Parcel boxes move along a conveyor belt at a logistics center in Seoul on Jan. 31, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean mobility platforms are entering the middle-mile delivery sector, which involves business-to-business (B2B) logistics for transporting goods from factories to logistics warehouses or sales outlets via trucks.
Kakao Mobility Corp. said Tuesday it will recruit pre-registered users through its application prior to the official launch of the Kakao T Trucker service, which is scheduled for mid-October.
The new service offers features such as ‘quick payment,’ providing truck owners with their approved freight rates within an hour. Additionally, there’s an ‘order card’ tailored to the unique conditions of each truck driver.
Kakao Mobility transformed its network into a platform after acquiring a 49 percent stake in a cargo brokerage information network operated by the National Association of Freight Car Transport Forwarding Businesses in October of the previous year.
Following this, in July, it introduced ‘LogiNote Plus’ to enhance the operational efficiency of forwarders.
Within the middle-mile delivery market, forwarders secure contracts from shippers, organize truck owners, and earn commissions from them through the information network.
As most contracts are currently arranged via phone calls and settlements are done manually, platform companies are actively working to establish a new revenue model by promoting the digital transformation of the market.
Meanwhile, T Map Mobility Co. obtained a 100 percent stake in the forwarding startup YLP last year and subsequently launched the T Map cargo service in February.
CJ Logistics Corp. and KT Corp. have also entered the competition by introducing their respective cargo information brokerage platforms.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
