Behind the wheel was Deb Desiderato—who is featured in the series and better known in the industry as Debbie Dingo. The truck made four stops across the country. At each, Desiderato, Michel, and the rest of the SOTR team opened up the trailer doors and invited everyone to view the exhibit.

This historic journey has now come to a close. Whether you stepped inside the gallery, followed along on Instagram, or repped a yellow bandana in your own cab, congratulations to all involved in the tour! Until next time, we’ll see you on the road. 

March 21-23, 2024: Mid-America Trucking Show

The Sisters of the Road tour made its final stop at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), the largest trucking show in North America. At MATS, we saw so many women in trucking—including many of the women featured in the book—gather to view the gallery and pose for photos in their yellow bandanas. We’re honored to have played a small part in sharing the stories of these incredible women and raising awareness of the challenges they face each day.

March 16, 2024: Idella Hansen Truck Stop Rededication Ceremony 

Idella Hansen is both an icon in the trucking industry—and one of the iconic photos in Anne Marie Michel’s Sisters of the Road collection. As part of the US tour this month, the Sisters of the Road trailer stopped in North Little Rock, AR to celebrate Idella with a rededication ceremony for the TA Petro truck stop that was first named in her honor in 2017. Friends, family and admirers of Idella gathered at the truck stop on Saturday, March 16 for a short ceremony, which included comments from TA Petro representative Jeff Borkov, Anne Marie Michel, and Idella herself. Everyone in attendance got the chance to visit the traveling gallery as well. Read our conversation with Idella for International Women’s day.

March 8, 2024: #SistersoftheRoadTour at Fotofest

Between March 8 and 13, the Sisters of the Road trailer was parked outside Fotofest, a contemporary arts organization based in Houston, TX. The installation at Fotofest kicked off on International Women’s Day with a virtual roundtable featuring artist Anne Marie and some of the women featured in the Sisters of the Road book: Idella Hansen, Tiffany Hanna, Marie ‘M’ Davis, Deb Dingo and Janelle Grapes. The women discussed how they got into trucking, what keeps them in the driver’s seat, and some of the challenges they face in the industry. Visit the Instagram page @sistersoftheroadtour to hear some of their responses.

March 1, 2024: The #SistersoftheRoadTour launch event

The Sisters of the Road kicked off on March 1 in time with the start of International Women’s Month and in view of a feminist icon—the SS Red Oak Victory. The WWII ship was built in 1944, primarily by women, and is part of the  Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Park. 

In addition to a gallery walkthrough, remarks from the artist Anne Marie, and a champagne toast, the tour invited SS Red Oak Victory shipkeeper Desiree Heveroh to help kick off the tour. She shared some of the history of the women workers on the ship and saluted female truckers who are, in many ways, modern-day counterparts to the WWII-era riveters.

“It was less than 100 years ago that women were invited into the workforce,” Heveroh said, “And we have grown leaps and bounds. I’m sure 50 years ago it wouldn’t have been conceivable that women truckers could be in the industry—and as I understand it today still only make up 7% of that industry. So those women have true grit and gumption just like the women before them.” 

Check out the @sistersoftheroadtour Instagram page for more highlights from the event. 

More about the #SistersoftheRoadTour 

This Sisters of the Road U.S. tour is a special one because it’s the first time these images will be on display “at home”—where the trucking women featured in the collection live and drive. Many of the faces are household names to those in the American industry, including Idella Hansen and Carol Nixon, both of whom have truck stops named in their honor. Each of the women Michel featured has a compelling story and resume, which are documented in her book alongside their photographs. They’re also staunch supporters and advocates for the women in trucking and logistics—a small but mighty group of women who make up, in some senses, the backbone of the freight industry.

In fact, Michel designed this tour of her work expressly to honor and celebrate this community of women. They make up just 12% of trucking industry employees, and just 7% of the labor force of truck drivers in the U.S. But their impact on trucking has been significant, helping to challenge stereotypes associated with the industry and make it more inclusive. The women in Michel’s book represent the many faces of women in trucking. The tour, timed to coincide with International Women’s Month and International Women’s Day (Friday, March 8), will bring many of these women back together as well as help connect the broader community.

“Friendships and a community has been formed here,” says Michel about Sisters of the Road. “[The women] have been with me as active participants while the project has unfolded. I have always planned to make this photographic work benefit and serve them. But they have been such a support to me in the process too—celebrating the successes with me and telling me to keep my chin up and ‘keep on truckin’’ when things didn’t quite go to plan.” 

Metal prints of Michel’s photography hang inside the trailer, set to music from Long Haul Paul. Women from the book will be in attendance at each stop to answer questions and participate in light programming. For example, FotoFest featured a “Touch a Truck” session to teach gallery viewers about safety on the road. In Little Rock, Michele led a rededication ceremony of the truck stop to honor Idella Hansen.

