In a world where people are more likely to create their driver account on Uber and drive for the ridesharing app, this Turkish entrepreneur is taking the road less traveled.
Nowadays, for a business to succeed, you’ve got the think of the brightest idea. Turkish entrepreneur Ozan Baran did, and he decided to launch what he called the “Uber of trucking” in the United States.
However, things never came off easily. Twenty-five years ago, Baran landed in the USA with just $600 in his pocket. Well, now, guess what, his trucking business is now valued at around $500 million.
His “Uber of trucking” business connects truckers and shippers via a digital platform – just like Uber!
The business is named Quickload, headquartered in Miami, a logistics technology company that doesn’t own even a single truck. Unbelievable! Rather, it operates a platform that links trucking companies with businesses the need to deliver goods. This network currently spans across all of the country’s states, serving almost 3,000 transport firms.
Baran stated that even marble, gas, and steel structures, not just tiny parcels, could be transported via Quickload.
Quickload’s systems assists trucks that drop off their loads to find jobs on their return trips, minimizing “empty miles,” or the distance trucks travel without cargo, which the business owner said is saving fuel and had earned praise in the country for its sustainability efforts. In essence, his company is also filling the gaps in today’s market.
So, if you are an industry looking to transport your goods, you may use the Quickload app to find trucks. Simply specify on the app the shipment details, including where your goods will be picked up and dropped off, just like using an app for moving. You may also choose from options whether storage is needd, then select the most suitable options among various alternatives.
The outcome: you are able to minimize costs, rather than going for the traditional trucking methods.
The history of Quickload is also something to revere. Developing the software and infrastructure took three years. The app launched operations in early 2017, and within a year, it had drawn attention across the American logistics industry.
But wait, there’s more. In 2018, its founder was honored with the Best Businessman Award at Miami Synchronicity, a recognition given to emerging entrepreneurs in the region.
Furthermore, although Quickload’s headquartered remain in Miami, there are also operations in Baran’s home country, Turkey, which consists of a team of 75 young engineers, maintaining and developing the platform.
“We’re very good at this field,” Baran told Ridesharing Forum. “As a nation, we are practical thinkers, which makes us skilled at generating solutions. We can do with four people what might take 20 elsewhere.”
In addition, the executive team of Quickload consists of Turks, or people who Baran trusts better. Aside from the tech team in Turkey, the company also has a 200-person call center in Colombia. How about that?
Baran’s journey started in 1999, arriving in the United States after his university graduation. He took several jobs here, saving $10,000 and taking the financial risk to purchase a truck worth $60,000. This vehicle traveled all over the United States. Then, new trucks joined the fleet, forming his business today.
He is among a growing group of Middle Eastern entrepreneurs establishing a foothold in the United States.