Uber Freight is offering truck drivers weekly credits on Uber Eats and cutting out profit margins on relief loads booked through its platform as the digital freight brokerage focuses on improving the supply chain during the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
The company will also offer sanitation materials for drivers.
“In this time of crisis, Uber Freight remains committed to supporting our carriers and our shipper partners by providing 24/7 service and support, and keeping our operations running strong,” wrote Lior Ron, head of Uber Freight, in a blog post announcing the efforts Monday.
Ron went on to note Uber Freight’s commitment to ensuring essential goods continue moving and do so in a safe and efficient manner.
Uber Freight plans to send truck drivers a $20 credit toward any meal ordered on Uber Eats. The credit will come through the Uber Freight app. Uber Eats has waived delivery fees.
“These carriers and their drivers are working long hours, far away from home, to deliver the goods we need most during this time,” Ron said. “With increasing regional lockdowns and fewer restaurant options available, we’ve heard from our driver community that accessing food while on the road is growing increasingly difficult.”
Ron also said Uber Freight will be providing thousands of sanitation kits directly to its most active small carriers with under 12 trucks for the carriers to share with their drivers.
“We have also heard from some smaller carriers in our network that they are finding it difficult to source sanitation materials for their equipment,” Ron said. “As part of a broader effort to help keep carriers safe on the road during this time, we are committing to provide thousands of sanitation kits to small carriers using Uber Freight.”
Shippers are not forgotten, either, as Ron said relief loads booked through Uber Freight will be hauled with “zero profit pricing.”
“By lowering the cost of transportation, we aim to support small shippers as they navigate this challenging economic time as well as help ensure that critical goods can get where they need to be reliably and on time,” he said.
Ron concluded by saying that Uber Freight will “continue to look for ways to support the many businesses that keep supply chains running smoothly and our community stores stocked.”
Andrew
How are those companies shipping relief goods going to feel when their rates go up due to Uber Freight running at 0% margin instead of their typical -10%?