[RSR]

I'm shifting home and there are loads of stuff to be moved. We'll be calling the professional packer guys to do the heavy lifting soon (already sold off most of the unwanted furniture & stuff). Still, there are other items that need to be moved before calling the pros.

I saw an advertisement on an MTC bus shelter the other day by a start-up called Lynk. They're exactly like Uber, Ola etc., but for commercial vehicles. I decided to give them a try for moving several boxes & bags of stuff that were already packed.

Just like Uber & others, there are different categories of commerical vehicles with Lynk:

S -> Tata Ace, Mahindra Maxximo etc.

S+ -> Ashok Leyland Dost, Mahindra Bolero Pik-up etc.

M -> Tata 407 etc.

All three categories of CVs are available with either Open or Closed load bays - therefore making up six categories in total.

I chose S with an open load bay. Well, I didn't really choose, as that was the only category of vehicle available yesterday evening (being a Sunday, it was quite understandable for CVs). Just like with the ride-hailing apps, I got a confirmation with the vehicle model, registration number & driver's name as soon as a trucker had accepted the request. I got a confirmation call from the driver a minute later, saying that he had accepted the trip and was on his way. And just like with the cab aggregators, I was able to track him on the app as he made his way to my place!

Sure enough, a Lynk-stickered Mahindra Maxximo arrived at our place. One can even choose the option of hiring a loader (labourer) at the time of booking. Since the boxes and bags were not heavy and we already had a hired helper yesterday, I didn't choose that option.

The driver began the trip on his app after parking the vehicle in a suitable location. The stuff was loaded and the vehicle was sent on its way with our helper riding in the load bay. The new place is only walking distance away, and after unloading all the stuff at the destination, the driver ended the trip. Dad was pleasantly shocked by the amount he had to pay the trucker for the trip:





Just for comparison, I hired a similar small CV conventionally last week (Force Trump with open load bay) for a business purpose, and although the distance & time were a bit longer and the load much heavier, I had to shell out 1500 rupees. The minimum amount for hiring a small CV itself is fixed @ Rs. 800 ~ 1200 through the conventional method, depending on the load and location (it's cheaper in industrial estates compared to residential areas because of the competition factor). Haggling skills are certainly necessary!

In sharp contrast, the minimum amount with Lynk is only Rs. 120 (for the S category with an open load bay), with accurate GPS-based billing for the time & distance of the trip.

All I can say is, God bless technology!

Smart transport solutions are here to stay, whether in the passenger vehicle or commercial vehicle space!

Disclaimer: I'm not associated with Lynk in any manner whatsoever, nor do I have any commercial interest in this CV-hailing app. I understand that there are a few other startups in this space such as Porter, Cargoji and Moovo (among others). This segment is as competitive as its cab aggregator counterpart!

[SDP]

Looks interesting! I like how entrepreneurs are using technology to bring a breath of fresh-air to relatively unorganized sector like this.

Would definitely try this next time I need to move stuff.

[Muski]

This is great. Unfortunately at the moment this app is limited only to Chennai.

[Rehaan]

This is cool!

I remember at the 2014 Auto Expo a few CV manufacturers were working on similar apps.

One question: A lot of cities have restrictions on goods carriers plying in certain areas at particular times. Is that incorporated into the app in any way?

[patron]

We use Porter regularly and it is cheaper and hassle free. Hiring Tata Aces locally is a painful affair and needs a lot of planning. With these aggregators, I can book sitting in the office and point them to the pickup and delivery points and the work gets done.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by RSR

...I saw an advertisement on an MTC bus shelter the other day by a start-up called Lynk. They're exactly like Uber, Ola etc., but for commercial vehicles...

Thanks for sharing and it does look good. However, why is it showing 41 mins for a 1 km drive? Is it that the time is calculated from the time of loading till unloading?

[RSR]

Originally Posted by SDP

I like how entrepreneurs are using technology to bring a breath of fresh-air to relatively unorganized sector like this.

Yes, indeed! Not only do such apps mean a win-win situation for both customers and CV operators, it also encourages micro-entrepreneurs to purchase a CV and start driving - much like how Uber & Ola encourage the purchase of taxis by owner-operators.

