FreightWaves LIVE recap: Integrations are key for resiliency

Sharing capacity with other transportation providers strengthens overall supply chain

This fireside chat recap is from Day 2 of FreightWaves LIVE @HOME.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Freight technology and resiliency in 2021

DETAILS: The big questions right now are whether the economy will open, will we see a wave of freight (will prices rise or fall?), and what we are going to do about it. This conversation explores trends in real-time digital brokerage technology adoption and what’s next for the freight industry.

SPEAKER: Kate Kaufman, director of operations at Uber Freight

BIO: Kate Kaufman is the director of operations for Uber Freight, where she leads a team in championing the voice of the customer in everything the company does. She has a diverse background in transportation, analytics, finance and technology, holding positions with various fortune 500 companies, such as Amazon, Sprint, RR Donnelley and C.H. Robinson. 

KEY QUOTES FROM KAUFMAN:

“If you haven’t embraced an API right now, you need to start embracing an API. … The key to achieving systemwide optimization is through direct integration. The first step to optimizing your capacity is to start with your network. … Step two is optimizing across multiple networks.”

“[Optimization] is all about sharing. … The transportation community is such a tight-knit community. A lot of us have been in this line of work for quite a long time. We do know that we depend on each other. We have worked with these carriers for many, many years, and we know the challenges that our carriers face. … It’s like sharing the world that we live in.”

“If you haven’t adopted an integrated platform strategy, I encourage you, if you cannot go with an API, this is one of the most compelling reasons to take advantage of a company and a partner like Uber Freight because the conjoined network capabilities and the optimization that [we] can offer you and your networks is exponential. … It can get you that resiliency, it can give you that cost savings, and it can truly give you that carrier base that you will need to get you through those challenging times.”

Click here for more articles by Grace Sharkey.

Related Articles:

Uber Freight’s Market Access solution helps shippers manage supply chain risks

Uber Freight’s Q4 numbers up from 2019 and from third quarter

Viewpoint: The freight execution technology revolution is here

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Grace Sharkey

Grace Sharkey is a professional in the logistics and transportation industry with experience in journalism, digital content creation and decision-making roles in the third-party logistics space. Prior to joining FreightWaves, Grace led a startup brokerage to more than $80 million in revenue, holding roles of increasing responsibility, including director of sales, vice president of business development and chief strategy officer. She is currently a staff writer, podcast producer and SiriusXM radio host for FreightWaves, a leading provider of news, data and analytics for the logistics industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Michigan State University. You can contact her at gsharkey@freightwaves.com.