Raaho: A freight mart loaded with technology

Did you know that the truck next to you on the highway is empty 35% of the time? The incidence of empty (empty mile) truck driving at the point of origin due to lack of return load is estimated to be up to 25% higher in India. This is obviously a big issue for the environment. Also, with high costs on fuel and low revenue, operators neglect maintenance, affecting the quality of their fleet.

“The problem with empty miles is that there is a tick in the cost-meter – be it EMI or fuel consumption – when resources are unused or underused. If power exists, it must be used. And that’s what we at Raho are trying to do 24 × 7 to improve the lives of truckers and drivers, “said Md. Imtiaz, CEO and co-founder.

According to a recent policy commission report, CO2 emissions from freight transport are expected to increase by 451% – 20 gigatonnes – by 2050. It says that emissions of 2.7 gigatonnes can be avoided and 85 trains can be saved by reducing empty running. , Improve load factor and use larger trucks. Raho is trying to bring skills in this domain.

Founded in 2017 with just 10 trucks, Raaho is an on-demand intercity tracking management company that focuses on mid-mile logistics. Brainstormed by Imtiaz, it is a new-age technology-enabled broker that uses technology and real-time data to ensure freight tracking and on-time delivery and enable operational and cost efficiency in an otherwise opaque industry. The firm plans to build a reliable freight market connecting shippers and truckers across the country through its efficient digital freight network.

Raaho’s network builds liquidity through its marketplace-based instant tracking and tracking solutions. Load trucks are available and trucks are usually available for shippers within 30 minutes. As a result, monthly truck usage has increased from 7,000 km to 11,000 km. “With the improved use of property, the average income of truckers and drivers has increased. As a result, more money has been passed-through for the community of immediate interest, comprising 15% of the Indian population who make a living, directly or indirectly, through trucking, ”says Imtiaz.

Trucking in India awaits Uber-Ezed; Accepting digital freight matching would marry the load to nearby trucks, he explained. McKinsey estimates that back-hall visibility (return load assurance) will increase revenue by 5-15% and reduce truck usage costs by 3-5%. He emphasized that digitization brings a level of discovery that not only ensures tracking efficiency but also transparency – with vehicle tracking and instant digital payments for trackers – and reliability – with verified partners, whether shippers, truckers or drivers. “Action in India has already begun with Raho, something like the Blackback convoy in the United States.”

He said that about 12 million trucks and their drivers have entered the digital world as a result of Kovid and its consequent lockdown. But more than 1% of freight fairs in India have gone digital to date. With the growing adoption of digital platforms, “Covid has actually become a boon for the future of logistics in India. It could revolutionize an otherwise opaque and fragmented industry plagued by 200,000 brokers who are still in manual phone-based matchmaking within their immediate network, ”he added.

Steering forward

Raho packages its on-demand tracking solution through its complete apps suite (Shipper App, Tracker App, and Driver App) to provide real-time tracking of vehicles with close-by discovery, verified documents, shippers of reliability, and freight vehicles. And instant digital payments. This was made possible first by the use of technology and data-science, then by a large network of shippers and trackers in Raho, and finally by the integration of verified digital e-KYC access and digital payment platforms such as UPI or Paytm.