Uber Freight Starts Up in Europe

Uber Freight has expanded into Europe after being launching in the U.S. two years ago.

The Uber Freight app connects trucking companies of any size with loads to haul, giving drivers upfront pricing, fast payment and the ability to book a load with the touch of a button. Uber Freight also provides shippers with access to a network of carriers and real-time visibility into the status of their freight.

The system's European launch starts initially in the Netherlands.

The European truckload market is a $400 billion marketplace and is the third-largest in the world after China and the U.S. Yet, says Uber, it still takes dispatchers and drivers multiple hours, sometimes even days, of administrative work to book a single load. European shippers and carriers have many problems in common with those in the U.S., says Uber. For example, the European trucking market is experiencing a severe shortage of drivers, and of the time drivers are on the road, 21 percent of total kilometers traveled are empty. 

Additionally, small- to medium-sized carriers in the E.U. make up more than 85 percent of the total carrier pool, and just like in other international freight markets, they experience the most difficulty connecting with larger shippers. 

Uber Freight started in the U.S. in May 2017. U.S. truck drivers drive about 10 percent of all miles and haul 14 billion tons of freight every year - an average of almost 250 pounds of goods for each American each day.