Sisters of the Road and Uber Freight  

The Sisters of the Road trailer itself was s a Powerloop trailer, provided by Uber Freight’s Powerloop team. Powerloop is an innovative take on the trailer pool model, designed to lower the barrier to entry by creating a common pool of trailers for carriers to access. Using Powerloop, carriers can find backhauls more easily and spend less time waiting and log fewer deadhead miles.

Our Uber Freight team also supported the background logistics of the tour. We helped Debbie Dingo find loads to bring from her hometown on the East Coast to the starting line in San Francisco. We also helped the women convoying with Debbie at different points along her route find loads as well. 

The post Looking back at the Sisters of the Road U.S. tour appeared first on Uber Freight.

Drop-and-hook services have become increasingly sought-after, meeting the evolving needs of shippers for flexible transportation solutions while also offering carriers enhanced efficiency and earning potential. Uber Freight’s drop-and-hook capacity solution, Powerloop, has seen explosive growth, with more than 10,000 carriers servicing more than 220,000 loads to date. In 2023 alone, the capacity program experienced a 30% increase in load volume.

FreightWaves recently sat down with Uber Freight Vice President of Operations Alyssa Correale. Correale discussed her background in beverage manufacturing and how it influenced her to innovate the power-only program at Uber Freight, as well as what Powerloop has in store for shippers and carriers.

FREIGHTWAVES: What is Powerloop? 

CORREALE: Powerloop is Uber Freight’s drop-and-hook capacity solution. With Powerloop, carriers can book power-only loads to serve some of the world’s largest shippers’ drop and live freight. They can book one Powerloop load at a time or multiple loads bundled across Uber Freight’s network and grow their business by providing shippers with committed drop and live capacity on a weekly basis or dedicated capacity on an ongoing basis. Powerloop trailers are now equipped with state-of-the-art GPS, cargo sensors, door sensors and 24/7 monitoring cameras. This advanced technology provides real-time visibility into trailer location and capacity, and will soon provide alerts against cargo theft, offering peace of mind to carriers and shippers. Data generated from smart trailers is seamlessly integrated into Uber Freight’s TMS via API, enabling seamless tracing, tracking and proactive risk mitigation.

FREIGHTWAVES: Can you tell us about your background and journey from being a shipper at Niagara to leading the Powerloop team at Uber Freight?

CORREALE: Oh, it’s been quite the journey! Back in 2006, I joined Niagara when it was just a tight-knit group of dedicated individuals. Those early days were all about rolling up our sleeves and getting hands-on with every aspect of the supply chain. From spending three years at the Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant, tackling everything from materials and production planning to warehousing and shipping, I gained invaluable experience that shaped my approach to logistics. As I progressed through roles at Niagara, including leading carrier relations and procurement, I honed a strategy centered on fostering deep partnerships and implementing innovative procurement practices. This blend allowed me to strike a balance between the needs of carriers, customers and bottling plants, fostering efficiency and collaboration every step of the way. My journey continued at Molson Coors in 2014, where I expanded my horizons to encompass other modes and asset management responsibilities. But my true passion has always been at the intersection of technology and partnership, leveraging creativity to drive impactful solutions. In 2020, I found my perfect fit at Uber Freight, where I could channel that passion into action. Joining the Powerloop team in January 2023 was a turning point. It’s been an incredible opportunity to redefine our vision and mission, shaping the fleet of my dreams with an amazing team and cutting-edge technology at our disposal. Every day, I’m inspired by the possibilities we’re unlocking at Uber Freight, and I couldn’t be more excited about the journey ahead!

FREIGHTWAVES: How has your experience as a shipper influenced your approach to developing and leading the Powerloop program? 

CORREALE: Being on the front lines as a shipper gave me a firsthand look at the challenges and opportunities in the world of logistics. I felt the pain points and saw the potential for improvement, which ignited my drive to build something better. You see, shippers aren’t trying to be inefficient — far from it! There’s a whole world of complexity within the four walls of their facilities, and getting a load out on time is no small feat. As carriers, it’s crucial that we understand these intricacies intimately and craft solutions that can adapt and evolve alongside them. That’s why, with Powerloop, my goal is to create a resilient network that adds tangible value to both shippers and carriers alike. It’s about more than just moving freight — it’s about building relationships, fostering collaboration and ultimately driving efficiency across the board. And let me tell you, it’s been one heck of a journey turning those insights into action!

FREIGHTWAVES: What inspired you to transition from being a shipper to working on the carrier side of the industry?

CORREALE: As a shipper, I found myself yearning to make a broader impact — to leave my mark on the entire industry, not just on the operations of a single company. Don’t get me wrong; my time as a shipper was incredibly rewarding. But I knew deep down that I had more to give, more lives to touch, more challenges to tackle. So, I made the leap to the carrier side with a fire in my belly and a vision for change. Working on the carrier side has allowed me to interact with a multitude of shippers and carriers, each with their own unique needs and aspirations. It’s been a whirlwind of learning, growth and, most importantly, impact. Every day I wake up excited to be part of this dynamic industry, driving change and making a difference in ways I never imagined possible as an individual shipper. It’s a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything.

