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In a three-part series presented by Maxis, entrepreneurs from the Gen.T community share their journey to transform their community and industry. Here, Nadhir Ashafiq describes what it took to build his logistics platform, TheLorry
Inspired by the success of Facebook, in 2012 Nadhir Ashafiq decided to start his own social network, Glokalise. After two years of operating, the app failed. Instead of giving up, he took the lessons from that venture and started TheLorry in 2014, an on-demand cargo transportation service, with his co-founder Goh Chee Hau.
Business started off slow, with only two drivers joining their platform at first. Nadhir says that their support was crucial, as the drivers would spread the word about TheLorry to help get more drivers on board. “We would not have made this far had it not been for the support of our drivers. In fact, one of our first drivers went on to become our general manager of operations,” he says.
See also: How FatHopes Energy’s Vinesh Sinha Is Turning Food Waste Into Sustainable Fuel
Today, TheLorry offers services ranging from on-demand delivery and vehicle rental, to assembling furniture and even providing insurance coverage. Its clients range from small enterprises to large corporations, such as Pepsi, Unilever, Ikea and Lazada.
The company has also expanded to three additional markets—Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia—bringing its combined fleet size to over 10,000 vehicles.
“Our platform is changing the way people transport goods,” says Nadhir. “As we continue to grow our business, we aim to be the most trusted logistics platform and market leader in Southeast Asia.”
Gen.T is partnering with Maxis for its inaugural Maxis Awards to support Gen.T honourees and other entrepreneurs who are contributing to progress in Malaysia through innovation and technology. Over the next year, Maxis is committing RM5 million to help develop and promote winning projects that will span across different industries. Read more about the Maxis Awards.