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Written by Abigail Guevara, Senior Content Writer, Freelance
Access to transportation shouldn’t be a barrier to employment, yet it is for millions of people in North America. Hop In Technologies, a business-to-business (B2B) app, addresses this problem by helping people commute to work each day by connecting them with reliable and affordable transportation options.
“Not having access to a car and/or public transportation negatively impacts people’s quality of life as well as their families’ lives because their options for work, education, and social lives are extremely limited,” explains Boyd Reid, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Hop In Technologies.
One commute challenge is that employers, such as shift-based manufacturers, are often located in remote areas of a city. Without reliable transportation options, these employers can struggle to attract workers, potentially hindering workforce growth and profitability. Ultimately, they must rely on people who have vehicles, which can hinder potential applicants and limit their talent pool.
“It's both sides of the same coin,” says Boyd. “People who want to work are restricted by a lack of transportation, and businesses set up in areas that are hard to get to without a vehicle; so, people can’t get those jobs, and businesses can’t find workers.”
Delivering the smart commute solution
Founded in 2018 by Boyd Reid and Erich Ko, Hop In Technologies coordinates all the elements required to efficiently move people from their starting point to their destination.
“There are transportation options like Uber, Lyft, charter buses, but the reality is people don’t use these services to get to work or school daily,” notes Boyd. “Our platform and apps help employers fill their shifts by designing custom commute travel options for employees to get to work.”
Hop In Technologies is a data-driven platform that creates efficient traffic routes and partners with transportation providers such as bus companies, taxi services, and shuttle services to pick up employees from common meeting points and drop them at their desired location.
“Inefficient commutes impact everyone from stressed-out employees struggling to arrive on time, to employers limited in their hiring reach, and communities burdened by congestion,” explains Boyd. “Hop In Technologies builds a better commute ecosystem for riders, businesses, and communities as our data-driven solutions create collaborative partnerships between riders, employers, and transportation providers.”
Hop In Technologies’ transport solutions are customized by using real-time, work-specific data. The platform considers all the pain points, such as where employees live, common pick-up locations, shift times, and transportation ability. It uses this data to make routing decisions, and as employee locations and shift times change, the app adapts the routes.
Employee retention and strategic company advantage
The consistent data-driven commute solutions that Hop In Technologies delivers help people keep their jobs and businesses thrive.
“Users who rely on our services have shared that Hop In Technologies makes life easier for them because when they use Hop In to commute home from a long night shift, they can use that time to rest and be alert for their kids in the morning. It’s testimonials like this that motivate us” says Boyd.
Businesses also win big. Hop In Technologies’ pre-planned routing allows companies to create something similar to a private transit system for their employees. In so doing, companies can fill their shifts, making a positive impact on productivity and their bottom line. Conversely, when employees leave because the commute is too difficult, businesses face turnover costs such as retraining and recruitment efforts.
“Many businesses invest heavily in on-site facilities but leave employee commuting up to chance,” says Boyd. “Our platform becomes a strategic financial investment, creating huge dollar savings for companies now and well into the future by removing the guesswork–hoping that employees get to work on time, or at all,” says Boyd.
Hop In Technologies helping Durham go the distance
Durham Region is one of the many areas in Canada and the United States that have benefited from Hop In Technologies software.
“Some of our earliest customers were in Durham. We’ve worked with Durham Deaf Services, particularly during the pandemic, to get participants and employees to and from that location safely,” notes Boyd.
Many of Hop In Technologies’ clients rely on them due to public transit gaps such as for late shifts when buses aren’t operating, or there are safety concerns such as unlit streets and unpaved roads. Hop In Technologies doesn’t operate in places like downtown Toronto, where public transit is already efficient. Instead, they focus on underserved areas where transit doesn’t reach.
One example includes picking up workers at Oshawa GO Station and shuttling them to Northumberland County. Public transit can get them so far, and according to Boyd, Hop In Technologies takes them the “last mile.”
Hop In Technologies has also collaborated with Durham College on various projects and recently hosted transit roundtables focused on north Durham, where fewer transit options are available compared to areas like Pickering and Ajax.
“We’ve also been supporting research and impact analysis with the Clarington Board of Trade as well as maintaining strong partnerships in the local tech and startup scenes, such as with Spark Centre in Durham, a business incubator supporting rapidly growing innovation and technology companies,” notes Boyd.
Embracing an international focus to connect more workers
Hop In Technologies continues expanding its services across Canada and the United States, including Alabama in 2024. Recently Hop In Technologies partnered with Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT), the largest employment services provider in the state.
“Alabama is an innovative and welcoming state, so we’ve been able to establish a strong presence and have investors there,” says Boyd.
Another of its significant partnerships is with Ultimate Kronos Group, one of the world’s biggest Human Resources platforms, which is interested in Hop In Technologies’ commuting solutions for its clients.
“Transportation and logistics can be technical, but what excites us about our partnerships and growth is the major and positive impact Hop In Technologies makes to help people get to work while contributing to the ongoing success of our corporate clients—it's what drives us to continuously improve,” says Boyd.
Innovation and Inclusivity: Stories from Durham Region's Black Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals (members of DRAPBE) is a series of stories about thriving Black professionals choosing to do business in Durham Region.
