Uber Freight: Like Yelp, but for Shippers and Warehouses

Detention time is a very old and ongoing issue in the trucking industry. In fact, the time spent waiting while shipments are loaded and unloaded ranks as one of the top problems frequently cited by truckers. Now, Uber Freight is offering a quantifiable way for truckers to leave feedback regarding detention time.

Reviews and Ratings

Uber Freight will allow truckers to rate and review shippers, warehouses, retailers, and more. Drivers lose time and money when they are stopped at these places, waiting for shipments to get loaded or unloaded. Truckers will be able to rate things like parking availability, wait times, accessibility to bathroom facilities and food, and possibly whether shipments were ready to be loaded upon arrival. Implementing a rating and review system will allow data to be aggregated and analyzed to rank shippers and other places so carriers and their drivers no what to expect.

Providing an Outlet and a Call for Reform

Obviously no rating system is perfect, but Uber Freight’s model at least gives truckers a platform to vent frustrations and realize they are not alone in their opinions. However, the goal is not to give shippers and receivers bad reviews. The aim is to let those places realize their deficiencies and do something to rectify any issues. Shippers and receivers may not realize the negative impact they have – not just on truckers, but their own business as well. Extended detention time depletes the number of miles a trucker can cover in a given day. With limited hours of service being monitored by ELDs, any extended delay at a loading dock can prevent shipments from reaching their destinations on time. The additional goal of the rating system is to open the lines of communication more. If a driver is coming into a warehouse to pick up a shipment at 7am, how long should they expect to wait? Is the shipment ready to be loaded? Are there people available to load the truck? Will there be parking available at the loading docks?

More independent owner-operators and small fleets are emerging, and Uber Freight is one of the “go to” apps drivers use to locate available shipments. Being able to rate and review shippers will build a community for truckers and allow people in the trucking industry, as well as shippers, to identify any shortcomings in the process.