Having smoothed out the bugs and improved functionality, Teralco Logistics this month launched an upgraded version of its roadfreight app. Developed to enable customers to book a truck, get a quote, track cargo and receive proof of delivery on a mobile device, the upgraded app ensures easier registration and makes the facility to track and trace or create loads much smoother and more straightforward, according to Teralco managing director, Terence Odendaal. “We delayed the initial launch date of the app – scheduled for April last year – to work out some bugs in the system that were affecting functions such as user registration,” said Odendaal. “However, I am much more confident holding the app in my hand today than I was at this time last year.” He believes the app will be a gamechanger – driving up efficiencies and driving down costs. “Anyone who moves FMCG knows that time is money and this app works to bridge this gap,” said Odendaal. “The customer is therefore able to focus on his own core business and productivity rather than worrying about whether goods are getting to their destination on time and intact.” “The ability to move a load from one end of the country to another using only a smartphone is something that has never been done before,” said Odendaal, who made it clear that it was not the Uber of freight. “The Uber model just cannot work in the freight industry as it is too technical a space to be fully automated,” he added. The app is currently only available to Teralco’s customer base but will eventually be rolled out to the rest of South Africa, one province at a time. “We intend to start with Gauteng, which has the best network coverage in SA, and grow our routes from there,” he said. “We hope to have the app available to the entire country within six months.” Teralco’s next steps will be to grow the app into the rest of Africa – which Odendaal envisions will take place in three to five years – eventually rolling it out globally. He said the largest barriers to expansion into Africa would be coverage in terms of cellular networks. “We need to pace ourselves according to the advancements of information technology (IT) in Africa. Cell networks must grow alongside us, not behind us, and we need to be aware of the network and tech constraints in the countries we are looking to expand into at that time.”
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Anyone who moves FMCG knows that time is money and this app works to bridge this gap. – Terence Odendaal