Originally Posted by Muski

This is great. Unfortunately at the moment this app is limited only to Chennai.

Oh! I wasn't aware of that. I think it'll take time for them to spread to other cities.

You may try Moovo or the other apps I mentioned. I think Moovo operates only in Delhi-NCR for now.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

One question: A lot of cities have restrictions on goods carriers plying in certain areas at particular times. Is that incorporated into the app in any way?

Very valid concern! I think as far as Chennai is concerned, medium & heavy commercial vehicles (beyond a particular GVW) are not allowed to operate within city limits during peak hours (and also the noon/afternoon period between peak hours, I believe). However, small CVs and light CVs don't face such a restriction here. Since Lynk has only small & light CV categories, they may not have to worry about this.

Lynk does have additional night time charges (after 9 pm), and this is clearly mentioned.

Other CV-hailing apps that have medium/heavy CV categories may have to incorporate some mechanism to operate with such restrictions.

Originally Posted by patron

We use Porter regularly and it is cheaper and hassle free. Hiring Tata Aces locally is a painful affair and needs a lot of planning. With these aggregators, I can book sitting in the office and point them to the pickup and delivery points and the work gets done.

Cheaper & hassle free indeed!

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Thanks for sharing and it does look good. However, why is it showing 41 mins for a 1 km drive? Is it that the time is calculated from the time of loading till unloading?

Yes, the trip includes the loading & unloading time. The driver notifies you when he's about to start the trip (on his app) after arriving and parking. After the final unloading (for it's possible to include multiple pick-up & drop-off points), he ends the trip on his app.

They also have the option of renting a CV for an entire day (with additional charges beyond the specified hours & included distance).

Lynk has two payment options for now - hard cash or a cashless option called Lynk Money (just like Ola Money).

[sidzz]

I had used similar service called LOTrucks in Bangalore for shifting my house.

While the conventional transport with 2 helpers would had cost me about 3k, this cost me only Rs1200/-. At less than half the cost I got helpers who did everything right from loading, unloading. shifting, arranging the boxes/furniture and other stuff neatly in the new house as per instructions etc. no 'kich kich' no 'jhik jhik'

When I tried to help them they said, " Saar, this is our job you please relax."

Definitely will recommend and use the service again.

[shamanth]

Lynk and LoTrucks is bringing revolution like Uber and Ola did. Negotiating and booking trucks has always been too much of risk and hassle. Wishing them good luck, so they can bring the revolution on.

[scorpion_blore]

Originally Posted by sidzz

I had used similar service called LOTrucks in Bangalore for shifting my house.

Definitely will recommend and use the service again.

Thanks for recommending LOTrucks. I'm in the process of shifting my house in Bangalore.
Conventional packers and movers are quoting anything from 4.5 to 5.5k.
Unfortunately Lynk is not available in Bangalore, so have sent a mail to LOTrucks to help in suggesting the size of truck to be used. If the price is reasonable compared to conventional packers and movers, will give LOTrucks a try!

[condor]

One service I know of charges 25 Rs per km for the Tata Ace.

Originally Posted by patron

We use Porter regularly and it is cheaper and hassle free.

How much does Porter charge ?

[patron]

Originally Posted by condor

One service I know of charges 25 Rs per km for the Tata Ace. How much does Porter charge ?

Attached the prices. You can get the full rate card from their app. If your volume is higher, you can get customized packages too.

[Aslamjaffer]

The startup has made a good entry into the unorganized commercial vehicle renting space. Hope they also take some extra care in shifting things safely.

They should also extend their wings across other cities in Tamilnadu as soon as possible.

[Spinnerr]

Originally Posted by RSR

...a start-up called Lynk. ...

Thank you RSR!

One of my friends hired a Tata Ace through Lynk after I shared your post on whatsapp. She was all praises, hassle free experience, on-time, no bargaining over price.

Triplicane to Anna Nagar only Rs 216! [About 11kms]

[manojgautham]

Has anyone spoken to them, when are they expected to be in Bangalore?