vHub Collaborative Trailer Sharing Platform Comes To The U.S.

Digital community generates rental revenue and saves trailer repositioning costs

vHub, a collaborative trailer repositioning and sharing marketplace says that its service is now available to U.S. transportation operations. Designed for private fleets, for-hire carriers, trailer rental companies and OEMs, vHub cuts down trailer repositioning costs and turns unused trailers into revenue generating equipment by making them available to short term renters in a secure, trusted, digital community. 

“vHub is redefining how the transportation industry operates by creating a community that generates revenue while reducing deadhead mileage and repositioning costs,” said Francis Roy, vice president of vHub. “Like online marketplaces for arranging or offering lodging, we are using digital technologies to create a trailer sharing community that brings value to all stakeholders on the platform.”  

Trucking companies can operate as much as 25% annually with completely empty trailers. Combined with an industry average of roughly 3:1 trailer-to-tractor ratio, that leaves a significant amount of trailer capacity unused and available. vHub, launched in Canada in April 2019, is designed to take advantage of that open trailer capacity. In the metropolitan Montreal market, a growing community has already registered over 5,000 trailers and has booked more than 20,000 rental days of trailer usage on the vHub digital marketplace.

Matches can be sorted by location, routes and destinations, and the number of rental days that a trailer is needed or available. The collaborative trailer repositioning and sharing platform showcases all trailers that are available for one-way and round-trip rentals. Users can offer or rent dry van, refrigerated, flatbed or specialty trailers in less than five minutes. 

Each trailer operator sets their own rates and manages details on trailer availability. vHub handles invoicing and payments, and transfers rental funds to the trailer owners. vHub can also integrate with telematics solutions in order to calculate distances traveled and automate billing. The confidentiality of all information and transactions on the platform is protected using the SSL encryption protocol.

The vHub marketplace can be used by drivers to document trailer condition, including taking photos of any trailer damage prior to departure, and to record pick up and drop off locations and times.  The application can also function without an Internet connection, storing data for later retrieval.

“We created vHub by combining our multi-decade expertise in the financing of new and used heavy vehicle equipment with the technological advances in collaborative marketplaces,” said Sebastien Blouin, CEO of vHub.  “With over 100 Canadian trailer owners successfully registerd on vHub we are excited to now bring to the U.S. an immediate solution for the repositioning and use of under-utilized trailers. The acceptance of community marketplaces is on the rise because users are understanding the true value of collaboration. vHub is a perfect example of a collaborative strategy that is a win-win for all parties.”

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