A freight tech start-up is going from strength to strength in its first six months but its Dubbo founder is not about to “sit still”.
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Channel 40, an online platform that links truckies and freight owners to get loads moved, has attracted more than 6000 users.
Described as “a cross between Uber and Facebook for truckies” by its founder Tom Cavanagh, it was designed to make shipping easier for all parties.
He reported of Channel 40’s successes, capped off by the start-up being selected as a finalist in the running for the Dubbo Rhino Award for best new business.
“Since launch, Channel 40 has facilitated more than $1 million in revenue for truck drivers,” Mr Cavanagh said.
“Every driver has been paid within 48 hours of completing the job.
“That’s unheard of in the industry.”
Mr Cavanagh established the venture after experiencing frustration with his own shipping challenges as the owner of Dubbo’s EMS Group.
He said start-ups had so many more challenges than a traditional business and admitted that despite the growing number of users, there had been times when he felt like they had been “winging it”.
“They say when you are launching a tech start-up, if you wait until you aren’t embarrassed by your technology, you’ve waited too long,” he said.
“I’ll never be embarrassed by the great Channel 40 platform, but by the same token you can never sit still.”
The Channel 40 team is also growing with the addition of four new members to the board, including a new CEO, taking the total number to nine.
“With a new platform upgrade due out later this year, we’ve just brought on more people to provide personal support to both freight owners and drivers - and assist users to complete successful freight movements,” Mr Cavanagh said.