French freight matching startup Fretlink has introduced a new set of features to its Platform of Services. The features were developed based on the needs of carriers and are now accessible by Fretlink’s most active carrier partners across France. These services were built in partnership with equipment service provider TIP and UNION TANK Eckstein (UTA), a major provider of fuel and service cards in Europe.
The Platform of Services was launched by Fretlink in April this year, and the newly unveiled features are among its most significant additions yet. “Our objective is to help carriers sustain, develop and grow their activities. To do that, we analyzed what processes were impacting their profit and loss, which led us to develop the right services and get commercial bargains that help lower operational costs,” said Pierre Roux, the chief communications officer at Fretlink.
Unlike regular digital freight marketplaces, Fretlink believes the problem within the market is not technology but rather the lack of organization – leading the startup to look at aligning pricing, capacity and service within the market. Fretlink helps shippers triage these parameters and choose carriers that would be the best overall, and not just the least expensive.
In this set of features release, Fretlink is partnering with UTA to provide carriers access to the largest low-cost multi-brand fuel station network in France, with attractive options like delayed payment and reduced fees. “The fuel card will allow our carriers to have slight discounts on their fuel at the gas station. And carriers can easily manage their whole fleet without drivers having to pay cash, as there’s delayed payment,” said Roux.
Fuel is one of the biggest costs in operating a carrier, making the delayed payment option a lifeline to freight businesses. Fretlink’s premium carriers enjoy the option of gaining up to three months in fuel-related working capital, helping them push forward with hauling more loads rather than await shipper payment to fund their next assignment.
As the UTA network grows within the other European markets, carriers will be able to push their boundaries even further within the continent without basing operations on their immediate fuel expenses.
Fretlink’s association with TIP helps provide the startup’s premium partners with short-term trailer rental, along with privileged access to TIP’s secured parking spots around the region of Lille, France. Fretlink’s partners would also be provided with 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere across Europe by TIP services.
“We’re really glad to accelerate our partnership with Fretlink through this Platform of Services, as being an everyday partner to carriers lies in TIP’s core DNA. With its comprehensive approach to carrier’s needs, Fretlink makes a clear positive contribution to their profitability that will definitely ensure their further sustainability and development,” said Bob Fast, CEO of TIP Trailer Services.
This apart, the Fretlink-TIP partnership provides their carriers access to second-hand heavy goods vehicles in Europe, with every vehicle being thoroughly inspected – renovated if necessary – to meet TIP’s standards of quality and reliability. The idea here is to help local carriers choose models from a large pool of used trucks across various manufacturers’ brands.