TruckPad

TruckPad operates as a digital freight marketplace, connecting shippers with independent truck drivers throughout Brazil. Founded in 2013 by Carlos Mira, the company emerged from his extensive, multi-decade experience in his family's logistics business. Mira identified a critical inefficiency in the market: drivers often wasted time and fuel searching for their next load, while shippers struggled to find available and reliable truckers. This insight, coupled with a trip to Silicon Valley, inspired him to digitize and streamline the process.

The platform serves two main client groups: independent truckers and shipping companies. For truckers, TruckPad offers a free mobile application that helps them find nearby freight, reducing empty miles. The app includes features for route planning with toll and diesel cost calculations, shipment tracking, and digital proof of delivery. For shipping companies, TruckPad provides a logistics management solution to locate, hire, and manage autonomous drivers. Its tiered business model generates revenue through monthly subscriptions from shippers, which range from basic access to premium features like driver vetting, real-time tracking, and payment management. The company also earns a commission, between 2.5% and 5%, on transactions it facilitates, guaranteeing payment to the driver and service completion to the shipper.

Over the years, TruckPad has expanded its services beyond freight matching. It leverages its vast data on driver behavior and routes to offer business intelligence and targeted digital media opportunities for partners. The platform has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem, creating a marketplace for truck-related products and services, such as tires from partners like Michelin, and financial products like credit and receivable anticipation for drivers. The company has attracted significant investment from notable firms including Movile, Mercedes-Benz, and the Chinese logistics giant Full Truck Alliance (FTA). In May 2022, TruckPad was acquired by JSL, a major Brazilian logistics company, in a deal where JSL assumed the startup's debt. The acquisition aims to accelerate JSL's digital transformation by integrating TruckPad's extensive network of over 800,000 registered drivers and 30,000 shippers.

Keywords: freight marketplace, logistics technology, road freight, trucking platform, freight matching, digital logistics, Brazil logistics, autonomous truckers, load board, Carlos Mira, JSL, Full Truck Alliance, freight management, supply chain tech, mobile logistics, shipper solutions, driver services, transportation management, LogTech, road transport