Kernel launched Ukraine’s first joint freight service

Kernel launched the first in Ukraine online platform for the joint rail transportation — Transithub.

The purpose of Transithub is to inform online market participants about Kernel transportation logistics with a view to forming common routes.

“The idea to create a virtual hub for freighters emerged recently and so far has no analogies in the market. We did not have time to deliver our products to the port in time under the new rules for rail transportation. Having an effective example of cooperation with other producers in the form of our Open Agribusiness platform, we decided to create a similar portal for the implementation of joint rail and road transport,” says Mykola Miroshnychenko, Kernel Logistics Director.

According to the head of the Kernel rolling stock support department, Mykhailo Kravchenko, with the help of Transithub, the company plans to increase the turnover of railcars and significantly simplify the logistic component for Kernel and other market participants.

“Of course, this method does not cover 100% of our shipments. However, if this figure reaches even 10%, we will consider it a good result. I am sure that Transithub functionality will be highly appreciated both by trading companies and private forwarders, as well as by owners of elevators from where products are shipped,” he noted.

The company and portal users cooperation takes the following course:

• Kernel buys a certain volume of production at a certain elevator;
• a logistics analyst submits shipping plans under a specific trading program;
• all received data is entered into the database including station, crop, number of available and needed cars, and then it is available in open access on Transithub;
• all registered users are instantly notified and send applications for joint transportation in response.

Transithub can be accessed from any device, which makes it convenient to use at any time.

The portal is already functioning in test mode. In the future, Kernel plans to add several more features, in particular, a tariff calculator and an interactive map with all the data on shipments.

Previously it was reported that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) would provide a USD 48 mln credit facility for Kernel.

Learn more: Yevgeny Osipov: Open Agribusiness — Open up or Die