In India, transporting goods is a huge pain point. Although, the best option available is the usage of mini-trucks which are – grossly unorganized, with inefficient utilization and no easy way for consumers to find local, available providers. Often, customers are unable to book a truck service for a day or two, and drivers often have untold hours of down-time per day. At the same time, consumers have ever increasing needs to move goods, inter and intra-city.
The market for mini-truck transportation in India alone, is estimated to be between INR 30,000 – 60,000 crore (USD $4.8-9.6 billion) annually; the market is ripe for creative disruption.
Solution
Blowhorn’s technology-enabled platform seamlessly connecting customers to owners of mini-trucks, is helping organize a massively disorganized market and providing value to both; customers and mini-truck owners. By improving logistics for customers while also increasing the take-home profits for low-income mini-truck drivers, the demand for reliable and safe goods transport is increasing. Blowhorn’s technology is easily used by both consumers and by truck owner/drivers, making it dramatically simpler to move goods or household possessions around a city.
Blowhorn is currently present in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.
Impact
The market for Blowhorn is intra-city, sub 2-ton deliveries and this segment is largely disorganized. Owner-drivers dominate majority of the segment – most own (or lease) a single truck. Their take-home income after costs of lease payments, fuel, and maintenance often averages only a few hundred rupees per day. Blowhorn is building better processes for managing the market and ensuring that drivers’ utilization increases, which in turn will improve their earnings and in turn their livelihoods. They have 1000+ drivers on the platform whose income has increased by ~20%.
