combination, and that truckers are able to find the right load at the right time,” concluded Hoenselaar.