FREIGHTWAVES: As someone who has experienced the challenges of shipping firsthand, what do you believe sets Powerloop apart in addressing the needs of shippers?

CORREALE: Having lived and breathed the shipping world, I can tell you firsthand that flexibility is the name of the game. And that’s exactly where Powerloop shines.  Powerloop is all about power flexibility — giving shippers the optionality they need when it comes to sourcing carrier capacity. Whether it’s building a stable base or flexing during peak seasons, Powerloop’s extensive carrier network has your back. But it’s not just about flexibility — it’s also about network density. The Uber Freight ecosystem is massive. That means our Powerloop assets are highly utilized, delivering incredible value to our dedicated fleet customers. It’s like having your own personal army of carriers at your beck and call, ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way. What sets Powerloop apart is the perfect combination of power flexibility and network density, all wrapped up in a package that’s designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of shippers like never before.

FREIGHTWAVES: Can you share any specific challenges you faced as a shipper that you are now able to address through Powerloop? 

CORREALE: One of the most fulfilling and exciting parts of being a shipper was finding the perfect capacity match for my freight and building a mutually beneficial partnership with my carriers. What I mean by that is the arduous process of weeding through constraints to find the right amount of capacity to fulfill, say, 25 LPW from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Mount Crawford, Virginia, and landing on a price that works for both calls for celebration! We all know the many steps and challenges in finding the right partners, but we also know how critical it is to everyone’s success! I now understand this more than ever, just how important incumbency is and the effort a fleet makes to build density and fill empty miles around primary volume. What’s incredible about Powerloop is our ability to do that literally anywhere. We aren’t constrained by domiciles, and we can build density extremely quickly. For our customers, this means they can count on Powerloop to not only grow with them where they need us but also to be there for the long term.

FREIGHTWAVES: How does your unique perspective as a former shipper inform the strategies and decisions you make as the leader of the Powerloop team? 

CORREALE: It is critical to have a customer-first mindset.  Sitting in that seat for so many years has allowed me to focus on and deeply understand what’s important to our customers. I can relate to these needs and challenges and develop solutions that tie tightly to their goals. For example, I always had challenges finding a scalable asset-backed solution for volatility. With Powerloop, we’re able to combine the benefits of a reliable asset pool with a flexible source of power to quickly respond to customer needs.

FREIGHTWAVES: What are some key insights you’ve gained from your experience working on both sides of the freight industry?

CORREALE: The value of relationships and true partnership. Deploying assets is expensive and requires trust between all parties. This is especially true when growing fleet size while expanding into new regions. To better illustrate what I’m saying here, let’s talk about a quick example: As a shipper, your supply chain is always changing — whether it’s a massive shift like a plant shutting down or it’s paper cuts of minor shifts like customer ordering behavior changing, a new product launch and the like. The impact of this is big on your carriers; even a few loads per week can drastically change their financials on your business. Establishing deep customer relationships in all areas of the organization allows for continuous communication so that these changes aren’t a surprise, and your carrier can plan around them and be even more prepared to scale back up once the volume comes back, look at ways to support the volume shift to other locations, etc. I don’t care what magical powers a carrier may think they have, without a true partnership, the juice isn’t worth this squeeze! While that has always been integral to my behavior as a shipper, it became magnified once I began managing trucking assets. All my fleet friends that are reading this are surely smiling right now!

FREIGHTWAVES: How does your team leverage its diverse backgrounds and experiences to drive innovation and excellence within the Powerloop program?

CORREALE: I can’t say enough about the diversity and skill set of the Powerloop team! The combination of minds that have multiple decades of experience on the asset side of the house with a variety of deep brokerage teammates truly drives maximum creativity backed by realistic expectations. We have been able to develop unique solutions to challenges that have plagued customers for years even with multiple carrier changes in attempts to find a solution. For example, one of our customers was facing significant detention fees for leaving trailers at their customer for too long. The volume had peaks and valleys and when the peak hit, they were stuck with the same problem every time: money out the window. We were able to implement a flexible capacity option that always picks up trailers to avoid these fees.

FREIGHTWAVES: Can you share any anecdotes or success stories that highlight the impact of Powerloop on shippers and carriers?

CORREALE: Yes! We have built a multiyear partnership with a leading electronics company, who we currently serve as the dedicated fleet provider out of two of their facilities. The company has high expectations for these fleets, and we have delivered, resulting in expansion of our fleets again in 2024. High service performance and continuously optimized truck and trailer count combined with surpassed revenue share expectations has allowed Powerloop to continuously grow our value, even after years of strong partnership. As someone who bought dedicated capacity in my past, the icing on the cake to a high-service dedicated fleet is one that utilizes idle time effectively to drive cost out of the model.

