Driving a Digital Future: Martin Vohánka
Founder and CEO Martin Vohánka is ensuring that Eurowag is ready to play a central role in supporting trucking companies to become cleaner, fairer and more efficient.
While the trucking industry may not be one of the most discussed sectors when it comes to the global economy, it serves as its backbone. Any disruptions in this industry have widespread implications for many other businesses, as recent supply chain challenges and a lack of truck drivers have illustrated.
For Martin Vohánka, Founder and CEO of Eurowag, the leading integrated payments and mobility platform for the road transport industry, it’s essential for the industry to modernize and embrace the power of data.
"The shortage of truck drivers in places like the United Kingdom is because the current fragmented system is lacking transparency. It’s really a game changer to digitize trucking companies and then connect them with the rest of the ecosystem. It elevates the industry from the old world into the new digital era," Vohánka says.
We are utilizing solutions like smart routing, load matching and applications that are helping trucking companies to move us in the right direction.
Through the creation of a ‘super app’ that can provide payments and mobility services for the trucking industry, harnessing all the critical services that are needed, Vohánka and Eurowag are on a journey to transform the experience of trucking companies.
Sustainability focus
Like many other leading players in the transportation space, Eurowag is fully committed to making its operations as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. To achieve this, one of the key areas that Vohánka is focusing on is reducing waste and improving efficiency among its customer base.
Almost one-third of trucks on European roads are empty, he explains, so finding ways to better utilize trucks on the road and reduce energy consumption is at the top of the agenda.
"For this to be achieved, we are utilizing solutions like smart routing, load matching and applications that are helping trucking companies to move us in the right direction," he says.
Eurowag is also working with its partners to connect key stakeholders together to ensure that reaching targets around reducing emissions and waste is as easy as possible. While Eurowag does not own trucks itself, acting as a trusted partner to its customers and supporting them on decarbonization is a powerful method to reach net zero targets.
Golden rule
Many of the positive results that Eurowag has had in recent years can be attributed to one ‘golden rule’, according to Vohánka. "I would say 80 percent of our success is down to this golden rule: ‘Behave to others as you wish them to behave to you’. What I try to do is not read tons of sophisticated books about management but rather honestly try to behave according to this rule, and take the time to reflect on it if I fail," he adds.
While this golden rule may be common sense for most, actually following it in practice is easier said than done, with many people quick to respond with anger rather than understanding. He also points to the importance of empowering staff, especially during challenging times when high levels of volatility are the norm.
I would say 80 percent of our success is down to this golden rule: ‘Behave to others as you wish them to behave to you’.
The strong corporate culture Vohánka has helped establish at Eurowag will soon see 600 new employees join after a major acquisition was recently announced. As the company grows, he is focused on continuing to learn and develop his skillset and remains open to new ideas.
With the number of Eurowag’s employees growing, he is acutely aware of the responsibility the company has in not just offering a high-quality product for customers, but also in creating a good working environment.
"After the latest acquisition in Europe, we’ll be working with more than 2,000 people on a daily basis and have the ability to influence their lives and emotions, plus those of their households; it’s an immense responsibility and opportunity to do good," Vohánka concludes.
Strategic Partner Relationships
With Eurowag operating in an extremely fragmented marketplace, Vohánka places a premium on reliability when building up relationships with both customers and suppliers.
Beyond the reliability of the partnerships, transparency in where an organization is going in the future is important, as large investments are typically needed that take some time to recoup.
"In these partnerships we need to, of course, demonstrate operational quality and our added value for the customers, what we are serving in the value chain," he says.