When Ethan Young decided to start his own shipping company, he didn't have a truck, just one cargo van. One year later, he's generated enough business to own three large trucks and hire a team of six drivers. Business is booming, and he says it's all because of a smartphone app.
"It makes the small guy easily compete with the big guy," Young said about the app Cargomatic, which connects trucking companies with local shipments. "Business has gone from zero to 500 percent."
Cargomatic is one of a number of start-ups using crowdsourcing and the so-called gig economy to make American trucking more convenient and profitable. And like many start-ups, it's built around the smartphone. (Tweet This)