FREIGHTWAVES: What are your goals and vision for the future of Powerloop, and how do you plan to continue empowering shippers and carriers in the industry?

CORREALE: This right here is the good stuff! When I think about Powerloop, I envision a super flexible capacity offering that can adjust dynamically for the shippers’ ever-changing needs but shows up as a consistent and reliable revenue source for our carriers. I know that sounds like dreams, but we are 100% building it today. Our north star is to build the most highly utilized asset fleet in the industry. A couple of examples to illustrate this more clearly:

• First, while we are just rolling out our bundles technology to our carriers broadly today, underneath it all we are building a self-healing network to deal with the volatility and changing needs of our customers so that our carriers do not have to suffer. Like I talked about before, deploying assets and committing to business is a big deal, and that’s not just for us, but for our carriers too. What we’re building is the ability to be the buffer to these changes and insert freight from the vast Uber Freight network of shipments to plug holes where volatility and last-minute changes would otherwise leave carriers with no work and trailer assets idle.

• Secondly, advanced trailer technology is crucial to what we’re building. In our industry, trailer visibility and utilization is far from great, and we are filling that void with real-time ingestion of telematics data and putting it to use to drive valuable action.  One of our goals in this space is to leverage our trailer technology and advanced operating system to fully harness the value of a drop trailer asset. Use this asset to support your facility needs, not clog up your yard. Powerloop envisions offering sizable reduction in trailer pools through real-time trailer-to-power communication, getting your loads on their way and out of your yard, faster.

Carriers can bid on any Powerloop lane by providing Uber Freight with their trailer pool, capacity, and rate per load. Learn more and sign up.

Shippers can secure Powerloop capacity now by completing a brief form on Uber Freight’s website. An Uber Freight account representative will be in contact to get started. Learn more and sign up.

The post Uber Freight takes innovative approach to drop and hook with Powerloop appeared first on Uber Freight.

An innovative spin on a classic algorithm 

Uber Freight operates a two-sided marketplace, which separately interfaces with shippers (who seek to move loads from point A to point B) and with carriers (truck drivers who move these loads).  Both sides of this marketplace are powered by dynamic pricing algorithms. Each is structured a bit differently based on the needs of the respective marketplace.

Recently, our team identified the need to change the algorithm dictating carrier pricing. The algorithm generates a rate based on a variety of factors like market conditions, the size of the load, distance to move the load, etcetera. Up until this point,  we used an algorithm based upon Markov Decision Processes (MDP) to set carrier prices (see this earlier blog post for a full description of how the MDP model works) because it is natural to our problem: we need to make pricing decisions sequentially over time.  Over time, though, we realized that while the algorithm was performant, it had shortcomings that were challenging to address with a standard MDP implementation. 

We overcame these by:

 1) Truncating the backward induction

2) Relying more heavily on machine learning (ML) to approximate the value function 

3) Developing a new clustering algorithm to identify “similar” loads that may be useful in estimating cost—creatively combining optimization and ML to develop what we think is a more robust version of MDP.  

MDP is a natural choice of algorithm, but implementation is challenging

To briefly illustrate the problem of carrier pricing, suppose that we have made a commitment with the shipper to haul a load from Chicago, IL to Dallas, TX. The pickup appointment begins exactly 5 days from now: in other words, the lead time T is 120 hours. Because it becomes more difficult to find carriers on shorter notice, prices tend to increase as lead time decreases. Thus, we have a sequence of decisions to make over time, which we refer to as a price trajectory:

Figure 1: Example of a price trajectory over 5-day lead time

Because we update prices hourly, this trajectory can be represented as a sequence {pt}t{T, T-1, …, 0}, where pt is the price offered t hours from pickup. The goal of our algorithm is to pick a trajectory that minimizes, in expectation, the total cost to cover the load. We refer to this quantity as eCost:

eCostT=t=T0ptPr(Bt=1 | pt,St),

where Bt = 1 if load i is booked at lead time t (0 otherwise), and St denotes (possibly time-varying) state variables other than price that can affect the booking probability. This quantity usually increases as time passes and the load remains unbooked. 

With MDP, computing eCost entails solving the Bellman equation

 Vt =minptPr(Bt | pt, St)pt +1-Pr(Bt | pt, St)Vt-1           t{0, 1, …, T}

The quantities {Vt} are directly interpretable as eCost, conditional on our pricing policy. However, a crucial input into MDP is accurate estimates of the booking probabilities Pr(Bt=1 | pt , St). Although the ML model we use for this performs well, errors can compound over time.  This means we become vulnerable to the optimizer’s curse, which states that in the presence of noise, total cost estimates associated with the optimal decision are likely to be understated. This, in turn, leads to lower, overly-optimistic prices that tend to decrease further at higher lead times. 

