In today’s fast-paced logistics landscape, innovation and technology are driving transformation like never before. At the forefront of this evolution is TrucksUp, offers a comprehensive logistics solution. That addresses all your operational needs, and helps you streamline the transportation process. By reshaping the trucking industry by addressing critical challenges through real-time smart data and value-added services.
Meenakshi SR from the editorial team of SCM Spectrum had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Sarthak Elwadhi, the co-founder of TrucksUp, who brings years of expertise in logistics, trucking, and supply chain management. In this exclusive conversation, we explore the vision, strategies, policies, and transformative impact of TrucksUp on the future of logistics.
What was your triggering point to come up with an app for such a large sector?
In India, truck owners, including single vehicle owners who make up 80-85% of the market, hold a respected place in society. They are hardworking individuals who earn a decent livelihood, allowing them to lead a reasonably comfortable life despite the undeniable hardships of spending long hours on the road. When I returned after my studies, I immersed myself in understanding their world, spending time on the ground, visiting dhabas, transport nagars, loading points, toll plazas, and other bustling hubs frequented by truck owners and drivers. It was eye-opening to see the challenges they face daily.
With my background in logistics, I could see the bigger picture and the root causes of these struggles. Unfortunately, large companies typically focus only on moving goods efficiently from point A to point B, adhering to their guidelines and targets, without much consideration for the welfare of single truck owners. Despite countless summits and discussions among some of the brightest minds in the country, the issues plaguing this segment remained unresolved.
Adopting a model like Uber or Ola wasn’t a viable solution either. Many truck owners come from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, often resistant to new technology. What they truly seek is comfort, security, and a reliable system they can trust. This realization became the foundation for TrucksUp.
Our goal is to provide a solution that combines cutting-edge technology with a human touch. We offer 24/7 call center support, ensuring users receive assistance at any stage of their journey. What began as a simple idea to address their challenges has evolved into something far bigger than I initially imagined. But perhaps that’s how every meaningful journey begins by listening, understanding, and building trust.
According to the logistics industry, what is the tech drive tool that is used and how challenging is it?
Our users have dedicated their lives to this industry, yet a significant challenge remains that nearly 80-85% of India’s trucks are owned by individuals with fewer than 10 trucks. These owners prioritize running their businesses in the way that feels most comfortable to them. As a result, many do not adopt technology, use ERP systems, or leverage modern banking facilities. They often lack knowledge about optimal insurance options, the best routes to take, or nearby plants that could provide them with additional loads. Essentially, it’s a gap in accessing the right information at the right time. While they may recognize these issues, they often don’t know how to resolve them.
This is where TrucksUp steps in. The challenge isn’t just in providing solutions but in making those solutions accessible, usable, and trustworthy for them. That’s our mission—to help them integrate these tools into their daily operations. Everyone agrees this transformation is needed, but the key lies in how it’s implemented.
Building trust is at the heart of what we do. That’s why we emphasize that we’re not a logistics company. We’re not here to disrupt or replace anyone’s business. Instead, we’re here to grow everyone’s business. That’s our core difference.
Think of us as matchmakers: on one side, we have truck owners, and on the other, we have load providers or shippers. Shippers often struggle with limited access to trucks. They rely on manually calling a handful of contacts to locate a truck, a process that’s both inefficient and time-consuming. With TrucksUp, shippers gain access to over 200,000 trucks with just a click, making their operations significantly smoother and faster.
Can you tell us some of the latest technological innovations TrucksUp has adapted, and how these innovations are transforming your business operations?
When we talk about the backend of any tech company, evolution is a constant process. We’re making small but significant tweaks to the user interface every day. Our user base isn’t accustomed to using complex, feature-rich apps that you and I might navigate effortlessly. This is why we focus on simplicity. For instance, when a user types in a location on our app, it’s designed to be intuitive and easy to use, even for someone who might be driving or isn’t highly proficient in reading.
This process of refining and improving the app is ongoing and will never stop. However, one feature I’m particularly proud of is the “My Truck Is Here” feature. It flips the traditional approach to finding loads on its head. As a truck owner, you can indicate your expected arrival at a destination, for example, Chennai in two days. The moment a load that matches your truck type becomes available in Chennai, you start receiving notifications.
This feature ensures that truck owners secure a load even before they reach their destination, offering them peace of mind and operational efficiency. On the other hand, for load providers, the moment they upload their load details, they immediately know there’s a truck on the way. This eliminates waiting time for both parties and creates a seamless, future-focused demand-matching system.
