We’re back In the Driver’s Seat, and we’d like you to meet Lucas Schorer, Founder and CEO of Kestrel Insights.
Based in Montana, the Kestrel Insights team has developed an innovative solution to geofencing needs for the transportation and logistics industries. In a nutshell, Kestrel Insights automates the access and creation of polygon geofencing map layers for logistics and supply chain professionals to improve automation and accuracy of tracking. By automating the delivery of precise polygon geofences at scale, teams can improve the accuracy of location data that drives higher-level KPIs and decision making.
What is your dream vehicle and why?
A GMC SIERRA 3500 HD AT4. A pickup truck that I can tow and do anything I want in. I love truck campers and this baby could carry any truck camper I want! Although nothing beats my trusty (rusty?) Toyota camper combo — it’s been with me through thick and thin, and it’s the perfect companion for any of my Montana adventures.
What is something you’re working on right now at Kestrel Insights?
Expanding our integrations and availability of our data, our newest Samsara integration is a great example. We were originally primarily selling into SaaS companies, but with available and open API’s at many of our target platforms, we are able to front load the integrations and sell directly to end users. This opens up a whole new market of end users.
The best part? Activating these turnkey integrations requires minimal technical effort. We’re committed to providing a seamless, low-tech experience so users can easily leverage the powerful benefits of polygon geofencing.
Some great things these integrations offer is the ability to sync geofences with us across multiple platforms and we can provide that single source of truth for everything our customers do with geofences.
In the early days, we would come across customers who wanted to use our data, but their SaaS tool didn’t make it available to them. Now we can control where our data is available and build these integrations.
What is something you’re most proud of at work?
The way our team has built and brought to a market such an innovative approach to geofencing. Before our team went to market, everyone in the industry had essentially two options, rely on circular guesswork, or hand-draw polygons. It was pretty obvious that the way people accessed and created geofences desperately needed a new approach to stay up to date with the modern supply chain and we’ve done that.
One of the first teams we talked to had a groupof 8 summer interns whose sole purpose was to draw geofences for needed locations. They were a large carrier that had roughly 150,000 locations they needed processed. That team had worked for 3 months and only made it through around half of the total number. Our jaws dropped at the insanity of such a manual undertaking.
What is the hardest part about what you do?
Not getting too excited about all the opportunities in front of us! Our team is so passionate about what we do and is always thinking of a thousand different applications, markets, improvements, etc. Every day, we’re asked about unique and innovative geofencing strategies.
Just recently, we began working on dynamic fire zones, cell phone coverage polygons, weather layers, and even integrating with real-time cargo theft databases. It’s incredibly rewarding to turn these ‘what if we could…’ ideas into impactful business operations.
Everyone knows the feeling of starting the day with a focused organized list of to-do’s and then just one call with someone who brings up a cool idea can derail everything, if you let it! We had a call with a team that wanted to use our integrations to create geofences for trail-running competitions in Hong Kong, Switzerland, and other areas. How cool would that be?! But that’s definitely a distraction from our core competency so a good example of something we decided not to pursue at this time.
Managers in the mobility space have a tough job too. What is your company doing to help make it easier for them?
Anything we can take off their plate and automate is a win. The fact that so many logistics managers have to manage and create geofences and geofencing databases is an incredible time suck. No one’s job description in logistics includes ‘part-time geofencer’ — and it shouldn’t, unless it’s my job description of course.
As addresses flow into systems of record like ELDs, visibility platforms, CRMs, or TMSs, an automated approach that replaces inaccurate circular geofences with the most accurate, up-to-date polygon boundaries is a no-brainer. Plus, the downstream benefits of reporting and SaaS platform ROI are undeniable.
Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in the mobility industry and why?
There is another company here in Whitefish, Montana called DeliverFund. I had the chance to sit down with their founder Nic McKinley and hear how his past experience in elite forces within the military had transferred to his work in risk mitigation and analysis within the supply chain. It was incredible to hear how foundational behaviors and habits that he was able to establish in the military, in addition to very technical expertise, had transferred to his civilian work.
What do you think is the biggest challenge currently facing the mobility industry?
Automation. Both how and where to adopt automation, and how and where to avoid it. I mentioned above our struggles around getting distracted by all the incredible tools and opportunities in front of us. The same thing can happen with new and flashy SaaS tools. You need to be able to evaluate where your most immediate and impactful wins are and stay that course. This industry digital transformation is in full swing and there are a million things out there people are trying to sell you every day. Stay focused.
What do you think is still missing or poorly understood in the mobility industry?
What a driver or person with boots on the ground experiences everyday. So many of us, including myself, are and have been desk jockeys since day 1 and we lack that experience that a career driver has that is so valuable. Being able to learn from those people on your team is very important.
What do you think the mobility industry will look like 10 years from now?
No idea. The pace that AI and automation is moving things at is going to blow any predictions I have to pieces in probably just a couple years. The most important things for teams is to stay agile because changes are going to come at such an incredible pace over the next 5-10 years.
Keen to learn more about Kestrel Insights or Lucas Schorer? Reach out to him directly on LinkedIn or visit the Kestrel Insights website.
If you think you have what it takes to be interviewed for our next In the Driver’s Seat or if you have suggestions on who we should talk to, get in touch with us.
