How one woman is using Google Maps Platform to transform the trucking industry
Chiamaka Nwosu still remembers the day her father brought home a computer. She had always been fascinated by how things worked, tinkering with everything from toys to the family generator. To 10-year-old Chiamaka, the computer posed an opportunity – a mystery, which, once understood, could unlock remarkable possibilities in the world around her.
Chiamaka channelled her fascination with tech into the classroom. She became one of only 12 women to study computer science in her university class of 110 and, after years of hard work, was awarded a prestigious scholarship to an incubator programme in Ghana at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology. It was there that she set her sights on solving a real world problem.
The idea for Truckr came to life for Chiamaka after a conversation with her father. A longstanding importer of goods across Africa, he often complained about the frustrations he faced in shipping. Sometimes his precious cargo made the trip, but too often it got lost along the way. Hearing this sparked a thought in Chiamaka: what if she could solve this problem, and make life for people like her father easier?
Working closely with her two co-founders, Caryl and Tshepo, Chiamaka launched Truckr – a company that helps connect cargo owners with truck drivers in Ghana. In a region where the network of roads can be tricky to predict and understand, Google Maps Platform offers a reliable map of the area, allowing Truckr to show customers where their truck is in real time.
For Chiamaka and her team, this means bringing cargo owners greater peace of mind throughout their cargo’s journey, even in remote areas.
From toys to trucking, Chiamaka has never stopped tinkering. 'Young Chiamaka would be super proud of where I am right now,' she says. With Truckr firmly on the map in West Africa, her dad is super proud too.
