(Sept-Îles) Transporting small packages has long been a problem for North Coast businesses. The Côte-Nord Biofood Table found a solution by taking inspiration from carpooling.
Posted at 1:28 am. Updated at 05:00
The job accepted by La Presse was very simple: Pick up a grocery bag-sized package in Montreal and two days later deliver it to a contractor in Sept-Îles. There was still plenty of room in the trunk of the car and since we were already on our way why not take the opportunity and help with some extra luggage?
Systematizing exactly this kind of boost is Colinor’s goal. “In the Côte-Nord, we are all travellers,” says Marc Normand, director of the Table bioalimentaire de la Côte-Nord (TBCN), the organization behind the project. “There are a lot of people on the road, so we thought: Since there are already vehicles on the road, why not put a package in there?” »
Like Amigo Express
Colinor works like a carpooling service like Amigo Express: its platform connects drivers with companies that want to transport small and medium-sized packages. The driver states his place of departure and destination as well as his travel dates and times and interested shippers can contact him.
Of course there are transport companies that deliver to the north coast. Colinor presents itself as an alternative or supplement for companies, especially smaller ones. In fact, moving a pallet of materials or products around the region is rarely a problem. “As soon as we have small packages, the transport costs are quite high,” emphasizes Marc Normand.
These costs can make all the difference for an entrepreneur in a remote region.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
The Colinor initiative is a local solution to a regional problem, explains Marc Normand.
Sometimes a manufacturer can offer a product cheaper than a competitor, but can no longer do so when shipping costs are added. Colinor is a solution for companies to stay competitive.
Marc Normand, director of the Côte-Nord Biofood Table
local solution
The idea of setting up a service that would allow parcels to be ‘hitched’ arose a few years ago during a forum entitled ‘Côte-Nord en mode Solutions’ organized by the Center d’aide aux companies de la region became. TBCN was commissioned to develop it and was able to do so by receiving $188,000 in financial support over four years from a program of the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec for innovation took advantage of organic food sector.
Martin Demassieux, co-owner of the La Compagnie microbrewery, has closely followed the development of Colinor and has high hopes for this joint transport project. In his opinion, due to its flexibility, it is a “supplement” or even an advantage over the bus transport previously used by companies, which, however, follows a fixed timetable and a fixed route. It also allows parcels to be sent to and from communities or villages that are not served by public transport.
The territory of the Côte-Nord is huge, but its agglomerations are not very extensive, which is an advantage for Martin Demassieux.
If I have to go to Montreal or Quebec, the detour I have to make on the way to drop off a package in Baie-Comeau is not very important.
Martin Demassieux, co-owner of La Compagnie microbrewery
According to him, this could encourage many motorists to offer this type of service and add a few minutes to their already long journey times.
It is a matter of ‘service’ as it is currently not expected that people who receive a package will be compensated. The fees charged by Colinor are used solely to maintain the platform. “It’s an act of solidarity for our companies,” says Marc Normand. The operation of the platform is based on trust between shipper and carrier.
According to Marc Normand, Colinor could just be the starting point for something else. “The platform will allow us to study the transport flows on the north coast, he says, and potentially identify other solutions that could complement this proposal.”
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Sept-Îles Population: 25,000