How Uber Freight is Using Powerloop

In the world of supply chain, time is money.

During my orientation and training for my internship at Uber Freight, called 'Freightveristy', the most interesting thing I learned was how Uber Freight is using Powerloop.

In 2018, Uber Freight partnered with Powerloop, creating a solution to the barrier that prevents smaller trucking companies from adopting 'drop' loading.

Drop loading is when a driver arrives to the docking station, and instead of 'live' loading (loading and unloading the trailer while the driver waits), the driver simply unhooks their empty trailer, and hooks onto a pre-loaded trailer. This cuts out a large chunk of time (and money) wasted while waiting for the trailer to be unloaded and loaded.

By utilizing drop loading, we can:

• Minimize deadhead/empty miles
• Minimize detention time
• Save money
• Have much shorter wait times for drivers
• Reduce carbon emissions due to less time spent idling
• Create greater operational performance for the shipper and carrier

According to Uber Freight, detention (fee for a truck that takes too long to load) causes truckers to lose about $1.1 to $1.3 billion in earnings every year. Utilizing drop loading with Powerloop is a win for everyone involved.

But why is Uber Freight using Powerloop to drop load?

Watch this video to see how it works:

Powerloop allows trucking companies to rent trailers, which changes the game. It is much harder for smaller trucking companies to create a pool of trailers (which is needed for drop loading) because they are not able to invest in multiple trailers and they are not large enough to secure the partnerships needed. Powerloop lowers the barrier to entry into trailer-pool programs, allowing many more smaller trucking companies to participate in drop loading.

Small trucking company owner, Charles Nwigwe, said "Powerloop has really helped my business to grow, to the point where now I have 5 trucks running...the rest is history!".

This is a huge step forward in the supply chain industry. Shippers are now able to easily take advantage of the pool of available Uber Freight carriers, and creates flexibility within facilities by allowing them to load and unload trailers when most convenient for them.

Let's Hear from Uber Freight customers:

LG has been using Powerloop for the past few years, and their transportation team sat down with Uber Freight to talk about the ways Powerloop has affected their business. Denis Marion, Director of Transportation Management, says that the way customers think has changed drastically. They expect to order today, and ship tomorrow. Every minute counts. When LG reached out to Uber Freight, the offering of the Powerloop services was what jumped out to them. "It's key that we become that shipper of choice", Denis says, "it allows us to load trailers as we need them, and then schedule the trucks on the outbound more smoothly". The program allows for more convenience and flexibility. Powerloop doesn't just add value for the customers; LG says that not having to wait for a trailer to be unloaded and loaded delights their drivers, too.

Charles Nwigwe, one of LG's carriers, says , "there's no going back".

Because "more than 90% of carriers in the U.S. have less than 6 trucks", Powerloop can make a huge difference in the industry by opening up drop shipping opportunities to every size carrier through their trailer rental program. This could open the industry up to more competition, save customers money, reduce carbon emissions, and more. This is the beginning of the future of supply chain!

As of now, Powerloop is available in a few states in key regions and is being used by a handful of Fortune 500 shipper partners. Their future is bright, too:

Powerloop plans to scale up and grow into more states in the coming years, creating a interconnected trailer-pool system readily available for shippers of all sizes.

Read more about Powerloop and what our carriers and shippers say about the program:

https://www.uberfreight.com/blog/how-powerloop-helps-unlock-access-to-power-only-loads/

https://www.uberfreight.com/blog/powerloop-expands-to-california/