Many Americans are experiencing firsthand the food and supply shortages resulting from the pandemic. COVID-19 continues to impact supply chain logistics around the world, leading to empty shelves in some retail stores and higher prices for many of the goods that are there. Challenges with drayage, the transport of freight from an ocean port to a destination, presented Jersey City based startup PortPro with an innovation opportunity.
Founded in 2019 by Michael Mecca PortPro launched drayOS, a software that enables carriers and drivers to tap into their web portal or their smartphone to retrieve the latest data and information. Their software has a range of features that includes a Transportation Management System (TMS) for drayage & intermodal carriers and connectivity & visibility solutions for brokers, carriers, and expediters. The system also integrates well with other providers serving the supply chain.
“We’re committed to the drayage community – it’s who we are,” said Mecca, CEO of PortPro. “Our goal is to enable carriers to lean into a digital future by providing cutting edge software that helps them streamline their operations, grow their business, and keep their customers happy.”
Mecca has the experience to understand that global carriers want efficient, cost-effective, and reliable solutions that offer them an operational edge. He learned the drayage industry while working in his family’s New Jersey based trucking company. It was only time before the innovator and entrepreneur within him emerged—first founding Axle Technologies, a FMCSA-certified technology company helping trucking companies be compliant with the federal electronic logging mandate. PortPro followed.
PortPro’s “record breaking growth over the past two years” gained the support of its lead funder Ryan Russell, Co-founder and Partner at Avenue Growth Partners. Funds from the $12 million Series A round will enable PortPro to advance its software and vigorously pursue market share.
“Drayage service providers are a critical component of the global supply chain and are in need of better software options to operate their businesses,” said Russell. “PortPro’s technology is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation.”
The drayage startup’s Series A round within just a few years of its founding reflects the ongoing and emerging entrepreneurial opportunities tied to the global digital transformation now underway. Entrepreneurs such as Mecca who know an industry and have technology expertise to innovate have the potential for great success.
