A look back on Uber Freight in 2017

We’re excited to see where the future takes us. As the new year begins, we think it’s a good time to reflect on our journey thus far and how drivers have played a huge role.

On May 16, we launched Uber Freight with the intent of promoting transparency, simplicity, and reliability for the process of moving goods everywhere. We hammered out solutions to make booking loads easier and faster, aiming to make payments less of a headache.

In March 2017, a small team started in the parking lot of the Mid American Trucking Show talking to drivers and discovering more about the difficulties they routinely face.

After launching in Texas in August, we introduced Uber Freight to other parts of North America — California, Arizona, Illinois, Georgia, and the Carolinas. We grew into regions with high freight volumes; regions that would create more earning opportunities for drivers. We designed a personalized load-matching feature that learns your preferences based on the loads you’ve chosen in the past. Our load-matching feature is meant to connect you with good opportunities, even while on the road.

At the Great American Trucking Show in August, we shared our vision of achieving a better freight network with the folks who matter the most. We closed things out on a real high note at the Take a Load Off event with an amazing show from renowned country musicians Tony Justice, Jayne Denham, and Bill Weaver.

Our ride along with Frank Lovell, a truck driver with over 30 years of experience, revealed that many drivers wanted to get home more often to spend time with their families. The conversation led to the launch of ‘Take me Home’ in September.

In November, J Canell visited our San Francisco office. He shared his experiences of life on the road. His feedback will help us bring you more of the things you need for success on the road.

In 2018, we’ll continue to tackle the problems that carriers and their drivers face daily, as we integrate Uber’s transformative tech into the world of freight. Tell us what you’d like to see in 2018 on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as we continue enhancing the Uber Freight application.