Uber Freight Launches ‘Fleet Mode’
Uber Freight has added a “fleet mode” to its mobile app to enable dispatchers at small fleets to find and book loads and assign them to their drivers.
With this feature, dispatchers can view all available loads as well as a list of drivers with details on their schedules and availability without needing to exit the app.
When Uber Freight launched about a year ago, the app was designed to help owner-operators and small carriers find loads that match their preferences and book them with one tap on their smartphones, while providing up-front pricing and quick payment.
Now, with fleet mode, Uber Freight is working to simplify not only load booking for drivers but also dispatching for small fleets operating multiple trucks.
“We’re now expanding to empower these small fleets to be successful with Uber Freight as well,” said Eric Berdinis, senior product lead. “It’s important for us to be able to expand to the next size of carriers using our platform.”
While there’s not a cap to the number of drivers that companies can manage with fleet mode, Uber Freight expects the feature to be used mostly by fleets with up to 10 trucks, or a little more, he said.
After logging into the app, dispatchers will be able to cross-reference a full list of available drivers with a list of available Uber Freight loads.
“They’ll be able to see which drivers will be able to take which loads,” said Xinfeng Le, product manager.
When the dispatcher selects and assigns a load to a driver, the driver receives a push notification and a prompt to accept the load. The driver has 30 minutes to respond. If the driver accepts, he or she receives all of the information needed to begin moving the load. If the driver can’t take load for some reason, the dispatcher can reassign it to another driver.
Fleet mode is now available on iOS and Android.
Earlier this year, Uber Freight also introduced a discount program, Uber Freight Plus, which provides savings on fuel, parts and even new and used truck purchases to carriers actively using the app.
Most of the discounts are available to carriers that haul at least one load via Uber Freight every 30 days.
Berdinis said fleet mode could make it easier for fleets to ensure that they qualify for those discounts.
Uber Freight is a division of ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group is developing self-driving vehicle technology for passenger cars and commercial trucks.
