There’s a new web- and mobile-enabled freight marketplace on the block being touted for owner-operators and its being rolled out by a company called Sleek Fleet LLC.
The firm said its new “marketplace” is designed to offer an “effective and efficient way” for shippers to leverage owner-operators as a group by maintaining a database of verified drivers, with full driving histories, insurance information and more, and handles all transactions, paying drivers within four hours of proper paperwork submission.
Shippers, who pay a flat percentage to cover the costs of the technology, administration and accounting, experience seamless integration without disruption to current processes, the firm said.
All updates and data flow into existing enterprise resource planning or transportation management systems, with the technology eliminating the “waste” of haggling and avoiding fees imposed by brokers, all while providing transparent cost-structure information that shippers can leverage to further fine-tune their business operations.
The company said it initially beta tested its new “marketplace” in the Midwest and is now expanding it from that region to gather in more verified, experienced independent truck drivers.
Upon being verified, Sleek Fleet said drivers can log in to the interface, choose from actual loads based on location and equipment, and submit bids. Drivers learn immediately if a bid was successful and are paid the exact bid amount, with no hidden fees or deductions.
“Historically, the marketplace was not set up in a way that was conducive to having owner operators work directly with large shippers,” noted Michael Nervick, Sleek Fleet’s CEO, in a statement.
“Sleek Fleet is designed to be a transparent and turnkey solution, giving drivers direct access to shippers with available freight, up-to-date load information, and quick, competitive payments,” he pointed out. “By enabling this direct connection, shippers can tap into far greater capacity than they had previously.”
“In addition to savings on the pure cost of transportation, shippers will also see benefits in terms of their bottom line,” noted Oleg Yanchyk, the company’s chief information officer. “Because they’re saving on the labor of finding a truck and getting a contract signed—with it all done automatically through the platform—shippers are going to be saving significant internal resources.”
