The startup offers the market a new approach to coping with the challenges of this demanding and ultra rapid market segment. Its key tool is a neutral, cloud-based software to perfect its customers’ emergency logistics orders executed by on-board couriers (OBC). Next to come, is the implementation of AI in its platform, to continuously enhance processes and transports. CargoForwarder Global (CFG) spoke with Christian Wolff (CW), Co-Founder/Managing Director of PRIOjet Logistics, at his office in Hamburg Harbor City.
CFG: Chris, there are dozens of players offering end-to-end transport solutions for ultra-urgent shipments. PRIOjet has also been active in this segment since a relatively short time. How does your business model differ from that of other providers?
CW: It is true that many freight forwarders offer OBC transportation services. But PRIOjet is not a freight forwarder. At PRIOjet, we specialize in supporting logistics players in managing ultra-urgent and important shipments where an on-board courier jumps on the next aircraft for the immediate worldwide delivery of such goods. They include aircraft spare parts, cockpit instruments, critical production components, urgently needed documents, or pharmaceuticals, among others.
PRIOjet stands out in the market as the only neutral and impartial B2B Software as a Service platform, supporting the logistics industry. Our subscription-based services provide customers with an optimal multi-platform solution through our unique cloud-based, secure software. Our software is specialized in OBC services and initiating, organizing and processing international time-critical logistics orders. This enables clients to process their emergency logistics orders more efficiently, faster, CO2-neutral, and safely. Furthermore, we prioritize the security and privacy of each agency, ensuring its data remains confidential. This makes us a special actor in the OBC landscape and sets us apart from our competitors.
CFG: Do you have a unique selling point? And if so, what exactly is it?
CW: Yes, as briefly touched upon: PRIOjet Logistics offers a secure B2B Software-as-a-Service platform that is specifically designed to streamline the process of emergency logistics orders. Our unique selling proposition is our integrated system that manages all OBC logistics processes on one place. This includes receiving a transport request, finding the right OBC from the logistics agency’s network, scheduling transport, handling all communication and document exchange in a secure environment, and providing smart, real-time shipment tracking with a white label view for the customer.
Our goal is to provide faster, safer, and more cost-effective operations. Additionally, we are committed to sustainability. PRIOjet calculates and can neutralize the CO2 footprint of each transport, contributing to a greener logistics industry and helping logistics agencies meet customer demands.
Our standout features include our neutrality, robust data protection measures, and clear OBC business-focused features and interfaces. We are also the only provider that combines modern interfaces with value-added functions and services for OBC logistics on a single platform. As we know from feedback and discussions, this is appreciated by many logistics companies from small to large.
CFG: Hundreds of On-Board Couriers (OBC) are listed on your platform with profile data they have uploaded themselves. How do you guarantee customers their reliability, integrity, and expertise in executing a transport request in the required quality?
CW: When a customer selects PRIOjet as their business partner of choice for managing an emergency logistics mission, they bring their own OBC contacts into play. Hence, these companies can only monitor and evaluate the services of the couriers they have advocated themselves. Performance data from other, external couriers are not passed on to them.
So it is their own responsibility to choose the right courier for a given mission. However, we at PRIOjet, provide additional services assisting them to complete an order properly.
CFG: What role does AI play in the further development of your service portfolio? An example to illustrate this would be helpful.
CW: Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a key role in the development of PRIOjet’s service portfolio. Our ‘intelligent IT’ system uses AI to continuously learn from previous orders. In the near future, logistics agencies using PRIOjet will be able to draw insights from their own data silo on PRIOjet, from their past transports, and use them to optimize future transports with the knowledge gained from similar missions. By taking into account the experience of past transport jobs and additional data, AI helps agencies optimize their services to ensure faster, safer and more cost-effective logistics operations. OBCs will also benefit from the enormous data processing power of AI in their accounts. This will be something that has never been seen before in the OBC business. It is too early to reveal the details of the project. However, this much I can say: It will be a very special and supportive tool.
CFG: When using on-board couriers, the two-way principle makes a lot of sense. How do you support return transports?
CW: In fact, it would be ideal if the OBC can pick up a shipment at destination and take it with them on their return flight. All an OBC has to do, is to report their availability on PRIOjet’s platform upon completion of a mission. In that case, other agencies or logistics companies can commission them with a new transport on their flight back. By utilizing the two-way principle and facilitating return transportation, PRIOjet’s platform not only improves efficiency, but also contributes to the sustainability of logistics players by cutting down travel times, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
CFG: How has 2024 started, what are the key topics on your to-do list until 31DEC24, and will PRIOjet be profitable once the year draws to a close?CW: The start of 2024 has been excellent with the onboarding of another logistics agency and its entire OBC network, at the beginning of January. Our main focus for this year, is to significantly enhance the functionality of the PRIOjet platform. In addition to small optimizations and service offerings, there will be a major update with a new version soon, which will significantly increase the added value in the processing of transport jobs. We are looking forward to on-boarding many more customers this year. In addition to the European market, we are impressed by the international demand. After exhibiting at the transport logistics trade shows in Miami, Munich, and Singapore, we are looking forward to meeting existing and new contacts at transport logistics in Shanghai in June, this year. Profitability is important, but our main focus this year is to make a big leap in the functionality of the platform and to grow together with our existing and new customers.
