Uber has already shaken up the taxi industry and the restaurant sector, so now the ride-hailing tech company has its sights set on trucking.
Uber Freight launched in Texas in the spring and has 70 percent of its drivers and loads coming from the state, The Dallas Morning News’ Melissa Repko reported. The San Francisco-based company piloted the app with routes between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Uber Freight — much like the original Uber and its successor, UberEats — connects professional truck drivers with loads that need to be moved. With just a few clicks, drivers can select a job and move it.
“Uber pioneered the notion of ‘press a button, get a car,’ and now we want to create ‘press a button, get a load.'”
Eric Berdinis
They get paid faster and without the docking fees they usually have to pay.
In an interview with USA Today, Eric Berdinis, senior product manager for Uber Freight, said the goal is to simplify the process for truck drivers.
“Uber pioneered the notion of ‘press a button, get a car,’ and now we want to create ‘press a button, get a load,'” Berdinis said.
The trucking industry largely has gone without innovation for a long time, leaving it a prime target for Uber.
Amazon is also interested in getting into the trucking business, USA Today reports.
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