In today’s digitally connected world, the status and location of most freight shipments can be immediately determined by GPS trackers, phone apps or simply making a cellular telephone call to the trucker hauling the package for delivery.
But not every trucker has the software or the desire to respond to phone calls in route to track where they are.
To help fill that void and still allow freight brokers to keep track of their shipments, Chattanooga businessman Ryan Rogers and a pair of local programmers have created a telephone text messaging service that allows truckers to quickly verify their location and more easily communicate any problems in their deliveries.
The new venture known as TextLocate is the brainchild of Rogers, a 20-year veteran of the trucking and logistics industry who developed the new technology and business since leaving his post as chief transformation officer at Covenant Logistics in January.
“We launched this a month ago and we already have freight broker customers ranging from $50 million to $500 million a year,” he said. “We’re really growing rapidly and see a lot of opportunity for this service.”