SmartHop raises a $12M Series A to ease trucking logistics
If you are a founder and launched a startup last February of 2020 just before the pandemic hit, then you may have felt like you were living the ultimate business nightmare. But if your company serves to stabilize the supply-chain business, then, in fact, you may have hit the ground running at just the right time. So is the story of Miami-based startup SmartHop, an AI-powered app that helps interstate truckers make their routes more efficient and lucrative, while removing a lot of the administrative hassle for drivers.
SmartHop announced today that it raised $12 million in a Series A round, bringing the company’s total funding to date to $16.5 million. The round was led by Union Square Ventures, whose past investments include Stripe, Twitter, Coinbase, Etsy, MeetUp, SkillShare and Duolingo, among others.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association brought a straight forward message to a Congressional hearing on behalf of the nation’s truck drivers with regard to surviving COVID-19: Truckers are struggling under COVID, but their biggest concern is being run out of business by lawmakers in Washington.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh spoke as the only witness who has worked as a truck driver at the Protecting Transportation Workers and Passengers from COVID: Gaps in safety, Lessons Learned and Next Steps hearing on Feb. 4 before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Pugh was a trucker and small-business operator for nearly 23 years with roughly 2.5 million miles of safe driving before joining OOIDA’s staff in 2017.
Transportation Industry Expert to Discuss Rule Changes and How They Impact Business
/EIN News/ DALLAS, Feb. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Axele, LLC, a Transportation Management System (TMS) company, is hosting a webinar, “Optimizing Your Operation Using New Hours of Service Flexibility.” Attendees will learn how carriers and drivers can use new Hours of Service (HoS) flexibility to improve operation efficiency. Dave Osiecki, a 30-year transportation industry veteran and President of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, will share his expertise and knowledge about the rule changes during the free webinar on February 17, 2021, at 2:00 PM ET.
“The Hours of Service rule changes are intended to provide greater flexibility for drivers without lowering safety standards,” said Ryan Camacho, Director of Business Development, Axele. “We believe that it is essential for trucking companies to understand these rules and learn how to successfully navigate them in a profitable carri
Growing the Number of Women Behind the Wheel By Nathan Phelps Wisconsin
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ASHWAUBENON, Wis. KellyLynn McLaughlin is part of the 8 percent.
That’s about how many women make up the ranks of the nation’s truck drivers.
“When I started five years ago, we were about 3 percent of the driver population. We’re up to about 8 percent, but I’d like to see it be more,” she said.
McLaughlin drives from Green Bay-based Schneider. It’s also the driver ambassador with the Women In Trucking Association, headquartered in Plover, Wisconsin.
“There are so many opportunities in this industry that I just don’t think we share and talk about with our young women, actually women of any age,” she said. “There’s a role in this industry for ladies and gentlemen no matter what stage of life you’re at.”