In addition, the curse of dimensionality presents significant challenges in modeling more complex state transitions. For example, incorporating near-real-time (NRT) features, such as app activity, into our prices entails adding those to state variables – which quickly makes our problem computationally infeasible.

Our approach: carefully blending prediction and optimization

To improve pricing accuracy, we explored using a predictive model, rather than a standard backward induction, to estimate eCost. In particular, we perform K ≤ T stages of backward induction, and if the load remains unbooked after K hours, we substitute for the continuation value VT-K a prediction from this model. In this case, the  Bellman equations become:

Vt =minptPr(Bt | pt, St)pt +1-Pr(Bt | pt, St)Vt-1       t{T-K+1, …, T-1, T}

with the boundary condition VT-K =eCostT-K.

Figure 2: Illustration of sequential decision making in MDP

Picking an appropriate value for K required some iteration, but this truncated backward induction helps to mitigate each of the issues we highlighted above. 

An initial candidate for such a predictive model was an XGBoost ensemble that we previously used elsewhere in carrier pricing. The training data consisted of historical loads, their characteristics (we describe these in more detail below), the lead times at which they were booked, as well as their realized costs. 

However, the predictions generated by this model were not suitable for estimating eCost for two reasons. 

1. There is an important distinction to be made between a load’s remaining lead time, and its available lead time. While we would include the former in the feature vector at time of serving, there are systematic patterns in the latter. That is, similar loads tend to become available at specific lead times. For example, longer hauls tend to become available with higher lead times than shorter hauls. Thus, we would have concentrations of data points around certain available lead times, making predictions at other lead times less reliable.
2. The training data consisted solely of outcomes—the realizations of random variables, rather than their expectations— so predictions from this model could also not be interpreted as an eCost. It was not clear how to modify the training set so that predictions from the XGBoost model could be treated as expectations

Instead of trying to predict eCost directly, we borrow principles from clustering to find a set of loads that are similar to the one to be priced, and take a weighted average of their total costs. With this approach, remaining lead times can be explicitly incorporated into eCost — we can exclude, from the set of similar loads, ones that were booked sooner than the remaining lead time of the current load. Moreover, each of the similar loads identified can be viewed as a potential outcome for the current load, which are assigned probabilities equal to the weights used in the averaging.

The primary challenge here is developing a way to measure similarity between loads, which we describe with a number of attributes:

• Locations of the pickup and delivery facilities
• Time of day, day of week the load is scheduled to be picked up or delivered
• Market conditions around the time the load is scheduled to be moved

There is a mixture of continuous and categorical features, and it is not at all clear how these should be weighted against each other when computing similarity.

…with an unconventional clustering algorithm

We developed a new algorithm where our aforementioned XGBoost model is used to perform clustering. Consider the simple case where our model is a single (shallow) decision tree with a lone feature: driving distance. We might obtain a tree like the following:

Figure 3: Illustration of a single decision tree for clustering

Two loads can be viewed as  “similar” if their predictions are made from the same leaf node. In the case of leaf node #6, we know that their route distances are both between 282 and 458 miles. 

This might seem like a crude way of measuring similarity, but by growing deeper decision trees and incorporating more features, we require the two loads to have comparable values on a number of dimensions to be considered “similar.”  We can further differentiate by growing additional trees. In a nutshell, we associate with each load an embedding vector,  consisting of nonzeros at locations matching with the leaf nodes the load falls into. We measure similarity between loads through the cosine similarity of their embeddings, which is directly related to the number of trees in which both have common leaf nodes.

Smoother prices led to improved booking outcomes

Given the fairly substantial changes we made to the algorithm, we performed a rollout in two main phases.  First, we incorporated eCost into the algorithms we used in secondary booking channels, and conducted an A/B test to ensure no performance decline. Second, we ran a switchback experiment comparing it with the previous version of MDP. The net effect of these two experiments was a statistically significant reduction in the total cost of covering loads, without any negative impact on secondary metrics. We attribute this to the smoother price trajectories generated by the new algorithm, which results in loads being booked earlier in their lifecycles. This is particularly relevant, as costs tend to increase sharply once lead times fall below 24 hours. 

With the rollout of this new algorithm comes a number of secondary benefits. The earlier booking of loads, due to smoother price trajectories, not only reduces costs but is crucial in avoiding the sharp cost increases associated with shorter lead times.  Reducing the total cost to cover loads allows us to offer more competitive pricing to shippers— which, in turn, increases volume. Additionally, flatter price trajectories might lead to carriers checking loads on the app earlier in their life cycles. Beyond these business advantages, the algorithm has also contributed to reducing technical debt by unifying pricing across booking channels, as well as by removing nonessential components used in the previous implementation of MDP. 

Though we think there are areas for further improvement, this new pricing algorithm provides a blueprint for how MDP can be applied to new use cases within Uber Freight.

*Since we are also using eCost as a sort of value function approximator, the problem we now solve shares some similarities with an approximate dynamic program.

