Indonesia’s First Cargo Startup, Trawlbens Launches Application

The first cargo startup in Indonesia Trawlbens launched an application with the latest digital technology. This application provides 8 services for delivery or transfer of goods from and throughout Indonesia.

Beni Syarifudin, founder and CEO of Trawlbens said, the new application from Trawlbens is a new revolution in logistics services in Indonesia that is complete and prioritizes the cheapest honest rates.

“Entering the industrial revolution 4.0 and the era of digitalization, it is time for the logistics sector in Indonesia to start a technology-based service revolution. Digitalization trends and the industrial revolution 4.0 are inevitable,” said Beni in his statement, Thursday (29/10/2020).

According to him, with this application, consumers and partners will enjoy the most complete logistics services with the cheapest real rates. The hope is that the Trawlbens application can be a solution to the logistical problems of MSMEs, which have been constrained by expensive shipping costs. “So far, our UMKM entrepreneurs have been plagued by logistical problems. The cost is not pocket friendly,” said Beni.

Companies Expanding Network and Opening Partnership Opportunities

The push of technology and innovative business models in logistics services will be the main pillars of this sector’s future growth. Realizing this, Beni added, his party is currently aggressively expanding its network and opening partnership opportunities.

The eight services provided by Trawlbens include TrawlPack (minimum item weight of 10 kg, subject to minimum shipping rates), TrawlMove (moving home/office/boarding services, and others), and TrawlCarrier (car delivery service with several methods offered).

Then, TrawlHeavy (heavy equipment delivery services such as forklifts), TrawlFeet (20 feet / 40 feet container rental), TrawlTruck (truck rental with several existing models), TrawlBoat (one ship rental), to TrawlExim (export and import services).

In the initial stage, Trawlbens opened five partnerships, namely business partners, space partners, pool warehouse partners, motorbike courier partners, and car transporter, partners. “By becoming a Trawlbens partner, you have the opportunity to earn up to Rp 30 million per month and become an engine that drives the Indonesian economy,” said Beni.

Many SME Products are Difficult to Develop Because of High Logistics Costs

“So many products or natural products from SMEs are difficult to develop because of high logistics costs. For example, mangosteen or jackfruit, if the shipping costs are cheap, maybe SMEs can create new products,” he explained as quoted from the TrawlBens press release.

He gave an example of the people or SMEs in Sumatra, for example, if they get buyers from other areas, such as Kalimantan or Papua, they still face very high shipping costs.

“The logistics costs or shipping costs should drop 70% -80% from now. This is the background that TrawlBens is here to provide services and prices that are not only competitive but cheap. So the community and SMEs can develop. If SMEs grow, it will absorb them. Thousands of jobs right,” he said.

Currently, according to him, there is an anomaly in the cost of shipping in this country. “Shipping costs from China to Indonesia can be IDR 9,000 / kilogram. But why from Jakarta to Makassar is IDR 30 thousand / kg, or from Jakarta to Manado, why is it IDR 60 thousand / kg. This is strange. How could MSMEs be able to compete and develop at a cost. Send so expensive,” he said.

Beni said that TrawlBens is here to be a solution to these main problems. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the logistics service business actually became one of the sectors that grew significantly and supported the economy, given that social restrictions and community activities encouraged the use of freight forwarding services through cargo companies.

The growth of the logistics services business during the Covid-19 pandemic grew by 100%, even reaching its highest peak throughout September 2020 with a growth of nearly 400%. This is in line with the growth in the use of e-commerce and marketplace services, which increased by 69% during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, based on data from a business consulting firm, RedSeer.