Turning traditional businesses digital, with Gabriel from TheLorry.
“It’s the uber for logistics,” says Gabriel, country manager of TheLorry. “What we’re doing is really meaningful. By connecting the demand for logistics, with people who might not necessarily have the skills to leverage that need, we’re making their lives better.”
Although the Singapore team is lean — there are just three headcounts here — the company has garnered much success in Malaysia, having been operational over the last two years, with the closure of 1.5 million dollar series A round. Their success indicates that there’s a nascent market that they’ve chanced upon, where they are certainly ahead of the game.
“Right now, if you ask the average consumer, they won’t know what the price of doing logistics is. That’s a huge barrier,” he says, pausing for effect. “We’re trying to make things transparent. By working with multiple partners, we ensure that prices are fixed and fair, and both consumers and service suppliers can benefit.”
Gabriel goes on to tell me about the technology that enables all of this, where customised quotes can be calculated and generated instantly. But other than speed, most of the technology is built to match job requirements with the right partners to do it. In his view, that’s the secret sauce that has made the platform work effortlessly for users.
“Another thing we’re really focused on, is getting good partners. We’ve got a great filtering process in place, where we interview the driver, do background checks, and even rate them according to their performance. The best part is that they know how well they’re doing, which helps them improve over time, resulting in happier customers too,” says Gabriel.
Although most people who use TheLorry do so because they have to relocate, there’s still much uncertainty around old school businesses like logistics. In Gabriel’s opinion, the main variable is accessibility and reliability — something that the platform solves easily via technology, which is what led him to join the company.
“I think the social implications are the most interesting bits of the business. I’ve always been passionate about getting traditional businesses caught up with digital, and TheLorry does exactly that. It benefits people who need help to sustain themselves through an honest livelihood, and that’s really purposeful,” he says, smiling to himself.
‘What’s next for TheLorry?” He repeats my question, and considers it carefully. “I guess most of the work will be focused on establishing cross border logistics. I’m confident that it’s going to work, because we’ve got a great network in Malaysia, and a really motivated team behind us. There’s almost nothing we can’t do.”
