For many customers, reading product or service reviews is a common practice before visiting a new restaurant or even making a purchase online. Reviews can help instill confidence in the product or service and are invaluable for business. Despite their usefulness, customer reviewers are hard to find for logistics and shipping companies despite the essential service they provide.
On Tuesday, CarrierSource, a new logistics startup based in Chicago, launched to bring customer reviews and transparency to the logistics industry.
CarrierSource is founded by Rob Light, a former employee at G2, a Chicago-based software marketplace where customers can find reviews for thousands of software such as Airtable, Salesforce and QuickBooks. With CarrierSource, Light is looking to create a centralized platform where customers can leave reviews for shipping companies that will then help future customers find the right company for their specific needs.
“In an industry that hinges on relationships, bringing trusted data to logistics will skyrocket supply chain efficiency,” Tim Handorf, CarrierSource’s executive chairman and co-founder of G2, said in a statement. “Peer reviews are the backbone of so many fields and we believe that by creating more transparency, CarrierSource will revolutionize the logistics space.”
Shipping companies are the most used method of freight transportation in the country and move everything from food and grocery items to construction materials. Because of their service offerings and costs, customers need confidence that the company moving their freight is reliable and fits their needs.
CarrierSource’s platform can also be used by shipping companies to provide information on the types of services they offer, the types of vehicles they use to move fright and whether the company uses electronic tracking, among other information.
Having a profile on CarrierSource’s platform is free for shipping companies and brokerages. There are also paid plans that can further expand a company’s online presence. Paid services include analytics on pageviews, the ability to remove competitors from advertising on a company profile and many other services.
“We hope CarrierSource ushers in a new age of trust and open dialogue in the logistics community,” Light, CarrierSource co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “Whether you’re a broker, shipper or carrier, we’ll provide you with the tools you need to succeed.”
