Claudia Milicevic is the Senior Director & General Manager of TransCore Linklogistics. Anyone related to the trucking industry in this country is familiar with one or another of this company’s products, the most popular product amongst others is probably LoadLink - domestic and international freight matching software.
DorogaRoad: Claudia, could you please remind our readers, what does your product line consists of?
Claudia Milicevic: LoadLink. The company, actually, started as a freight matching system. Since then we are constantly adding more features to LoadLink, such as integrated credit, mileage, satellite tracking, messaging, trailer tracking. Cablink is a two-way driver communication, Driverlink is our online driver recruiting and owner/operator recruiting site, Transportplanet is for all jobs in transportation, dispatch software online and fuel mileage tax calculations. The list goes on.
DorogaRoad: Quite a long list.
Claudia Milicevic: lot of technology, yes!
DorogaRoad: As you recently announced, there are changes coming to LoadLink. What are these changes about, and how will LoadLink regular users benefit from them?
Claudia Milicevic: We used to be in the software business… Customers would connect through software into our database. Now we have two different versions, that we are coming out with, and it’s live, direct through Internet. So as soon as there is a new match, users don’t have to wait for the communicator, they will get instant results. And the new LoadLink.net looks pretty much like the software version, and it’s faster. Loads come and go very fast, so everyone wants to get them right away.
DorogaRoad: Right. There were two versions of LoadLink: one you could install from the CD and run on the PC, and another one was on the web. Did you eliminate the older version, and now everything will be available on the web?
Claudia Milicevic: Everything will be on the web. However, the one web version that we have looks almost identical to the one you used to install from a CD. The other one which is LoadLink web, is our brand new one, it’s replacing LoadLink online. If you remember the old LoadLink online, it didn’t have all the features. This one has everything. It’s even has a chat in there as well, so LoadLink users can talk directly with other members.
DorogaRoad: Do these changes make the product more expensive for the customers?
Claudia Milicevic: No, they do not. Price remains the same.
Melroy Coelho (Melroy Coelho, Product Marketing Manager of TransCore Linklogistics joins our conversation (DR): Same price, more features, more functionality. That’s what we are doing in this economy, we’re adding more value.
DorogaRoad: Once a year you arrange a member conference, and a charity golf tournament. The last one wrapped up recently. Was it successful?
Claudia Milicevic: It was very successful, close to 300 people gathered for the event. Despite the rain everybody enjoyed themselves, and it was a record attendance, which is surprising this year, when times are tough.
DorogaRoad: There was practically no competition for LoadLink for a while. Recently one Canadian company positioned itself as your competitor in load matching. Are you afraid of competition?
Claudia Milicevic: We always look out for competition. Over the years there has been so much competition that has come to Canada. We are always looking out to see who is out there, what is out there? But we have a supportive customer base, our customers are great, and it’s all about them. There are a lot of people that have been with us for a long, long time…
Melroy Coelho: We are constantly upgrading our software based on the feedback from our customers; we are in touch with them, we know what they need. It’s good to have competition, but we are not concerned about it in that sense, because we are close to the pulse of customers.
DorogaRoad: I believe you were the first with such a product in Canada?
Claudia Milicevic: On Canadian market, yes.
DorogaRoad: How long ago did you launch the product?
Claudia Milicevic: LoadLink launched in June 1990, and we were acquired by TransCore in 2001. So, close to 20 years now.
Claudia Milicevic: LoadLink. The company, actually, started as a freight matching system. Since then we are constantly adding more features to LoadLink, such as integrated credit, mileage, satellite tracking, messaging, trailer tracking. Cablink is a two-way driver communication, Driverlink is our online driver recruiting and owner/operator recruiting site, Transportplanet is for all jobs in transportation, dispatch software online and fuel mileage tax calculations. The list goes on.