Freight logistics is the invisible system that powers global commerce. Yet behind the curtain, it remains riddled with inefficiencies, from cargo handled dozens of times before reaching its destination to highways clogged while railways sit underused and processes that can stretch into weeks. Glīd, a logistics technology startup led by CEO Kevin Damoa, is cutting through this outdated model with a simple, transformative idea: shipping should glide.

The Bottleneck in Freight

Intermodal shipping, the handoff between trucks and trains, is where logistics slows to a crawl. Cargo is dropped at transload yards, shuffled by cranes and forklifts, loaded onto short-haul trucks, and eventually moved to rail cars. Each container can be handled 15 to 20 times, adding delays, costs, and emissions. Trains often wait until they reach the size needed to run profitably, further stalling the system.

The result is a supply chain that’s expensive, time-consuming, and environmentally taxing.

Glīd’s Seamless Approach

Glīd eliminates these inefficiencies with its autonomous Glider vehicles. A Glider can pick up a container, drive directly onto tracks, switch to rail wheels, and deliver the load without intermediate transfers. What once took a week can now take as little as 15 minutes.

The operation is managed by EZRA-1SIX, Glīd’s digital platform. Instead of relying on brokers and piles of paperwork, shippers can book freight as easily as ordering delivery: input details, receive an instant quote, and track the shipment in real time. By digitizing the process and cutting out redundant equipment, Glīd offers both speed and cost savings.

Proof in Hardware

To demonstrate viability, Glīd debuted Rāden, its first unmanned vehicle, at the Re-Industrialized New Mobility Futures showcase in Detroit. It also advanced its GliderM model into production with established manufacturers. These milestones, backed by signed purchase orders and a patent, show that Glīd is a functioning system ready for deployment.

Pilot programs with Mendocino Railway in California and Taylor Transport in Washington will test the technology on real-world cargo like lumber and aggregate, generating revenue and proving out multiple use cases.

Rooted in Experience

Damoa’s vision for Glīd draws directly from his background. As a young Army recruit after 9/11, he worked in railhead operations, where loading heavy vehicles onto trains could take hours per unit. Later, at SpaceX, he oversaw the movement and recovery of rockets and capsules, where logistics had to be reimagined to support spaceflight’s demanding pace. Those experiences taught him both the frustrations of legacy freight and the potential of first-principles problem-solving.

Glīd is his answer to a lifetime spent navigating inefficient systems.

Sustainable by Design

The company’s innovation is not only about speed. Glīd’s vehicles are electrified hybrids that can run on biodiesel, hydrogen, or JP8, with onboard battery stacks that eliminate the need for charging infrastructure. By removing cranes, drayage trucks, and diesel locomotives from the process, the system dramatically reduces emissions.

For communities near ports and rail yards, often low-income neighborhoods disproportionately affected by pollution, Glīd offers cleaner air as well as new opportunities. The company emphasizes creating next-generation logistics jobs in areas like digital engineering and autonomous vehicle operations, providing both environmental and economic benefits.

A New Way to Ship

Glīd’s ultimate goal is to create a new category of transport. Just as companies now ship goods by truck, train, air, or sea, Damoa envisions shippers one day choosing to “Glid it.” By merging the accessibility of trucking with the efficiency of rail, Glīd promises not just incremental improvement, but a redefinition of how freight moves.

If successful, the company could transform an industry long overdue for disruption, replacing friction with flow and making shipping glide.

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