Small and mid-size businesses may never have to buy a fleet of trucks if CEO James Eberhard has his way. Fluid Trucks offers fleet apps and truck sharing for businesses when they need them and for as long as necessary. Eberhard reveals how Fluid Trucks enables companies to keep delivering through its peer-to-peer sharing app and platform.
Eberhard has lots of experience founding companies using mobile apps and technology. Before founding Fluid Truck, he created and launched GeoPoll, a leading mobile survey platform. He founded Mobile Accord, Inc., for mobile donations to nonprofits such as the Red Cross and the US Department of State, following the 2018 Haiti earthquake. He also founded and created 9 Squared, Inc., a mobile content and services company.
Fluid Trucks CEO James Eberhard.
Fluid started 5 years ago in 2016 as a sharing app for things like tents and sleeping bags, camping equipment, and vehicles.
“What we found out was that small and mid-sized businesses wanted pickup trucks and cargo vans. We then realised that there was a need for them to have the ability to scale up fleets for when they need them,” says Eberhard.
He says Fluid Trucks allows businesses to have virtual on-demand fleets. Businesses may not need trucks sometimes, or they may need many trucks.
“Fluid Trucks is an Airbnb for trucks,” says Eberhard, “We have hundreds of trucks in 41 markets.”
“We are a technology company. The trucks are owned by independent business people,” explains Eberhard, “Businesses have access to the trucks by the hour by the day and maybe for months.
The trucks are parked at prime locations where they can be seen by potential customers. The trucks are wrapped with Fluid branding and act as advertising, explains Victoria Cooper, Fluid Trucks’ Head of Marketing. According to Cooper, Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday are some of the most popular rental days.
Included with the rental cost are insurance, GPS tracking, roadside assistance, and telematics. Trucks are rented through the app and can be reserved online. Borrowers must be over 21 and meet guidelines for a clean driving record.
Fluid Trucks’ vans.
When a truck is returned, it should be in the same condition as it was when picked up, says Eberhard.
Through the app, borrowers submit inspection photos of the interior and exterior of the vehicle as well as photos of the odometer and fuel level when they return it.
Eberhard answered the question, “Why don’t businesses just go to a car rental company for trucks and cargo vans?”
He pointed out the pitfalls of car rental companies, “Have you ever gone to the airport and rented a car? You wait for a really long time. You have got to go during business hours and they are only open on weekdays. Fluid trucks are co-located in business and business parks, where the trucks are needed,” says Eberhard.
“Fluid is a transformative business for fulfilling small and medium-size businesses fleet needs. The company is called Fluid because it is about equilibrium and bringing balance to last-mile delivery space for fleets,” says Eberhard.
Fluid is also supporting decarbonisation by helping users find electric trucks.
“We are a pioneer in the EV space. We co-locate with businesses with easy charging for electric trucks,” says Eberhard, “Eventually, when the trucks are available from an OEM, the trucks will be from major automakers.”
In 2020, Fluid announced that it ordered 600 Lightning electric trucks. This year it began offering IKEA customers in New York City and Los Angeles markets ways to rent electric trucks.
“We are growing really fast and with the added feature is that we will pick up somebody to make it easier,” says Eberhard.
He envisions a busy future for Fluid Trucks.
“We are changing the business so that businesses won’t ever have to buy and build their own fleets again.”
Keyword: Keep on Trucking – How Fluid Trucks Helps Small to Mid-size Business by Sharing Virtual Fleets – CEO James Eberhard