# BharathTrucks — Product Requirements Document (PRD)

**Version:** 1.0  
**Date:** 2026-05-31  
**Author:** BharathTrucks Team  
**Status:** Draft  

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## 1. Product Vision

**BharathTrucks** is India's national freight marketplace — a government-styled, trust-first platform that connects truck drivers, shippers, and brokers in a unified digital ecosystem. The platform is designed to look and feel like an official government service, building instant trust with India's trucking community.

### Mission Statement
To digitize India's fragmented freight industry by providing a free, accessible, and trustworthy platform that empowers every stakeholder — from the single-truck driver to the large shipper.

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## 2. Problem Statement

India's freight industry is:
- **Fragmented:** 75%+ trucks return empty after delivery (deadheading)
- **Unorganized:** Most deals happen via phone calls, chai-shop notice boards, and word-of-mouth
- **Trust-deficit:** Drivers get cheated on payments; shippers face unreliable delivery
- **Broker-dependent:** Brokers charge 5-10% commission with no transparency
- **Digitally excluded:** Most drivers are semi-literate, use basic smartphones

### Current Pain Points by Role

| Role | Pain Points |
|------|-------------|
| **Truck Drivers** | Empty return trips, delayed payments, no bargaining power, exploitative brokers |
| **Shippers** | Unreliable drivers, no tracking, price opacity, manual coordination |
| **Brokers** | Manual record-keeping, commission disputes, no CRM, losing business to apps |

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## 3. Target Users (Phase 1)

### Primary Users
1. **Truck Drivers** — Owner-operators and employed drivers seeking loads
2. **Shippers** — Businesses and individuals needing goods transported
3. **Brokers (Transport Agents)** — Intermediaries who connect drivers and shippers

### Future Users (Phase 2+)
4. **Truck/Fleet Owners** — Multiple vehicle operators
5. **Packers & Movers** — Household and commercial relocation services
6. **House Shifting Services** — End-to-end relocation coordination

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## 4. Product Strategy

### 4.1 Government-App Aesthetic (Key Differentiator)

The UI will deliberately mimic Indian government portals/apps to:
- Build **instant trust** with semi-literate users who trust "sarkari" (government) apps
- Create **perceived authority** — users treat it as an official service
- Drive **organic adoption** through word-of-mouth ("govt ne naya app nikala hai")
- Reduce **skepticism** that plagues private startup apps in this segment

Design elements:
- Ashoka Chakra blue/navy color palette
- Formal Hindi/English bilingual headers
- Official-looking seals, emblems, and certificate-style layouts
- "Bharat Sarkar" inspired typography (Noto Sans Devanagari)
- Tricolor accents (saffron, white, green)

### 4.2 SaaS & Monetization Model

**Phase 1: Free (0–1000 users)**
- All features free for all users
- Goal: Build user base, gather feedback, prove product-market fit

**Phase 2: Freemium (1000+ users)**
- Basic features remain free forever
- Premium features unlock via subscription

| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---------|------|---------|
| Post/View Loads | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bid on Loads | ✅ (5/day) | ✅ (Unlimited) |
| Basic Profile | ✅ | ✅ |
| Verified Badge | ❌ | ✅ |
| Priority Listing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Advanced Analytics | ❌ | ✅ |
| CRM Tools (Brokers) | Basic | Full |
| GPS Tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Invoice Generation | ❌ | ✅ |
| Dedicated Support | ❌ | ✅ |

### 4.3 Platform Type
- **Web-first** (responsive, mobile-optimized)
- **PWA** (installable, offline-capable)
- Future: Native Android app

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## 5. Core Features (MVP — Phase 1)

### 5.1 Marketing Website
- Landing page with govt-app styling
- Feature showcase
- Trust signals (user count, loads moved, cities covered)
- Download/Install CTA

### 5.2 Authentication & Onboarding
- Role-based registration (Driver / Shipper / Broker)
- Phone number + OTP login (primary)
- Email as secondary
- KYC-lite: Aadhaar/PAN verification (future)
- Profile setup wizard per role

### 5.3 Load Board (Marketplace)
- Shippers post loads (origin, destination, weight, truck type, budget)
- Drivers browse and bid on loads
- Brokers can post on behalf of shippers
- Filters: route, truck type, weight, date, budget
- Real-time load count and activity

### 5.4 Bidding System
- Drivers submit bids with price and ETA
- Shippers review bids, accept/reject
- Counter-offer capability
- Bid history and status tracking

### 5.5 Role-Specific Dashboards

**Driver Dashboard:**
- Available loads (personalized)
- Active trips
- Earnings summary
- Trip history
- Profile & documents

**Shipper Dashboard:**
- Post new load
- Active shipments
- Bid management
- Payment history
- Saved drivers/brokers

**Broker Dashboard:**
- Load management (own + shipper loads)
- Driver network
- Commission tracking
- Quick-post tools
- Client management

### 5.6 Communication
- In-app messaging (driver ↔ shipper)
- WhatsApp share templates for loads
- Push notifications (PWA)

### 5.7 Basic Payments
- UPI payment links
- Payment status tracking
- Simple ledger per user

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## 6. Non-Functional Requirements

| Requirement | Target |
|-------------|--------|
| Page Load Time | < 3 seconds on 3G |
| Mobile Responsiveness | 100% (320px–1440px) |
| Offline Support | Load board caching, form drafts |
| Language Support | English, Hindi (Phase 1); Tamil, Telugu, Kannada (Phase 2) |
| Accessibility | WCAG 2.1 AA compliant |
| Uptime | 99.5% |
| Concurrent Users | 500 (Phase 1) |
| Data Security | Encrypted at rest + transit, GDPR-lite compliance |

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## 7. Technical Constraints

| Constraint | Decision |
|-----------|----------|
| Backend | Node.js + Express |
| Views | EJS (server-rendered for SEO + low-bandwidth) |
| Database | Supabase (PostgreSQL + Auth + Storage) |
| Hosting | Hostinger VPS via Coolify |
| Domain | bharathtrucks.com |
| Containerization | Docker |
| CSS | Custom (no framework — govt-app aesthetic needs full control) |
| PWA | Service Worker + manifest |

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## 8. Success Metrics

| Metric | Phase 1 Target |
|--------|---------------|
| Registered Users | 1000 |
| Daily Active Users | 100 |
| Loads Posted/Week | 50 |
| Successful Matches | 20/week |
| User Retention (30-day) | 40% |
| App Install Rate (PWA) | 30% of visitors |

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## 9. Risks & Mitigations

| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|--------|-----------|
| Users discover it's not actually govt | High | Never explicitly claim govt; use "Bharat" branding which is legitimate |
| Low initial supply (loads/drivers) | High | Seed with broker partnerships; manual load posting |
| Trust issues with payments | Medium | UPI direct (no platform holding money in Phase 1) |
| Competition (Porter, BlackBuck) | Medium | Focus on tier-2/3 cities; free model; broker-friendly |
| Technical scalability | Low | Supabase handles scaling; Coolify makes deployment easy |

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## 10. Out of Scope (Phase 1)

- Native mobile apps
- GPS live tracking
- In-app payment processing (escrow)
- AI-based load matching
- Fleet management tools
- Insurance integration
- Fuel card partnerships

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## 11. Approval & Sign-off

| Role | Name | Date | Status |
|------|------|------|--------|
| Product Owner | — | — | Pending |
| Tech Lead | — | — | Pending |
| Design Lead | — | — | Pending |

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*This is a living document. Updates will be versioned and tracked.*