Uber Technologies Inc is expanding into a new field with a version of its on-demand ride application that lets truckers book cargo hauls with simple taps on smartphones.
Uber Freight rolling out in the US was touted by the company as an app that matches truckers or trucking companies with loads and streamlines payments.
“We take the guesswork out of finding and booking freight, which is often the most stressful part of a driver’s day,” Uber said in a blog post available online on Friday. “What used to take several hours and multiple phone calls can now be achieved with the touch of a button.”
San Francisco-based Uber made no mention of its efforts in self-driving vehicles, particularly trucks for cargo or deliveries.
Uber late last year acquired commercial transport-focused tech start-up Otto as the company pressed ahead with its pursuit of self-driving technology.
About US$7.7 billion in funding was pumped into supply chain and logistics companies last year, according to industry tracker CB Insights.
UPS International Inc and FedEx Corp were described as the two most active big logistics corporates investing in or acquiring private companies involved with applying new technologies to the trucking business.
“Uber’s new Freight app more directly targets the trucking brokerage market, although logistics couriers like UPS and FedEx are surely watching with interest,” CB Insights senior research analyst Kerry Wu said.
The list of companies investing or acquiring trucking technology included Lineage Logistics LLC, XPO Logistics Inc and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc, according to CB Insights.
“Investment to the industry can broadly be explained by the potential for efficiencies gained via structured processes and digitization,” CB Insights analyst Alex Paci said in comment provided by e-mail.
“The industry has repeatedly been described as a ‘pencil and paper’ business, and disorganization exists from procurement to freight-forwarding to last-mile delivery,” Paci said.
Uber Freight offered to spare truckers from needing to go through brokers or other intermediaries for cargo-hauling jobs.
A video ad online showed Uber smartphone applications being used to sign-on for loads, track cargo in real-time and get paid.
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