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MarTech Edge Interview with Doug Ladden, Co-Founder & CEO, Deliveright

MarTech Edge Interview with Doug Ladden, Co-Founder & CEO, Deliveright

logistics 10 Mar 2023

What was the vision and purpose of Deliveright as it came to fruition, and how has it changed over time?

Deliveright was founded in 2018 to bring cutting-edge technology and final-mile delivery transparency to the big and bulky goods segment of the supply chain industry. There are many quality delivery providers, but there are few technology solutions available to them—and the big and bulky goods industry is even more hampered, as many delivery services like FedEx and UPS refuse to deliver anything weighing over 150 pounds. With digital commerce growing exponentially, online sellers needed a logistics solution for the delivery of big and bulky products. Deliveright’s Grasshopper platform was designed as a complete technology solution for these specialized companies, combining OMS (order management systems), WMS (warehouse management systems), TMS (transportation management systems), and more into one package, and we’ve improved these features and added new ones with each new version. After developing Grasshopper and implementing it for carriers and shippers all over the U.S., Deliveright began handling B2B shipments as well. Today, we have over 1,000 customers that rely on our network.

How does Deliveright differentiate itself from other heavy goods delivery service companies?

We are a technology-first, asset-light, big and bulky goods solution; our Grasshopper platform provides total transparency across every step of the process, not just integrating with outdated legacy processes but helping companies move beyond them. Deliveright has built an entire network of organizations servicing the delivery process, all running on the same platform, offering real-time tracking and various features to improve the experience.

Can you walk us through the company's growth and expansion process over the years?

From day one, we knew our mission was to bring technology to facilitate the big and bulky goods logistics process to the market. But while we started with the technology, we soon ended up with our boots on the ground in the delivery business ourselves. We learned early on that the best way to build our technology platform, Grasshopper, was by running a final-mile delivery network ourselves. We started with one terminal on the East Coast and quickly grew to three terminals. After 100,000+ shipments, we started to license Grasshopper to other delivery companies, and today we have a nationwide network of licensees, some of which also make big and bulky deliveries for Deliveright. Shippers can manage logistics and final-mile deliveries for almost every zip code in the U.S. through Deliveright. That early hands-on experience proved critical for insight into which solutions and tools truly meet shippers’ needs.

Can you share any exciting new developments or initiatives that Deliveright has in the works?

In line with our mission to always increase the level of transparency we offer our clients, we just released version 3.0 of our Grasshopper platform, which provides even more detailed visibility to shippers. In addition to further streamlining the integration of OMS, WMS, and TMS to provide real-time data, we’ve improved our user interface so that adopting Grasshopper is easier than ever.

Since you mentioned Grasshopper technology, can you further elaborate on how the AI-powered platform is automating complicated logistics? And how has Grasshopper upped the efficiency game in the digital supply chain network?

Grasshopper automates the entire fulfillment process in several ways:

  • Automated scheduling based on capacity, volume, and drive time limitations: We enable customers to schedule deliveries on their own time without the need to involve the operations team.
  • Warehouse allocation optimization: Making sure that pieces are placed in the right locations and picked in the right order to ensure accurate and optimized loading of trailers. These recommendations are based on insight from our own experience working with warehouses and are also reactive to new data about what configurations maximize worker efficiency and minimize damages.
  • Routing optimization: Making sure that each route is optimized based on customer limitations like access hours, as well as drive time, truck capacity, and other factors that may vary based on the customer and the product.
  • End-to-end visibility: Because our comprehensive solution can handle every step of the supply chain, Grasshopper provides true end-to-end visibility from the manufacturer’s loading dock all the way to the customer’s home. We don’t just connect and aggregate with other platforms, stitching together a unified view; we are the single operating system being used by all parties along the way.

How has Grasshopper contributed to saving time and reducing human error in logistics operations?

There are countless examples of how Grasshopper saves time and reduces human error, and at the foundation of all of them is the way it allows every item in every shipment to be tracked individually and precisely. This helps keep related but technically separate items, like a headboard and footboard, from being separated. Every warehouse worker uses Grasshopper’s mobile app to scan each item at the start and finish of any move. Then, the delivery team does the same, with all the information being gathered in the same place. This ensures the proper picking, handling, and loading of items from the designated location in the warehouse into the correct trucks. They are then directed and delivered to the correct location, all while minimizing damages and maximizing transparency. In doing so, Grasshopper has quadrupled the overall efficiency of a warehouse employee and greatly reduced lost or misplaced items.

What perks can one expect to gain through Grasshopper Lite?

Grasshopper Lite is our “try now, buy later” version, created for managing just one truck to help small organizations and give prospective customers a sense of the benefits of the full version.

Are you planning on any notable partnerships or collaborations in the near future?

Yes, we’re currently working on a major partnership with one of the largest digital commerce platforms in the world, which we’ll be announcing soon. We’re also launching Grasshopper-for-Vendors, which will allow vendors and shippers to manage all of their shipments on one platform.

How does Deliveright stay ahead of industry trends and continuously innovate its services?

Members of our research and development team are continually working to keep Grasshopper cutting-edge through improvements like upgrading to the latest tech stack, as well as projects to improve existing features and introduce new ones. With more than 1.5 million shipments already completed on our platform, we leverage what we’ve learned from how our customers use the platform to enhance both their experience and the consumer’s experience.

In your opinion, what does the future of delivery look like, and how does Deliveright plan to stay ahead of the curve with powerful platforms like Grasshopper?

The world is moving toward more accurate and holistic logistics management. As we continue to build the Deliveright/Grasshopper network and provide additional connectivity, we see Grasshopper becoming the backbone that enables retailers’ visibility into their third-party carriers. More and more retailers are understanding the benefits of providing consumers with tracking visibility during the checkout process, and we expect to expand this offering as more retailers see this as a requirement.

In general, the Deliveright/Grasshopper combination enables every local retailer to sell nationwide with little or no change to their model. Instead of just selling within a 100-mile radius of their headquarters, they can offer their products to a nationwide audience and let Deliveright handle everything. Deliveright’s nationwide capability has enabled significant growth for our brick-and-mortar retailers, who are now able to vastly expand their market.

   

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