Smart Logistics Open Call
Open call · Hosted by Hauler. Routing and backhaul matching that cuts empty running across a mixed European fleet, working from the telematics the trucks already report.
About this open call
The brief
Hauler wants to cut empty running across its European fleet: the return legs where a truck carries nothing, burns the same fuel and earns nothing. The condition is that nothing new goes on a truck, because a device in the cab has to be bought, fitted and taught before anyone learns whether the idea works. The fleet is mixed and runs across several countries, so what the host wants is a method that holds on ordinary lanes rather than one well-chosen pairing.
What they're looking for
Routing or backhaul-matching systems that read the telematics Hauler already collects and act on it early enough to matter: suggesting a reload while a truck is still outbound, pairing the fleet's own legs against each other, or planning that treats an empty leg as a cost rather than a rounding error. A strong entry is specific about which data fields it needs, how it behaves when one of them arrives late or not at all, and what a dispatcher sees at the moment the decision is made. Optimisations that assume clean, complete data, or that need new in-cab hardware, do not fit this call.
Problem statements
Empty running
A return load found the day after a truck is home is worth nothing. The match has to be made while the vehicle is still on its outbound leg, which is exactly when nobody in dispatch has time to look for one.
No new hardware
Anything that needs a new device in the cab stops at procurement and fitting long before it is judged on merit. Entries work from the telematics fields the fleet already reports, missing values and all.
One fleet, many countries
Lanes, subcontractors and load types differ across the fleet, so a pairing that works out of one country is not yet a system. What gets scored is behaviour across the fleet, not the best example an entrant can find.
Evaluation criteria
100% weighted total
Timeline
- Jun 1, 2026
Call opens
Entries accepted from startups and partners.
- Aug 9, 2026
Submissions close
Final deadline to submit your entry — sending it is final.
- Aug 24, 2026
Host review & shortlist
Hauler scores entries against the criteria and shortlists a few teams.
- Sep 7, 2026
Pilot decision
The strongest entry takes the 40,000 EUR pilot on part of the fleet.
Sponsors & partners
Hauler
Host
ETH Zürich
Reviewers for the scoring round
TechStars
Sourcing teams from its programmes
FAQs
Who can take part?
Any startup or partner organisation on the platform, wherever it is based — the call runs remotely. One entry per team.
What does it cost?
Nothing — entering is free. Joining follows the call; submitting is what puts your work in front of Hauler.
Do we get fleet data before the deadline?
No. Write the entry against the telematics fields a fleet like this already reports, and say what your system does when one of them is late or missing.
Can I change my entry after submitting?
No — an entry is final once you send it. Hauler reads entries as they arrive rather than after Aug 9, 2026, so send it when it says what you mean.
Take part
Submit your entry before the deadline. Every entry is scored against the criteria above.