Uber Freight

FreightTech will be even more important and pervasive in 2020. Learn about some of the expanding trends in FreightTech.

Brian Aoaeh writes about key trucking events in 2019 and looks ahead to 2020.

Ben Thrower writes that venture capital funds continue to flow to digital freight brokerages, but legacy companies continue to fight back.

Over the past two and a half years, Uber Freight, the freight brokerage division of Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER), has already proven itself capable in two key areas for young technology companies: growing revenue fast and shipping new products at a rapid clip.  Powerloop’s trailer pool, the continuous moves Uber Freight calls “bundles,” international versions […]

Technology to help with freight asset operations, sales and technology integration highlighted the third block of demonstrations at FreightWaves LIVE in Chicago on Nov. 12. WinMore is a provider of bid and tender collaboration software to help freight forwarders and brokers win more — get it? — contracted rate business, Mark Gamble, director of product […]

The Uberization of Freight has come to mean many things, but to Uber Freight Senior Director Bill Driegert, it means relieving pain points for carriers and shippers.

Lorin Seeks, Convoy’s director of quality and compliance, spent nine years leading logistics as a captain in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.

Uber Freight sees loads more than double on a year-over-year basis, but the division’s losses increased as well. Investors will now likely mull over these results as the company’s stock lock-up expiration approaches.

Montreal-based Transport DSquare got an early taste of the platform on a Mississauga-Montreal haul and sees good things for the Canadian freight market.

Bill Driegert discussed both the Canadian and Polish expansions.

Executives from Parade, CoLane, Forager, and Trucker Tools discussed the current state and future of brokerage digitization.

Traditional freight brokerages are ramping up technological spending to keep pace with the industry.

The drop trailer pool expands to Los Angeles while Bundles will be nationwide.

This week we step inside the world of Business Insider’s transportation reporter, Rachel Premack. We cover her journey into journalism, trucking “bloodbath” becoming a meme, driver opinion on #UberFreight, overcoming #sexism and so much more!

7-minute company demos will garner a lot of attention at the upcoming FreightWaves LIVE Chicago conference, November 12-13.

C.H. Robinson’s Bob Biesterfeld and Uber Freight’s Lior Ron will headline the Townhall Series at the upcoming CSCMP EDGE 2019 conference. The pair will discuss the changing nature of freight and address how technology is making that happen.

The move signals the shift from a tech startup to a mature logistics operation.

A round at this valuation puts Convoy one step closer to an IPO.

Uber Freight makes it a point to meet drivers and carriers where they are.

Uber Freight needs access to more capacity to keep up with 153 percent growth in gross bookings.

Uber’s second quarter as a public company saw a loss much worse than the consensus estimate. Revenue increased significantly at Uber Freight, so did the losses.

Starting today, shippers using MercuryGate’s transportation management system (TMS) will have access to Uber Freight’s network of carriers, guaranteed capacity and real-time market rates, MercuryGate announced this morning. “Shippers need reliable information to drive speed and efficiency in their 24/7 operations,” said MercuryGate president and chief executive officer Joe Juliano in a statement. “By tapping […]

A lot of things have to go right for DFBs to build a market large enough to justify their valuations.

From their Seattle headquarters, the executive team talks operations, startup culture and the enduring importance of the human factor.

Logistics platform launches in second European country, where the trucking industry and shippers contend with a growing driver shortage and too many empty kilometers.

Commentary by Bill Driegert, Senior Director of Uber Freight, explores the current and near-future of on-demand freight.

A few months after launching the Facility Ratings feature in its app, Uber Freight has published its first Facility Insights Report, a compendium and analysis of carriers’ ratings of shipper facilities that will be released on a regular cadence. Digital freight brokerage apps continue to roll out new features and services to drive carrier engagement. […]

Landstar announced that it may not be able to meet the low-end of its guidance range as truckload spot market fundamentals remain weak.

The first Uber Freight European load has been moved in the Netherlands. The cargo was for Heineken.

Commentary As digital freight brokerage apps learn to concentrate on driving user engagement and building dynamic marketplaces that adapt to user behavior, they will start to resemble social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Tinder. Apps like Uber Freight, Convoy, Transfix, J.B. Hunt 360, C.H. Robinson’s Navisphere and EchoShip/Drive were designed to cover loads […]

Other Bets revenue, primarily consisting of Uber Freight, increased 263 percent year-over-year to $145 million.

Today on FreightWaves Now, we take it to the Sierras and dig down with the “critical events” feature on our charts. Also, what is happening in the economy with housing starts, and should we be worried about Uber and Lyft’s rough start with their IPO?

