Latest news with #freighttransport
Entrepreneur
14-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Built to Last
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In the late 1990s, while Silicon Valley buzzed with IPOs and implosions, Lyall Cresswell had a different playbook. He wasn't chasing VC millions - he was solving a real problem in a traditionally low-tech industry. "In the early days, our main challenge was swimming against the prevailing tide of the dot-com era," says Cresswell, founder and CEO of TEG, a transport tech platform now in its 25th year. "While competitors were chasing investment rounds, we focused on proving our business model from day one." From the start, TEG took a pragmatic approach, launching an MVP in just four months and focusing squarely on solving inefficiencies in the fragmented freight transport market. "Rather than spending years building a perfect solution, we moved quickly with a pragmatic approach," he explains. "This speed-to-market proved crucial as it allowed us to iterate based on actual user feedback." But building a two-sided marketplace was no small feat. "We also faced what is commonly known as the 'cold start' problem—in a two-sided marketplace you need both buyers and sellers. Thankfully, we were tackling an existing real-world problem faced by freight transport companies and the industry welcomed our initiative." At a time when digital platforms were rare in logistics, Cresswell had to win over a paper-first industry. "Another critical hurdle we faced was convincing businesses to adopt digital solutions in an industry that was traditionally relationship-based and paper-driven," he says. "We overcame this by creating a simple product that delivered immediate value—connecting businesses in the fragmented transport market in ways that improved efficiency for everyone involved." That grounding in customer needs—rather than tech trends—has been a recurring theme. "Don't get distracted by what others in the startup world are doing," Cresswell advises. "We built features like 'signature on glass' back in 2004, long before mobile apps were common, because our customers needed it—not because it was trendy." In 2013, TEG faced its most significant internal test: a complete rebuild of its platform. "This wasn't just a technical exercise but required bringing both our team and customers along that journey without disrupting their operations," he says. "The success of that transition laid the groundwork for the expanded capabilities we offer today." Those capabilities now span digital compliance, order execution, a robust marketplace, and embedded finance. But the company's growth hasn't come with a pivot away from its principles. "We've worked hard to maintain our core values of authenticity, honesty, and transparency throughout our growth," says Cresswell. "In an industry like logistics where relationships are paramount, this foundation of integrity has been just as important as our technical innovation." Looking back, he wishes he'd understood how much the UK tech scene would idolise funding announcements. "I wish I'd understood earlier how much the tech startup world would become fixated on funding rounds as a metric of success," he says. "There's been what I'd call an unhealthy obsession with how much money has been raised that takes the focus away from building sustainable businesses." And even now, with a platform that's evolved far beyond its origins, perception remains a challenge. "I also wish I'd better appreciated the challenges of changing market perception once you're established in a certain category." As for his advice to new founders? Keep it real. "Focus relentlessly on solving real problems for real customers," Cresswell says. "Remember that innovation isn't just about technology—it's about building trust."
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
'$3 billion' Otago inland port proposal revealed
By Hamish MacLean of Calder Stewart says the facility would take 10,000 heavy truck trips off the road each year by shifting freight to rail. File pic Photo: 123RF Construction giant Calder Stewart has proposed a "$3 billion" solar-powered inland port it says will boost Otago's export capacity and create hundreds of jobs. The 'Milburn Quadrant development', north of Milton, would span over 200ha in total and host a 55ha inland port that connected directly to State Highway 1 and the South Island's main trunk rail line, a statement issued this morning said. Port Otago and Dynes Transport have previously floated plans for an inland depot to be established in Mosgiel which planners last year poured cold water on. Calder Stewart land and delivery manager Mark Johnston said the facility would take 10,000 heavy truck trips off the road each year by shifting freight to rail. The statement did not quantify the $3 billion figure. ''Milburn is a shovel-ready, future-facing development that solves real capacity issues for our exporters. "It's fully privately funded, so it won't burden ratepayers and offers the scale and connectivity our regional economy urgently needs. ''With Port Chalmers facing container storage limits and the cost of upgrading alternate sites like Mosgiel projected at over $100 million in public spending, Milburn offers a scalable, investment-ready solution designed to meet the growing needs of the Otago-Southland region, without placing an immediate burden on ratepayers or requiring upfront public