Dive Brief:
Dive Insight:
These partnerships, which integrate digital brokerage platforms with TMS software via an API offer shippers more access to real-time pricing and tendering capability.
Though Uber Freight and the long list of competitive startups including Transfix, Loadsmart, NEXT Trucking, KeepTruckin, and Opus9 tout the convenience of their mobile apps, transportation managers, who often work on desktop computers, would be slowed by flipping between multiple platforms to check rates.
In this way, Uber Freight’s growing list of TMS integrations shows some recognition that brokerage is not a function where shippers have traditionally demonstrated much loyalty and new brokers need to meet them where they are, without expecting behavioral changes. (Though Uber Freight launched in 2017, it was not available on a desktop computer until 2019.)
But being a digital-native company does have advantages in a slowly but steadily digitizing industry. Both Oracle and BluJay touted Uber Freight’s quick onboarding and integration processes in their partnership announcements.
Bill Madden, VP of Managed Transportation Services (MTS) at BluJay said in a statement one food manufacturer was able to book freight the first day the integration was available for users.
Uber Freight bookings were up 55% year over year for the first quarter of 2020.