After a decade of disrupting urban mobility, Uber finally opens up for its initial public offering (IPO) at the NYSE on May 10.

Building a small business is difficult if you don’t have access to the same powerful tools that larger competitors do. Uber Freight, with its growing suite of tools, has been trying to empower small fleets and owner-operators to allow them to compete on an even playing field.

Amazon.com, Inc.’s volumes are so immense that the company has pitched tents to support its deliveries.

Uber released its S-1 filing after the market close, placing in on track to go public with its anticipated May IPO.

Insurgent digital brokerage apps are increasing their share of downloads while load boards are largely stagnant.

The European Shippers’ Council is generally in favour of Uber Freight’s move into the European market, but the council warns that the deals between trucker and shipper will need to be carefully worded to avoid litigation.

First stop: the Netherlands.

Electric trucks dominated the vehicle conversations at this week’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, plus the cost of charging vehicles, overtime pay changes and another trucker protest planned.

Trucking-as-a-service is poised to break out into 5x growth over the next five years, says Frost & Sullivan.

Freight Alley in Chattanooga was the scene on the afternoon of February 21, when executives from FreightWaves, Nodal Exchange, DAT and K-Ratio presented the Trucking Freight Futures roadshow. Trucking Freight Futures debut on the Nodal Exchange on March 29.

From Uber’s diversification to the promise of improved trade between the U.S. and China to how we prepare for changing markets and industry models. All this and more in today’s headlines.

There are currently about 30,000 carriers on the Uber Freight network, according to the company. That number is expected to continue to grow.

Bergevin, Cristol, and Stauffer want to attack fundamental problems affecting the whole supply chain beyond truckload arbitrage.

Uber Freight is giving drivers the opportunity to rate shipper facilities. The information can be used by both shippers to improve conditions and drivers, who will see the details of a facility before accepting a load.

We spoke to GlobalTranz’s outgoing CEO Bob Farrell and new CEO Renee Krug about the transition in leadership and the marketplace for mergers and acquisitions in the 3PL space going forward into 2019.

We spoke to Uber Freight Product Manager Stefan Sohlstrom and Convoy’s Chief Product Officer, Ziad Ismail, about last week’s releases and what increased transparency means for the brokerage industry.

At MarketWaves18, FreightWaves announced the Freight.Tech 25, the industry’s list of the most innovative and disruptive companies in transportation and logistics: Uber Freight took the sixth position.

At Marketwaves18, Eric Berdinis said the industry can all benefit from a greater level of cooperation.

Uber Freight and FreightWaves are renting out a nightclub and providing drinks, BBQ, and a band to entertain the transportation and logistics industry at MarketWaves18.

Uber Freight introduces three new features to its app, making it more customizable and intuitive, and helping drivers and carriers better manage their loads and time schedules.

Uber Inc. has introduced Powerloop, an affiliate company to Uber Freight, which would rent out power-only trailers to carriers looking to grow their business and thereby ease the industry’s capacity crunch.

The credit rating agency says that well-capitalized, risk-sharing joint ventures between incumbent automakers have the best chance of successfully bringing AV products to market safely and at scale.

The report on online transportation platforms does not draw any conclusions about why it’s happening, but it has plenty of data to back up that it is occurring.

Goldman Sachs issued a report last week highlighting the risks to incumbent brokerages’ margins and market shares, with useful information about the brokerage landscape and recent developments in VC funding that have powered new entrants.

Uber Freight is gobbling up $500M per year; the US and China hit each other with a new round of tariffs; Georgia Ports extends its inland intermodal network; Saudi Arabia’s Aramco IPO indefinitely delayed; cannabis supply chains mature; Houston is now an oil exporter.

Uber Freight continues to gain scale as the company doubles-down on the business

J.B. Hunt announced the release of their large-scale rewards program for drivers, 360 Perks.

More than a year after it built a large following through its app for drivers, Uber Freight is now turning the spotlight on shippers. The company today announced the launch of Uber Freight for Shippers, a desktop-based app platform that provides direct access to carriers and more transparency into shipments.

Uber Inc. has witnessed a largely satisfactory quarter this year, with it continuing its expansion across different markets and venturing into new territories like food-delivery and scooter-sharing.

Land O’Lakes is moving Purina Feed loads via the Uber Freight app along several lanes, including one in Texas where 100% of the loads are posted to the app.

Ford will launch a new SUV in China as part of their growth plan, while Uber Freight is spinning off as a separate business unit from Uber under the direction of Lior Ron.

Uber shut down its self-driving truck platform last week but promised in an exclusive interview with FreightWaves that Uber Freight was not going anywhere. Today, the company has not only confirmed that promise, but it has doubled down on the future of Uber Freight.

