Digital freight matching stalwart Uber Freight today launched two enterprise software solutions designed to give large shippers a central point of control for their logistics operations, saying the tools address fundamental needs for on-demand freight transportation and shipment tracking that have been recently exacerbated by the pandemic.
These needs have become more prominent since the onset of the Covid-19 health crisis due to resulting shifts in consumer demand, disruptions to supply chains, and carrier supply shortages, the company said.
In response, the new Uber Freight Enterprise and Uber Freight Link products complement shippers’ existing transportation management system (TMS) and warehouse management system (WMS) solutions, enabling more efficient end-to-end freight management at enterprise scale, the Chicago-based company said.
Both tools are now available to North America–based shippers and have been used in commercial pilot tests. According to Uber Freight, they are designed to help eliminate manual processes, improve service, and ultimately reduce costs by tackling three core enterprise shipping challenges: streamlining carrier sourcing, automating load execution, and speeding up information sharing.
More specifically, Uber Freight Enterprise is an extension of the firm’s self-serve shipper platform for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs), enabling enterprise shippers to gain end-to-end control of their freight. The tools allows users to source capacity through Uber Freight’s marketplace, and equips large shippers with visibility into trucks’ estimated time of arrival (ETAs), digital access to documentation, and actionable insights.
And Uber Freight Link expands the enterprise platform, with execution tools for loads outside of the Uber Freight network. The product enables enterprise shippers to leverage Uber Freight technology—such as one-tap tendering, real-time visibility, proactive exception management, and digital documentation—across their full carrier network, instead of relying on 1:1 EDI connections with carrier TMSs.
The launch follows Uber Freight’s move last week to improve ETAs and offer better visibility by creating an application programming interface (API) partnership with fleet management solution provider KeepTruckin. The company has also been expanding its geographical reach, launching operations in Canada and in Germany during 2019.