People who are putting their load on to get a truck, the exact moment they’re putting their load on, they know that there is a truck that’s on the way. So, there’s no waiting for them. So, I think this kind of future demand matching, it’s really special.Currently, a lot of people have started using it.
There are many B2C or B2B booking apps , what sets TrucksUp app apart from these?
There are many smaller elements to what we offer, but the most significant aspect is that we are a true one-stop shop. From start to finish, everything a truck owner needs is available in one place. Whether it’s purchasing a vehicle, finding loads, getting insurance, setting up a FASTag, GPS installation, SIM tracking, vehicle and driver verification, or even selling an old truck and buying a new one – we’ve got it all covered.
But beyond all of these services, the most valuable offering we provide, especially for truck owners who may not have much technical expertise, is the human touch.
If you visit our office, you’ll notice our team constantly on the phone. We have in-house trained professionals who are available all day to guide and assist our users with their tasks. While they could potentially handle these activities without a call center setup, we believe in creating a personal connection.
We want our users to know that we’re not just another faceless company. Behind TrucksUp, there’s a team of real, empathetic human beings committed to serving them. This personal approach is what truly sets us apart. It’s a promise that we’re here to support them, not just as customers, but as partners in their journey.
The Indian government introduced the National Logistics Policy aimed at improving the efficiency of the logistics sector. How does TrucksUp align with the objectives of this policy?
The ultimate goal of the National Logistics Policy is to significantly reduce logistics costs in India. Achieving this hinges on one fundamental aspect: improving asset utilization.
Take full truckloads, for instance the large trucks operating on interstate routes. The asset utilization rate for these trucks is alarmingly low, hovering between 35% and 40%. This means that most of the time, these trucks are running empty, without a load. For truck owners, this isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s a financial drain. Even when their trucks are idle, they’re still burdened with expenses like EMIs, making it difficult to break even.
Think about it: these trucks are income-generating assets, but they’re not being utilized effectively for a majority of the time. Addressing this inefficiency is crucial to aligning with the National Logistics Policy and ultimately reducing logistics costs across the country.
The solution is clearly to increase asset utilization. Even raising the utilization rate to 70% could create a transformative impact for the industry and the nation. Achieving this, however, requires empowering the most critical segment of the supply chain, the truck drivers and owners who face these challenges daily. By providing them with the right information, tools, and support, we can unlock the full potential of their assets and drive meaningful change for India’s logistics ecosystem.
How does TrucksUp ensure reliability, efficiency, and visibility in its logistics operations, and what steps are being taken to keep improving?
In terms of reliability, we will soon offer roadside support for truck drivers and owners, assisting them during breakdowns, tolls, accidents, or other challenges on the road. We are prepared to handle various situations effectively.
Regarding efficiency and visibility, improving asset utilization is crucial. As for visibility, currently, shippers have limited access to a local pool of trucks, primarily through personal connections. With TrucksUp, they gain access to a vast database of trucks across India’s network, eliminating the need for manual outreach.
This enhanced visibility benefits both truck owners and shippers. Owners can explore new routes they weren’t aware of, leading to increased asset utilization and reduced downtime. Ultimately, this boosts efficiency and empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions in a more connected logistics ecosystem.
With the Indian truck transport market valued at $113.17 billion, what percentage of this market is currently digitized, and how is technology shaping the sector?
It’s hard to put a number to what percentage is digitized because when we talk about the total network of logistics, we’re including things like e-commerce, we’re talking about big companies who have major warehouses set up, who have major distribution center set up, which are all done through online WMS systems or other subsystems. So that is not what we really look at when we’re discussing logistics and its problems. The problem really starts is how unorganized it is.
Like I said, most people are online, but they are still unorganized in the sense that they don’t have the right information at the right time. So when we look at how tech can help logistics, it’s by using tech to give information to these people because with tech, information is transferred instantly and that is what we need. We don’t need any huge sparkly app to do it.
We just need some basic things first and then as we go on, of course. With TruckSub, you will get AI-based matchmaking. In which you and your type of truck is matched with the kind of load you have or in the future. Wherever you will be, So that kind of thing is always there, but that is on us as stakeholders. Who are doing the matchmaking to extract the most value out of that and give it to our users. As far as our users are concerned, we don’t want to change the way they do business. We just want to increase the way they do business.