Procter & Gamble prices to increase; The end of Uber’s self-driving truck program; Unilever takes a hit from Brazil truck strike; Gap innovates distribution following a 2016 warehouse fire, and more in Today’s Pickup.

Following the announcement of the end of Uber’s self-driving truck program, Uber reached out to FreightWaves for an opportunity to discuss Uber Freight and to check the pulse on the self-driving industry.

Without self-driving trucks, what is the point of Uber Freight?

Uber Freight is poised to rise quickly in the fragmented freight brokerage business, but there are some factors that could hinder its growth: limited market penetration of digital apps, the Uber Freight app’s weak intelligence into routes and hours of service, and incumbents’ tech investments.

The incumbents are still way ahead. While C.H. Robinson’s scale and reach remain unmatched, a number of competitors have realized strong growth and have achieved significant scale over the past ten years.

Uber Freight has introduced a new tool called “fleet mode” that helps small fleet owners to manage all their drivers under a single account on the app.

The third installment of CarrierLists and FreightWaves load sourcing survey has more of the same. We dig a little deeper to see something about the industry that is seemingly obvious, but is it?

The third installment of CarrierLists and FreightWaves load sourcing survey has more of the same. We dig a little deeper to see something about the industry that is seemingly obvious, but is it?

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Large fleets are benefited for years from fuel and maintenance discounts. Now, smaller fleets and owner-operators are starting to reap some of those same benefits.

Uber Freight had a prime spot at the entrance to the show floor last week at the Mid-America Trucking Show, hoping to draw attention to its services as well as its new Uber Freight Plus program.

Transportations companies with cross-border business are exposed to tariff risks; new home sales fall unexpectedly; the Dow crosses below its 120-day moving average; acquisition-minded trucking companies face new financial scrutiny; Target and Kroger merger rumors.

The Uber Freight Plus fuel card provides up to 20 cents off per gallon at TA/Petro fuel stations for users, who also will receive maintenance and phone discounts in the program.

The U.S. has been particularly bad over the last few decades at helping people who’ve lost out during periods of technological change. Is there a new emerging story?

Mack Trucks and Volvo discuss performance of their remote software update systems; Uber Freight is using autonomous trucks in Arizona; air cargo was up 8% in January YOY; the 3,000th Neopanamax container ship transited the Panama Canal; intensifying freight flows are driving oil demand.

Customers want more visibility and creativity than ever; technology solutions must be nimble enough to add value for a customer without adding a burden; just because you spend on technology doesn’t mean you’re truly tech-oriented.

The heat map of areas affected by today’s Uber outage shows how vulnerable an Uberized freight industry would be.

Amazon is rolling out free two-hour delivery of Whole Foods groceries through its Prime Now service starting today.

Uber Freight has added two new features to its app that it believes will help truckers find loads quicker and reduce empty miles.

Uber plans to roll-out air-taxis by 2020 and has targeted Dallas Fort-Worth, Dubai, and Los Angeles for pilots. 

Uber shuts down its car leasing business as it prepares for an IPO next year. Uber Freight, the company’s brokerage business continues to expand and focuses on driver quality of life. 

Continued tightening of capacity is driving up FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI). The TCI for July posted a positive reading of 5.75, reflecting tightening capacity, rising spot rates and a further impact this fall and winter from the implementation of electronic logging devices, FTR said.

Digital freight brokers are using “Daily-deal” tactics to get revenue growth. They sold themselves as a platform to change the inefficient trucking industry, but have found it difficult to find quality sources of high-volume freight. These platforms have resorted to aggressive pricing tactics using investor capital. What will find is that as soon as they change prices, shipper loyalty will evaporate. 

The new Uber CEO has his work cut out for him. Few know what his take on Uber Freight is and whether the aggressive expansion will continue. Regardless, the digital freight era is upon-us and should they leave the market, others will take its place. 

Uber selects Expedia CEO as its next CEO to replace founder Travis Kalanick

Trucking venture funding continues to pick up steam. One fund, backed by the largest grouping of Fortune 1000 companies in the world and a top engineering school, makes an investment in two trucking startups for its initial set of investments. 

The Canadian town of Innisfil was looking for a way to reduce its public transit costs. It turned to Uber, and may have found an inexpensive way to help its residents get around.

Uber threw its hat into the trucking industry with its own app earlier this year, but now it is upping the stakes with new features, The Verge reports.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services has opened a new 144,000-square-foot corporate building in Lowell, Ark. The new building grows J.B. Hunt’s headquarters to over 494,000 square feet.