Uber Freight and Solvay Partner to Streamline the Supply Chain

Uber is well-known for matching drivers and riders. For those of us who have used the peer-to-peer ridesharing technology, we have experienced first-hand how easy it is to request a driver, track their location and pay for services. But what if that same experience could be applied to transporting Solvay products?

That same question came to the mind of Joseph Beliotte, Sr. Buyer, Highway and Intermodal Transportation, who wanted to find out if this technology could work for Solvay’s needs. He inquired about Uber Freight to get in-depth information about the new service geared towards the trucking industry that launched less than a year ago.

“Predictive Analytics has created a world of possibilities in the transportation industry and companies such as Uber Freight have disrupted the status quo by harnessing big data,” said Joseph.

According to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, a North American international trade organization dedicated to the interests of truck drivers, approximately 90% of the trucking industry is made up of small business trucking companies. Uber Freight taps into this underutilized population to allow for additional capacity.

By combining Uber’s original technology with a network of carriers ranging from small family-run trucking companies to large business-owned fleets, Uber Freight is able to match real-time inventory with the right truck type while taking driver qualification and quality of service into account. Users are able to track inventory in real time and receive notifications from pickup to arrival, including data captured along the way.

Currently, two modes are available: full truckload dry van and refrigerated shipments. Initial trials employed Uber Freight for select shipments and were executed successfully thanks to the Silica Group and more specifically Ken Kacperowski. Additional shipments utilizing Uber Freight followed with continued success.

“Innovations such as Uber Freight will allow Solvay to considerably diminish empty miles driven in transport while reducing its green gas emission and carbon footprint,” said Joseph.