The post Reimagining Uber Freight’s carrier pricing algorithm to drive better outcomes appeared first on Uber Freight.

Currently, our industry is experiencing an extended soft market. High operating costs coupled with falling rates has also created challenges for carriers. Adopting tech solutions is the path forward for carriers, with Uber Freight providing the software, services, and insights to help carriers grow their businesses.

We appreciate and value the partnership with have with all of our carriers, and we were thrilled to recognize Uber Freight’s 2022 Carrier of the Year Award winners:

• National Truckload Carrier of the Year: Crete Carrier Corporation, Heartland Express, Inc
• Regional Truckload Carrier of the Year: Meiborg Bros, Met Express Inc
• Temperature Controlled Carrier of the Year: Marten Transport, Ltd
• Flatbed Carrier of the Year: P & S Transportation, Inc
• Bulk Carrier of the Year: Trimac Transportation Services, Inc
• Intermodal Carrier of the Year: J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc
• Private Fleet Carrier of the Year: Medtrans LLC
• Regional LTL Carrier of the Year: Pitt Ohio Express, Averitt Express
• National LTL Carrier of the Year: Old Dominion Freight Line
• Breakout LTL Carrier of the Year: Unis Transportation
• Expedite Carrier of the Year: V3 Transportation
• Mexico – U.S. Cross-Border Carrier of the Year: Dubai Truck Lines Inc
• Mexico – MX Cross-Border Carrier of the Year: Auto Lineas America Sa De Cv
• Mexico – Direct Cross-Border Carrier of the Year: FJ Carrier Logistics LLC
• Canada – Cross-Border Truckload Carrier of the Year: BDT Transport
• Canada – Domestic LTL Carrier of the Year: Double F
• Canada – Domestic Truckload Carrier of the Year: GTL Transport

Selection for these awards was based on quantitative performance data, including factors related to customer service. Criteria included value added across a portfolio, volume and spend, primary tender acceptance, and real-time visibility based on check call compliance, commercial and operational relationships, and ease of doing business. 

To learn more about Uber Freight’s carrier solutions, including its new Uber Freight Carrier Card, visit https://www.uberfreight.com/carrier/.

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Alix Burton

Alix Burton is the owner of Good Energy Worldwide, a small fleet and training program out of Atlanta. He didn’t start out in trucking, but he used his entrepreneurial spirit to find success. “As a Black fleet owner, we’re definitely the minority in the transportation industry,” he said. “We realized nothing was going to be given to us, so as a small company, we had to operate with a big-company mindset.” This drive has helped him grow his fleet to multiple trucks, employees, and secure dedicated lanes.

Sharae Moore

Sharae Moore‘s favorite part of being a truck driver is getting to travel and see new things. But soon after she got on the road, she noticed a lack of resources for women drivers. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, she founded an empowerment and mentorship organization called “Sisterhood. Helping. Empowerment (S.H.E.) Trucking.” S.H.E. Trucking has a vibrant community on and offline, training resources, an apparel line, and most recently, a podcast. 

Nic and Carla Richelle

Nic and Carla Richelle are a married, over-the-road couple who vlog about their trucking experiences on their social channels. When they first got into the industry, they learned how to drive large vehicles, parent long-distance and handle business over the road. They credit their success to unwavering positivity. “We have a quote that we live by,” said Carla. “‘Live life for a living,’ and that’s simply just making the best out of every situation.”

Even with the challenges, Nic and Carla enjoy the work they do. Nic said, “I love traveling, I love the fact that I get to work with the love of my life, and I love that I can go to sleep in one place and wake up in a completely different place.” Carla added, “[I love] being a paid tourist!”

Johnell and Constance Moseley

Husband-and-wife team Johnell and Constance Moseley are an over-the-road (OTR) duo. They weren’t originally in the industry, but after raising their children, they decided to hit the road . . . literally. Like many truck drivers, the Moseleys relish the travel opportunities and freedom that come with the job.  

The hardest part for them is definitely being away from friends and family. Constance adds that being a long-distance mom and adjusting to life in the truck came with many challenges, too. Their solution? “Make sure to take time to communicate and let your people know that you love them,” said Johnell. Constance relies on technology to keep in touch, and she also makes time to cook. 

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And let’s not forget, when trailers are running empty, carriers aren’t earning.

A new report from the Policy Research team at Uber, “How efficient load matching can reduce deadhead miles in trucking,” shows that load bundling a feature on the Uber Freight platform, can help reduce empty miles for owner-operators and fleets by 22.6 percent.

Algorithmic load bundling by Uber Freight

Carriers have been doing their own version of load bundling for decades by trying to book their next pickup, usually a return trip, as close to their upcoming delivery as possible. The closer the 2 facilities, the less deadhead. Most carriers bundle trips by searching through available loads manually—a time-consuming process that often doesn’t result in the most efficient load possible.