funding. ''This region is heading into a logistics bottleneck. ''Without scalable inland port infrastructure, exporters will face rising costs, road congestion and lost opportunities. We estimate Milburn could eliminate over 10,000 heavy truck movements per year by shifting volume to rail.'' Port Chalmers in Dunedin. Photo: Donovan Govan, Otago Regional Council He said freight volumes from Central and South Otago were forecast to grow 30 percent to 40 percent over the next decade, as forestry and dairy exports grew. Calder Stewart had already completed Stage 1 of the project, a state-of-the-art campus with offices and a 10,000 sqm steel fabrication facility at Revolution Hills, northeast of Milton. The company would also build out the inland port infrastructure using its own property, design, manufacturing, construction teams and plant. ''In addition to being New Zealand's largest industrial landowner, we're also a vertically integrated property development and construction business with decades of experience in building large-scale infrastructure. ''With concrete, steel, cranes and a local labour force already on-site, we can deliver faster and more efficiently than anyone else in the market,'' he said. Construction on the inland port was expected to begin within 24 months, subject to resource consent approvals. The development would, significantly lift the region's export throughput. All the new buildings at the development would include rooftop solar generation, funded and installed by Calder Stewart Energy Limited, which could generate up to 50MW of power to be used on site or distributed to the local community. A 350 kW solar system was now fully operational at the company's steel fabrication facility, marking the first stage of the development and a key step toward its renewable energy vision, he said. Calder Stewart's lower South Island business development manager John D'Arcy said the company was now seeking local government support to fast-track approvals and would present the proposal to government officials and stakeholders in the coming weeks. ''Port Chalmers is approaching logistical constraints, particularly around container storage and log volume. A delay in new inland capacity risks bottlenecking exports and eroding competitiveness,'' he said. ''This is about real economic transformation, securing long-term freight capacity, creating hundreds of jobs, and easing the pressure on urban roads and infrastructure. ''Milton is strategically positioned closer to the region's agricultural producers, where the bulk of freight originates. ''That's where rail delivers the greatest benefit, with both carbon and cost efficiency improving over distance. ''It's a smarter, more sustainable hub for Southland and Central Otago producers. ''What we need right now is visibility, political backing and certainty around regulatory timelines. ''With the right support, we can secure council approvals and ensure the public understands the scale and value of what's being built here.'' This story was first published by the Otago Daily Times .
TechCrunch
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- TechCrunch
Aurora to add night driving, new routes as it ramps driverless trucking
Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation plans to expand on the success of its first driverless commercial launch and add night driving to its operations. Aurora said Thursday in the second half of 2025 it will start sending its self-driving trucks out at night and during adverse weather conditions like rain or heavy wind. The company, which provided the update in its first-quarter shareholder letter, also plans to expand its driverless trucking route beyond Dallas to Houston, and into El Paso and Phoenix. Aurora already runs freight with self-driving trucks in those conditions, but with a human safety operator behind the wheel. The company said it has completed more than 4,000 miles in a single self-driving truck without a driver ruuning freight for its launch customers Hirschbach Motor Lines and Uber Freight. In the week since Aurora's commercial launch, the company has already expanded to two driverless trucks operating on a daily basis, and says it expects to operate 'tens of trucks' by the end of 2025. The milestone, and future plans come alongside another major shift at the company: the resignation of co-founder and chief product officer Sterling Anderson. Aurora shared new details Thursday in its first-quarter shareholder letter about plans to grow its autonomous freight service, signaling it will offer more specific timelines for key milestones as it expands. Aurora reported $211 million in operating expenses, including $153 million for R&D. It used $142 million in operating cash and $8 million in capex in the first quarter, ending with nearly $1.2 billion in cash and short-term investments. Aurora expects to spend $175 to $185 million per quarter for the rest of this year. The company didn't provide revenue figures in its Q1 report. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW In the short-term, Aurora plans to own, operate, maintain and insure its own trucks – made available on the Uber Freight network – for customers. The company is working with partners Paccar and Volvo Trucks to build self-driving trucks at scale. Starting in 2027 or earlier, Aurora expects customers to buy those trucks directly from manufacturers so it can shift to a driver-as-a-service model.
