A Practical Tool for Independent Truck Drivers
Loadmatch
ROLE
Co-founder | Product manager | UX Designer
YEAR
2020
Background
When we set out to build Loadmatch, our goal was simple: make it easier for freelance truck drivers to find jobs. The market was fragmented, with job opportunities scattered across numerous platforms and word-of-mouth channels, making it hard for drivers to stay busy and efficient.
Challenge
The job market for truck drivers is fragmented, with numerous sources of information that are difficult to filter and navigate. Engaging and retaining enough users to create a diverse and active job market is also a challenge. Additionally, building trust between drivers and job providers requires robust verification and rating systems.
These factors contribute to an inefficient job search process, leading to extended periods of downtime that negatively impact drivers' income and job satisfaction.
User Engagement
Engaging and retaining enough users for a diverse job market
Job Matching
The app must match drivers with jobs that fit their preferences and availability
Trust
Building trust between drivers and job providers with robust verification and rating systems
Problem identification
We spent time talking directly to truck drivers. We heard the same story over and over: they wasted too much time finding their next job, sifting through unreliable sources of information. Downtime meant lost income, and the stress of uncertainty was overwhelming. We realized that for our MVP, we needed to focus on solving two specific issues:
Consolidating job listings from multiple sources.
Simplifying the search process so drivers could quickly find jobs that fit their needs.
How did we create MVP?
Instead of trying to build a fully-featured app right out of the gate, we started small. We focused on just the essential features: drivers needed a simple way to browse and apply for jobs that matched their preferences. We also added a basic ratings system for trust-building, but kept it minimal at first, since we wanted to see if drivers even found it useful.
We built the first version with a basic mobile interface, simple filtering options, and a way for job posters to list opportunities. Our approach was scrappy: we used off-the-shelf tools to build the backend, knowing that it wouldn't scale forever, but it was enough to get us in front of users quickly.
What we learned?
To address these challenges, we moved quickly to validate our assumptions and adapt based on real-world feedback.
Job Recommendations Are Key
We thought the biggest value would be consolidating listings, but what drivers really loved was personalized job recommendations. They didn’t want to sort through dozens of listings—they wanted us to tell them what was best for them.
Building Trust Takes Time
The ratings system worked okay, but it wasn't yet a key feature. We realized that a more effective verification system would be critical to building real trust.
Retention Requires Diversity
Our early adopters were coming back, but they wanted more—more jobs, more variety, and more reliable postings. It became clear that our biggest challenge would be reaching a critical mass of both drivers and job providers.
With “Build-Measure-Learn” loop. We doubled down on improving the job recommendation algorithm, adding more filters, and started to think about ways to bring more job providers on board. We also scrapped our initial verification system and started working on something more robust that involved community feedback as well as ID verification.
Conclusion - Why we failed
Building Loadmatch was a perfect journey. We had moments where we felt lost, where the feedback was confusing or contradictory. But we kept our focus on talking to users and learning from every iteration.
The lean startup approach wasn't just a buzzword—it was what kept us from wasting time on features that didn't matter. So we learned a lot of things.
The truth is, Loadmatch was always a side project for us, and that meant we could never give it the time and focus it really needed. We all had full-time jobs, and the slow progress made it hard to keep up momentum. It took us too long to build the product, and over time, we lost our energy and excitement.
By the time we had something ready, we struggled to find paid users to validate our business model. The interest was there, but converting that interest into paying customers proved to be a hurdle we just couldn't overcome given our limitations.
Let's build together! 🙌🏻
If this story resonates with you and also you're an entrepreneur with a vision for building impactful apps, I'd be happy to share my experience and help bring your ideas to life. Drawing from my own journey, I understand the ups and downs.
I'd love to hear from you. I'm always interested in connecting with others who are passionate about solving real-world problems.
Feel free to reach out!