Miami-based SmartHop launched its first mobile app for small trucking companies.
The startup's new SmartHop App is now available on the Apple Store and Google Play store, the company announced Tuesday. The artificial intelligence-powered platform enables truckers to find the most convenient, high-paying loads right from their smartphones. That's a timesaver for busy drivers who spend their working hours on the road.
“SmartHop is a mission-driven organization, and our goal is simple: helping carriers and small fleets operate more efficiently and profitably,” said SmartHop founder and CEO Guillermo Garcia.
SmartHop targets the estimated 91% of U.S. trucking companies that operate six or fewer vehicles. Its platform provides load booking services, back office support, routes to optimize revenue, and lower fuel and insurance prices for small carriers and owner-operators to help them compete with larger rivals.
Garcia said SmartHop, which started 2021 with 50 workers, has tripled its employee count after opening new offices in New York City and Bogota, Colombia. That includes two key hires: SmartHop announced it added Tamara Clay, head of people, and Valentina Marastoni-Bieser, head of marketing, to its executive team. Clay held leadership positions at skin care brand CocoKind and Bolt Mobility before joining the startup, while Marastoni-Bieser served as global head of marketing at SuperAwesome, a company that uses tech to make the internet safer for kids.
“With the launch of our mobile app and our newest leaders on board, we’re excited to take our company to the next level and help independent drivers and owner-operators succeed in today’s tough but opportunity-rich environment," Garcia said.
SmartHop has secured more than $16 million in funding since launching its beta dispatch tool for truckers in 2018. Its backers include New York-based Union Square Ventures and RyderVentures, a venture capital fund led by Miami logistics giant Ryder System (NYSE: R).
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