A centralized digital platform provides the tools necessary for shippers to easily post the freight they need moved, and for drivers to find those loads to transport. For both parties, desktop and mobile tools facilitate the transfer of necessary documentation, and enable communication and shipment status updates from initial posting to final delivery.
What we did
Fr8Hub must cater to two types of users, each with a unique set of needs and technical know-how.
Connect people, move freight
Fr8Hub must cater to two types of users, each with a unique set of needs and technical know-how.
Shippers are companies with goods to move. Their freight might be pallets of bottled water, frozen food, or car engines. Regardless, it needs to arrive at its destination without delay. Shippers are no strangers to digital tools, but were accustomed to finding drivers by posting individual shipments to Load Boards, antiquated platforms that buried opportunities through a lack of intelligent organization.
Carriers, or owner operators, are men and women driving the tractors needed to carry shipments. They are accustomed to browsing load boards, but are often forced to rely on third party brokers to find shipments to their desired destinations. Instead, utilizing mobile tools greatly increases their ability to efficiently find new jobs while on the road, as well as manage the logistics related to their current load.
A groundbreaking product experience for desktop and mobile devices
Rainfall designed an intuitive experience that streamlines interaction for both shippers and carriers and caters to their individual behaviors. By developing an efficient and engaging interaction model, more loads are posted, more drivers earn better wages, and more users return to the marketplace, choosing Fr8Hub over its competitors.
A map is central to the product experience
From the moment a shipment is approved, its ongoing location and progress towards the intended destination are paramount. We put a map at the center of the experience and built all interactions around it. From a single location carriers can view their entire fleet, and shippers get realtime updates of all loads in progress.
Easy access to all loads
Every time a carrier or driver returns to the Fr8Hub mobile experience they are greeted with a current list of loads that match their selected preferences. They can preview the route on a map or choose to bid on the load directly from the landing screen.
Posting equipment to the Fr8Hub marketplace
Carriers and drivers are brought onboard by enrolling their equipment in the marketplace. This is as simple as specifying their desired origin and destinations, indicating a qualified driver (which may be themselves), and adding certified tractors and trailers. Shipping lane preferences can be adjusted at any time, allowing carriers to adapt to market demand.
We cater to road warriors
The Fr8Hub mobile application offers carriers all the functionality they need to continue working while out on the road. They can post equipment with just a few simple steps, a task easily completed in seconds.
Pairing a driver with an available load
After carriers and drivers have enrolled their equipment on the platform they will see all available freight that matches their preferences, and can choose to bid on enticing shipments. After indicating the minimum price per mile for which they’d carry a load, the driver’s bid is sent to the shipper for approval, and a match is made.
Bidding is fun and intuitive
Gesture is used in intelligent ways to make the experience as instinctual as possible. A press and hold allows carriers to preview a shipment, and if they choose to bid we make that action the most dominant element on the screen.
Carrying the load to its destination
After connecting a shipper with a carrier, Fr8Hub’s platform manages all communication and document coordination necessary for proper pickup, transport, and drop off including the bill of lading and important insurance information.
Throughout the life of the job all parties can connect via instant message, and the driver can update the shipper if there are any issues along the route. Shippers also have access to real-time location information for all of their open jobs.
Communication is key
Shipping is a telephone-based business, and with that comes miscommunication. For each and every load in progress Fr8Hub creates a single channel for constant communication between all parties involved. Shippers can communicate with carriers, dispatch with their fleet of drivers, and Fr8Hub will automatically log every status change throughout the journey.
Dropping off the load and confirming delivery
At the destination, Fr8Hub’s location services inform the shipper when their load has been delivered, and the Bill of Lading is confirmed by the receiver electronically. It is immediately processed and drivers are paid in a matter of hours rather than days. Expediting reimbursement allows carriers to operate their business without factoring, which promotes engagement with the platform and higher driver supply for shippers.
An immersive marketing website welcomes users
An informative marketing site was necessary to advise shippers and carriers of the advantages of the Fr8Hub platform and offer a glimpse of the product. We created an organized experience that catered to each user type and simplified messaging through the brand iconography and rich product visuals.
Information delivery optimized for everyone
Just as Fr8Hub can be used on the go, so can the marketing site. A fully responsive design allows for browsing and sign up from any device, anywhere.
Lightweight pages optimize the experience for carriers on the road with limited cellular data while still delivering all necessary information to correctly communicate Fr8Hub's industry advantage.
Signup and onboarding are just one click away
Even the biggest skeptics can't resist trying a platform that offers better wages for drivers without increased shipping costs.
For all user types the marketing site effortlessly guides them into the onboarding funnel, allowing a choice between immediate signup or valet assistance.
The first milestone in the future of freight
Fr8Hub saw strong traction in its early stages as an increasing number of shippers and carriers return to the platform after each successful load.
Constant iteration and testing made the product a joy to use, and promoted the importance of user experience to the success of the platform.