The load bundling feature on the Uber Freight platform automates the process of finding the best possible loads available near a delivery location. Powered by a proprietary algorithm, our entire load board is searched instantly for the most efficient results.

Kilian Heilmann, a research economist at Uber, estimates that loads bundled through the app save an average of 17.2 miles between facilities, leading to a 22.6% reduction in deadhead.

This reduction can help drivers save on fuel costs and also reduce wear and tear on trucks. The time saved can also allow drivers to use their hours of service more efficiently, an area of concern for carriers and shippers alike.

Best yet, finding load bundles couldn’t be easier. Whenever a carrier books a load on the Uber Freight platform, return loads are automatically suggested. The algorithm customizes the results to their preferences like equipment type, commodity, trip length, and trailer requirements.

If you’re an owner-operator, dispatcher, or fleet owner, load bundles from Uber Fleet can increase your efficiency and simplify your workday. To make the most of every mile, sign up with Uber Freight today.

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Thanks to carrier feedback, requesting detention is now simpler and should result in more approved claims. In addition to this update, on February 18, 2020, we also reduced our accessorial rates.

As you’ll see below, there is now more transparency throughout the process to show what drivers need to do for approval. When a request doesn’t meet the requirements, the app will also provide the reason why.

Drivers can now add their arrival and departure times on the POD, if the facility doesn’t, and adjust their in and out times within the Uber Freight app. We’ve also streamlined the number of steps in the process.

How to request detention

There are 2 ways you can request detention on an Uber Freight load. You can request detention online or through the Uber Freight app (instructions shown below).

1) Open the load details page

On the load details in the Uber Freight app, click the headset icon in the top right corner within 24 hours of making a delivery. Please note: you cannot request detention once the 24-window has passed.

2) Select “Request detention”

3) Review checklist

Before you begin a detention request, you will be shown a checklist of requirements needed for eligibility. You must meet all the listed requirements in order to receive detention.

4) Select appointments

Select the location you are requesting detention for, then tap “Next.”

5) Confirm times

Your arrival and departure are automatically provided by the GPS data in the Uber Freight app.

However, you can edit the times as needed. Simply tap “Edit” to adjust the time.

6) Add times to POD

Write the arrival and departure times on the POD if it’s not already included by the facility.

Once the times are noted on the POD, tap “Tap to upload POD.”

7) Upload POD

Take a clear, legible photo of the POD.

Once the photo is taken, tap “Submit request” to send your detention request to Uber Freight.

8) Confirmation

That’s it! Your detention request has been sent to Uber Freight.

At the bottom of the confirmation screen, you will see an expected response time for your request. The response to your request will be emailed to you.

To read our full accessorial policy, please see the Uber Freight carrier payment guide.

The post Requesting detention has never been easier: a how-to guide appeared first on Uber Freight.

Since its launch, we’ve made numerous improvements based on feedback from carriers using the web portal. One of the biggest enhancements is the new “Saved Lanes” tab that makes it easier for dispatchers to find loads on their preferred lanes.

The intuitive Uber Freight web portal offers all the power needed to run a fleet at full steam. To help you get up to speed, check out the step-by-step guides below.

Finding loads

Finding loads on the Uber Freight web portal couldn’t be simpler. Better still, there are 2 ways you can find loads 24/7 on our nationwide network.

1) There are 2 ways to find loads. To find single loads, click on “Search” in the top menu bar. To find and set recurring loads, click on “Saved Lanes” in the top menu bar.

2) Specify your search criteria. Fields that are required are noted with an asterisk.

3) Click the “Search” button from the “Search” tab or click “Save” from the “Saved Lanes” tab and you will be shown a list of available loads that meet your specifications.

4) To save the lane from the “Search” tab, click “Save This Lane.” Saved lanes will be shown on the left side of the screen in the “Saved Lanes” tab.

5) If you see a load you’re interested in, click on it and a new browser tab will open with the load details page. You can book the load immediately.

Booking and assigning drivers

Viewing load details and booking a load

1) Review key load information, including pickup and delivery locations, the carrier rate, trip distance, dates and times, and weight. You’ll also see available reloads and important details about the stops and facilities.

2) When you book a load, you have the option to assign a driver immediately or to do so at a later time.

To assign a driver immediately

1) To assign a driver immediately, click “Assign Driver” on the load booked pop-up screen.

To assign a driver to a load later

1) If you are assigning a driver at a later time, click “My Loads” in the top menu bar to see a list of your currently booked loads.

2) Loads that do not have a driver assigned are shown at the top of the list.

3) Click “Assign Driver” for a load to see the list of personnel in your fleet.

4) Drivers that are available to take a load have an “Assign” button. Simply click on the load you want.

Adding and removing drivers and dispatchers

Onboarding new drivers, dispatchers, or driver-dispatchers takes just a few minutes on the Uber Freight web portal.

