Convoy encourages diverse carriers to become certified

In 2016, Charmaria Gurley and her brother launched Gurley All Freight ⁠— a  minority- and veteran-owned small trucking company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. But once Gurley realized that new and small carriers were in desperate need of additional training and resources in a rapidly changing industry, she stepped into a mentor role alongside hauling freight. Gurley says stumbling across digital freight network Convoy was a boon to her new business, enabling her to use an app to see a load’s location and the commodity, as well as make a bid.  

“Convoy helped educate us on the different lanes and it provided an outlet for us to move into the market,” said Gurley on Monday’s episode of FreightWaves NOW. “I was a little bit nervous because we were just so used to the traditional way of obtaining loads and talking to shippers and brokers, but having the app was definitely a huge help.”

Gurley All Freight has been recognized as a diverse supplier in Convoy’s supplier diversity program. Diverse certified carriers have access to additional opportunities with Convoy, including access to loads from major shippers. 

“It’s not that difficult to become a diverse supplier and there are plenty of resources out there to help,” Gurley said. “Convoy’s team was able to direct us to those resources. You have to gather documents to submit to the appropriate certifying agency, but those are documents you likely have on hand. In terms of advice or guidance I would give to companies: Just do it; don’t be intimidated by the amount of work it takes to become a certified diverse supplier. It’s only going to make your business better.”

Gurley said that being identified as a diverse supplier through Convoy provided her with the confidence to thrive in the industry. Over the past 12 to 18 months, she’s witnessed more companies turning to technology-based platforms like Convoy. 

“I look forward to the technology changes that are upcoming in the industry, and I definitely hope that I am here to grow with the industry as well.”