Uber Freight has gone national with its Powerloop power-only digital freight-matching service, as it says there’s growing demand for the drop-and-hook capacity solution. New enhancements include:

• Expanded dedicated fleet offering.

• AI-powered bundling capabilities to build carrier drop-and-hook tours.

• Telematics-enhanced smart trailers.  

In 2018, Uber Freight launched Powerloop with the goal of reinventing the traditional trailer pool model. It started in Texas, with Uber Freight adding regions to the service over time. To date, the company says, Powerloop has more than 10,000 carriers servicing more than 220,000 loads. In 2023 alone, the capacity program saw a 30% increase in load volume.

Drop-and-hook services have become increasingly sought-after, according to Uber Freight, meeting the evolving needs of shippers for flexible transportation solutions while offering carriers enhanced efficiency and earning potential.

The latest Powerloop enhancement include:

Smart Trailers

Powerloop trailers are now equipped with the latest technology in GPS, cargo sensors, door sensors and 24/7 monitoring cameras. This offers real-time visibility into trailer location and capacity and provides alerts against cargo theft.

Data generated from smart trailers is seamlessly integrated into Uber Freight's Transportation Management System (TMS) via API.

Expanding Dedicated Fleets

Uber Freight said the scale of Powerloop has unlocked new opportunities for shippers to establish dedicated fleets with Uber Freight.

Traditionally, dedicated fleets involve committing carriers full-time to serve a particular shipper under a long-term contract. This offered shippers cost-saving opportunities and guaranteed service for high-density freight needs, but typically was not something smaller carriers could handle.

Uber Freight now facilitates the creation of dedicated fleets of any size, the company said, leveraging carriers across the country.

Carriers can provide shippers with committed drop and live capacity on a weekly or ongoing basis, helping unlock more stable and sustainable revenue for motor carrier’s businesses.

Reducing Deadhead Miles

Bundles were introduced in Uber Freight’s network in 2019 and help eliminate empty miles by optimizing carrier routes.

By giving carriers access to hauling bundles of loads from multiple shippers, Uber Freight helps increase carriers’ earnings while minimizing dwell time.

This new way of bundling loads and building routes ensures efficient movement from point A to point B and back, maximizing efficiency for both carriers and shippers.

These enhancements are now available on the Uber Freight platform.

Uber Freight manages over $18 billion of freight and one of the largest networks of carriers, according to the company.

Updated 10:40 EDT: This article was corrected to reflect new information from Uber Freight regarding the amount of increase in the capacity program in 2023. That number was a 30% increase in load volume, not 43% as originally reported.