There’s an App for That How Uber technology is making headlines in freight transportation
By Todd Traub Contributing Writer
Self-driving trucks may be a couple
of decades down the road, at least, but the Uber revolution is already beginning to make its way into the trucking and transportation industry. It remains to be seen what the
impact will be. Uber, of course, is the mobile
application-based ride sharing company founded by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick in 2009. In its brief lifespan Uber, now worth several billion, has rocked the urban taxi industry by allowing people in need of a ride to use their smartphones to connect with will- ing drivers. The Uber model requires no money
exchange hands — the fare is auto- matically deducted from the passenger’s debit card — and by using regular citi- zens as drivers it circumvents many of the rules and regulations governing taxi drivers and fleets, though Uber drivers do have to meet a certain basic set of requirements when signing up. People lacking a designated driver
on a Friday night or needing a lift from the airport can now basically tap a but- ton and get a ride. Taking its place alongside program-
mable, streaming entertainment on demand, Uber strikes another blow for individual convenience in an increas- ingly made-to-order society. So what roles do Uber and simi- lar companies have in trucking and
36
transportation? It’s one thing for a lone pedestrian to need a lift, but trucks carry freight and other goods. What does Uber have to offer the over-the- road trucker? Actually there are technologies
afoot and already in play that are aim- ing to streamline a number of transpor- tation industry methodologies. Many companies are seeking
to develop smart trucking apps that address freight shipping solutions, solve load-matching problems, plan routes and shipment tracking and provide proof of deliveries and means of billing and payment. For motor carriers, the potential
benefits include cutting costs, increas- ing revenue and improving fuel effi- ciency. Shippers could see advantages in various aspects of freight management. Uber has also acquired the self-
driving truck startup Otto, which has plans to expand its small fleet and work with independent trucking companies. A September Reuters article on Fortune. com reported that Otto co-founder Lior Ron was expecting to have Otto trucks and trucks with Otto technology haul- ing freight sometime next year. However the article pointed out
that fully automated trucks are at least two decades in the future and noted Otto vehicles are currently manned
Issue 5 2016 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48