Fleet adds credit card payment function to forwarding platform

The Portland, Ore.-based technology company, which began as a rating and review site for small shippers looking for forwarders, has added a booking and payment function for shipper convenience and speedier payment to forwarders.    The online marketplace for freight forwarding services Fleet this week said it has added a new booking and payment function.
   The new feature will allow users to book and pay for freight forwarders online using a major credit card.
   Fleet, a tech startup that began as a Yelp-style rating and review platform of forwarders for small shippers, earlier this year expanded to provide quoting and documentation capability.
   The platform includes thousands of reviews of freight forwarders and users can receive quotes from different forwarders based on the service characteristics required of their shipments.
   The company said that shippers and freight forwarders typically go through multiple, time-consuming payment processes before finalizing and moving shipments, including a credit check, credit application and wire transfer.
   “Small and medium-sized businesses using Fleet have been asking and waiting for this feature, because the traditional payment process is tremendously time-consuming.”
said Max Lock, founder and chief executive officer of Fleet. “Our community of freight forwarders are also ready to receive online payments because they want to provide customers with faster service and better customer experience.”