We recently had a great conversation with Jason Ovryn, the co-founder of Carry, about how he built a transportation-based business that keeps  sustainability a top priority. 

Carry is one of Fluid Truck’s long-standing customers that has been working for the past few years to innovate the way densely-populated areas like New York City handle deliveries. 

Read  to learn more about how Jason and his team have taken advantage of Fluid Truck’s fleet to power up their business and meet their sustainability goals.

Q: What is Carry’s origin story?

About four years ago, Jason and his childhood best friend moved back to New York with an idea: use local drivers to transport goods on a smaller scale, faster and more efficiently than services like traditional delivery solutions. 

So, they started an ecommerce and delivery company, eventually deciding to focus solely on delivering low price, same day delivery services for ecommerce sellers. And thus, Carry was born.

The typical Carry client is any brand that has inventory in the tri-state region and needs to ship that inventory to a lot of clients who also reside in the area. The products could be anything from coffee beans to jewelry and accessories. Though these sellers could work through e-commerce sites like Amazon, many choose to avoid Amazon’s large deductions.

Carry provides essentially the same service as any other shipping provider, but they typically beat those prices while also guaranteeing same day delivery due to Carry’s hyper-localization and lack of brick-and-mortar warehouses. Thanks to their lower prices, they save their clients anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on shipping costs. 

Not to mention, they help sellers offer better customer service through same day delivery.

And how are they able to accomplish such feats? Jason explained a key innovation that Carry has made in the delivery process: cutting out distribution centers. Rather than utilizing a physical distribution center, Carry uses their own software to turn Fluid Truck’s delivery vans into mobile distribution centers. This helps to  reduce the total distance that any given package has to move. This nimble take on traditional delivery practices enables Carry to provide faster and cheaper delivery compared to the status quo.

Q: Do you have any plans to expand outside New York City?

Jason shared that Carry has plans to expand into LA throughout 2023, followed by Chicago and other major cities. Though their delivery model can work in smaller metros as well, they would first like to focus their attention on setting up shop in the ecommerce and population hubs of the country.

Q: Do you rent all your fleet vehicles?

Carry currently rents all of their fleet vehicles from Fluid Truck. Jason explained that he was originally drawn to us because of scalability. Fluid Truck supports 394 cities across the nation. 

As Carry expands into new cities, they won’t have to worry about adapting to new rental services. Fluid Truck will already have vans available in the area for them to use.

Q: Did you plan to rent from the beginning?

Several different factors impacted the decision of whether or not renting would be the best choice for Carry, but one of the most influential components was the availability of EVs. 

Jason expressed that they knew they wanted to use EVs from the start. Unfortunately, they had trouble getting their hands on them without the help of a company that had  larger purchasing ability. Fluid Truck’s selection of EVs, ease of use, and scalability made us the best fit for Carry’s growing needs.

Q: Describe your experience using Fluid Truck’s EVs.

Even though they had interest in electrification while first forming Carry, Jason explained that they didn’t officially make the transition to EVs until gas prices started soaring. 

EVs are a much smoother, quieter, cleaner, and more efficient operational utility in comparison. Plus, clients appreciate seeing that the environment is also at the forefront of Carry’s innovative delivery mission. As added bonus, the regenerative braking systems in EVs are more efficient than ICE vehicles for jobs like stop-and-go deliveries.

Q: Do you have any advice for business startups, especially those closely involved with vehicles or transportation?

Jason first advised new business owners to think about flexibility. Depending on the nature of your business and shifts in demand, you may need twice as many vehicles at one point in time and half as many in the future. This is where renting your fleet can come in handy.

Jason’s second note of advice highlighted the importance of deciding whether renting or owning will be best for your business. In Carry’s case, the age of Fluid Truck’s fleet and the potential scalability made renting a better solution for them than owning. 

Company leaders should weigh the costs of renting and owning for themselves and decide which option will be the best fit.

Head over to the Carry website to find out more about their innovative delivery service and be sure to keep an eye out for when they make their move into a city near you!

Got a business idea of your own? Fluid Truck can be a great resource for you!

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