Adding personnel

1) To add a driver, dispatcher, or driver-dispatcher, click on “Fleet Management” in the top menu bar.

2) Click “Add Member” and type in the person’s name, email address, and mobile phone number.

3) Check the appropriate role for the new person—driver, dispatcher, or both (driver-dispatcher).

4) For drivers, specify the permissions for seeing rates and having the ability to book their own loads.

5) Hit the “Save” button. An email will be sent to the new person asking them to confirm their addition to the fleet.

Removing personnel

1) To remove a driver, click on “Fleet Management” in the top menu bar.

2) Scroll down to the person’s name and click on the 3-dots button on the far right.

3) Select “Remove Driver.”

4) Click “Remove” to confirm.

For more information, see the Uber Freight web portal guide for answers to the most frequently asked questions.

The post Introducing an improved web portal for carriers and dispatchers appeared first on Uber Freight.

The number of Sikhs working in freight has continued to grow, and it’s now estimated that more than 30,000 have gotten behind the wheel in the last 3 years. Many major American highways now feature establishments catering to Sikh drivers that are reminiscent of truck stops back home, like washes, restaurants, and temples.

One of these new Sikh drivers is Chatnaban “Chetna” Smith, who emigrated from the Gujarat state of India 22 years ago. She felt stuck in a series of jobs that she said just didn’t fit. “I tend to get bored doing the same thing over and over,” she observed. “It has to be different things every day.”

Chetna with her truck

Chetna was hesitant to jump into trucking, even after watching many of her Punjabi friends join the industry. It took a road trip to change her mind. “We were driving down the road and I saw other truckers. Many of them were ladies and I thought, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’”

Chetna has been going over-the-road (OTR) since the Spring of 2019, and she already loves being a truck driver. We caught up with her to find out what it took to finally transition into the industry.

Tell us about the process of getting your CDL and starting out in trucking.

Women in Indian don’t do heavy work at all, and most parents won’t support their children in something big like trucking. But my parents in India didn’t deny me getting my CDL. My brother also gave me positive talks about getting to the place I wanted to be after getting my CDL.

I studied, went to the DMV, and then took the tests one at a time. Then I went to a school in northeast Portland to learn how to drive the truck. I actually drive for my husband—we run all 48 states.

What do you like about being a truck driver?

The freedom. It doesn’t feel like a job. And you get to see the whole country without having to buy a plane ticket. Every day it’s something new with new scenery to see. I actually wanted to travel, and before trucking, I didn’t know how it would come through. But trucking came through. I made a wish and it came true!

What are the most challenging parts of trucking?

When the truck breaks down and you don’t know what’s going on. I’m nervous because I’m still new, so I’m like, “What part of the engine is making that noise?!” But I’m glad my husband is with me. He has some experience because he’s worked with other companies, so I get to learn from him.

Another thing we face is when we have to drop a load and companies don’t unload us on time, but instead, make us wait for hours. I believe we all want to make money, we all want to be on time, and we all want to get unloaded as soon as possible so we can get back on the road again.

What have your experiences been as a woman in the industry?

I enjoy being a female truck driver. Every day it’s a new area, a new city, or a new town, and I enjoy that. I don’t find being a lady truck driver scary or unsafe. I was recently reading that I’m the first lady truck driver from my state in India. There’s also another truck driver who’s Punjabi and in California, and she mentioned she never goes to truck stops. I don’t find that hard, though. You just pull over by the diesel area, get your stuff, and get on the road. You don’t need to talk or deal with anyone. I can see where it may be sketchy in some areas, but generally, I feel safe.

Why do you think the industry is so attractive to the Sikh or Punjabi community?

They drive trucks in India, too. It’s not hard for them to come here and do the same thing, and I think that’s one reason why they’re all directed to this one job. At every gas station or truck stop, I’ll find 15-20 Punjabi drivers. We see them, we say hi, and we talk to them. You also always have somebody to help, like if I’m having a hard time backing into a dock. I’ll call one of them over and they’re ready to help right there.

Also, they are hardworking. They just keep going. If they have to work all week out on the road, they’ll do that. I have met people who have been in the industry for 25 years, 39 years, and they now own multiple trucks or their own companies.

Have you ever experienced or seen discrimination out on the road?

I don’t see it often. You’re driving your own truck, so basically you’re just working in your own office. You don’t have to talk to anyone. If people do that, there’s no problem. But driving down the road, you might see a truck driver going full-speed trying to cut you off. We’re all doing the same job. Everyone has to understand that driving safely is the best way to get to our destinations.

What are your future plans in trucking?

Right now, my plan is to learn as much as I can in every area of the trucking industry— paperwork, dealing with brokers, learning how to dispatch. Little by little I want to learn everything I can before getting my own truck. That’s the direction I want to move towards.

The post A Sikh driver shares her experience on entering the trucking industry appeared first on Uber Freight.