Uber Freight?! What is this madness?!?!

I’ve been using Uber freight and it’s a mixed bag. You have to pick a load through the app. You can’t bid on loads so what you see is what you get. They often post the loads for cheap. When they see that it’s sitting there for a while They will increase their price so you would have to refresh the app. They will post loads a week in advance for cheap but the price will go up as it approaches the pick up date. If they are desperate and see that a load has no takers they will post on DAT as well or they will call you. The last Uber load I’ve taken was in December and before that in September. Their freight is often too cheap for me. But they do pay detention, that’s the only real good thing. If Uber come up on their rates I would book their loads more often.

 

I’ve been using Uber since sept 2017 when I got my own Authority. It’s a mixed bag. Uber loads often pay very cheap. They post their loads on their app up to a week in advance for very cheap and go up on the rate as the pick up date approaches. You can’t bid on the loads so what you see is what you get. When they see that there are no takers on a load then they will post on DAT or actually start calling carriers. I only used Uber in sept a few times during the floods in Houston from the hurricane when they were paying really well and once on a local load in December. I’ll give you an example: a load for seguin Texas to San Antonio Texas. For $310. Is about a 40 mile trip and the good thing is that they post where it’s going to in this case it’s picking up from Niagara waters going to HEB DC in San Antonio. I used to do they loads a lot with another carrier for $450+ Detention because Niagara takes up to 3:30 hours to load and you can be at HEB for 6 hours or more. They first post that load for $250 and then it’ll go up to $310. They only pay up to 3 hours detention so Uber’s rate for this load isn’t worth it but someone keeps taking their cheap freight.

 

Loads that are 300 miles or less not including deadhead miles are paying over $2 a mile (example Laredo to Houston $690 for 334 miles) but when a load is OTR (example Laredo to Chicago $2080 for 1408 miles 1.47 a mile) the rates suck.

 

One thing for sure; Uber's app kills Convoy's like an elephant kills an ant. With rates not so much...especially that Convoy lets you do the bidding game. Uber has set rates, you take it or leave it. Still, the both are far away from overtaking the established loadboards.

 

Here we are 11 months later for me. I have taken 1 Uber load. I have taken many Convoy loads.
Why?
I have been able to successfully negotiate with Convoy. Uber I cannot.
Both have ghastly freight.
However much better luck with Convoy.
To try and operate just using Uber would be business suicide.
I run almost exclusively CHR with Convoy my first look. Second look is Uber and last is Coyote. This has worked well. I know, I know CHR is terrible. Or is it? If you know your costs and what is an acceptable profit it works out. I have an exclusive little gentlemans agreement with a guy at CHR and he doesn't waste my time and will dovetail with Convoy etc.
It has worked so well that I cancelled my loadboard subscriptions. I used to like poking the loadboards but it was a waste of money. I couldn't justify that money so I could have some fun.
Here is a tip I was told by a west coast guy and it turned out to be true. If you see a load on Uber that might be interesting but is too cheap just leave the app up and get on with life. As time goes by and it gets closer to the pu time the price goes up. It works I tried it.

 

This is the way with Uber. You monitor the app 24 hours and you may finally get one outstanding posting but you need to be often ready to go for the pick up in two hours or less. I just don't feel like doing it in a rush. With Convoy, the bidding game is so much fun, especially when they call you to negotiate your bid. I tell them; I bid so that I don't have to call you and negotiate but you call me anyway.