Shiply

Shiply Limited is a British company which operates Shiply.com, an online transport marketplace which was launched in the United Kingdom in 2008 with more than 40,000 registered users. The idea behind the company’s business is to create a platform where Internet users can list the items they want to get moved and receive competitive quotes from delivery companies already making similar journeys. As users’ listed items are additional loads to fill up empty space in transporters’ lorries, the fees are relatively lower than the market rates, with the company’s claim of ‘Save up to 75%’.
Company history
Shiply was founded in 2008 by Robert Matthams, a University of Manchester graduate and went live in June 2008. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Robert Matthams revealed that he got his business idea when he was ordering a pool table from London to Manchester when studying at University of Manchester. After watching the driver coming up from London and returning empty, Robert Matthams looked into the issue and found out Department of Transport figures that 25pc of lorries and 15pc of vans ran empty in the UK , resulting in unnecessary 36 million tons of CO2 emissions - 7.2pc of the UK annual carbon footprint.
Started with some information technology knowledge he had gained at university, Robert Matthams worked by himself for several months to get Shiply live in June 2008. Up to now, Shiply has had over 5,500 transport providers and 40,000 registered users signed up .
Eco-friendly transport solution
Shiply claims to be an eco-friendly transport solution and states that so far the company has saved more than 3,800,000 miles of wasteful journeys and 1,800,000 kg of un-necessary CO2 emissions. The company has received a number of prizes and awards for both its business idea and eco-friendliness. The most notably amongst them are Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the year, Nectar Business Small Business Awards Start Up of the Year and Picnic Green Challenge runner up prize.

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