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Locally developed software helps transportation companies connect
By Kalea Hall
YOUNGSTOWN
Paul Burgoyne has been in the transportation industry for 25 years, and the Poland resident knows the ins and outs of the industry, and its problems.
A noted concern of transportation companies inspired Burgoyne’s REACH management system and mobile app for shippers, equipment providers, trucking companies and repair-service providers to communicate effectively.
“The issue is there’s a lot of software out there that helps [you] get from A to B,” Burgoyne said. “My software company helps if something happens.”
A large trucking company asked Burgoyne for help with this specific problem of drivers having better connection with service centers.
“We are focused on driver productivity,” Burgoyne said. “We are all about the drivers, that’s our mantra.”
Burgoyne formed Vantage Solutions LLC in 2014 and got connected to his software developer Ash Gaur.
Burgoyne had the idea and Gaur made it a reality.
“What we have found in the intermodal industry is there is a lack of communication,” Gaur said.
The communication capabilities is what the customers love about REACH.
With REACH, the drivers and the service centers can connect with just a few simple steps on the REACH app or website.
When there’s a breakdown, the driver can also alert the transportation company of the breakdown and the company can watch the progress of the service. REACH users can receive push notifications and they can chat.
“The fundamental value of it is communication,” Burgoyne said. “That’s really the nuts and bolts.”
To date, REACH has seen 75,000 service events go through its system.
Vantage Solutions became a portfolio company at the Youngstown Business Incubator about 18 months ago.
The relationship helps connect Vantage to investors, potential customers and other resources to help grow the local company.
“You always want your founder to be experienced in that space,” said Jim Cossler, entrepreneur in residence at YBI.
“Paul has been doing transportation for [more than] 20 years. He has a very deep connection to that industry. That’s always important to have.”
XPO Logistics of Jacksonville, Fla., was one of the first companies to use REACH.
“It’s very beneficial for us and given us a lot more visibility,” said Jeremy Worley, manager of intermodal maintenance and repair for XPO.
Before REACH, the company used Excel spreadsheets to organize and review its service calls.
“It helps us having one system, and we have one place where can communicate,” Worley said.
Right now, REACH has more than 720 customers.
“We are catching a lot of momentum right now,” Burgoyne said. “We want, very much, to continue to grow and be a great partner here at YBI and be a strong company. We want to position ourselves to be the software for autonomous vehicles.”