Företag i fokus: Reloader
Across northern Sweden, companies are built on everyday challenges, innovative ideas and a drive to improve the way things are done. In this edition of Company Spotlight, we meet Piteå-based Reloader, a company aiming to reduce empty truck journeys by connecting available transport capacity with those who need goods transported.
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Turning Sweden's Empty Truck Miles into Opportunity
Every day, hundreds of trucks leave northern Sweden with empty cargo space. For Johannes Lindgren, this became the starting point for a business idea that could reduce both emissions and transport costs.
“The capacity is already there. The question is how we can make better use of it,” he says.
Johannes is the founder and CEO of Reloader, a company based in Piteå that is developing a digital platform to match available transport capacity with businesses and private individuals who need large or heavy goods transported. The goal is to reduce the number of empty return journeys made across Sweden each year. The idea is to make it easier for haulage companies to utilise unused capacity while offering customers more transport options. In practice, the platform functions as a marketplace where transport demand meets available capacity.
Unused Capacity in the Transport System
The core idea behind Reloader is to make better use of trucks that are already on the road. Instead of transport buyers spending time searching for carriers, or haulage companies driving empty while waiting for their next assignment, a digital platform helps the two sides find each other.
“I usually describe it as Airbnb for heavy transport. Anyone needing to transport goods should be able to post their requirements and connect with reliable carriers that are already heading in the right direction,” says Johannes.
Quality assurance is also a key component. Johannes wants to create a trusted service where both businesses and private individuals know who is carrying out the transport.
“It should be easy to find the right carrier, but it should also feel safe to hire them. That's why quality assurance is an important part of the model.”
From Idea to Market
Over the past few years, Reloader has been developed through the Arctic Business incubator programme. There, Johannes has had the opportunity to test the business model, engage with industry stakeholders and gather feedback from potential customers.
The process has also generated valuable insights.
“I was probably in too much of a hurry at the beginning. I could clearly see the problem and wanted to move forward quickly. But the transport industry is complex. You need to understand how people work, what motivates them and which barriers need to be addressed.”
At the same time, the response has strengthened his belief in the idea.
“Some people immediately see the opportunities and are very positive. Others are more cautious. It's a conservative industry where many companies have built customer relationships over a long period of time. But I believe there is room for new ways of working that benefit everyone involved.”
Demand for More Efficient Transport
This spring, Reloader took the next step by initiating discussions with major players in the transport sector, including truck manufacturer Scania. For Johannes, these collaborations are about gaining knowledge and a deeper understanding of market needs.
He also sees the demand for more efficient transport solutions increasing as the transition of the transport sector accelerates.
“Electrification is an important part of the solution, but we also need to make better use of the resources we already have. A truck travelling from point A to point B without cargo is still an underutilised resource, regardless of what fuel it uses.”
Much of it comes down to challenging established ways of working.
“There is already enormous capacity within the transport system. If we can make better use of those empty miles, we can achieve both better economics and lower climate impact. That is what motivates me to keep developing this idea.”
Click here to read more about Reloader!
Image: Reloader