Uber Freight has noticed a high demand for drop-and-hook offerings in the logistics industry. While this is promising for the sector, “everyone across the supply chain reaps the benefits,” says the transport company.
In 2023 alone, Uber Freight saw “rapid growth for our program Powerloop.” Loads increased by more than 30% in volume, while it reduced 30% of the empty miles through bundling loads.
Drop-and-hook also minimizes the risk of cargo theft, which has been on the rise for the last few years. In 2022, theft increased by 20% across the US and Canada, according to CargoNet.
What is drop-and-hook logistics?
Drop-and-hook or no-touch freight is a convenient and time-efficient way for truck drivers to remove a full load without delaying the logistics process by waiting for a new container to arrive.
A preloaded or empty container will wait for the driver at the same facility. This way, the driver doesn’t need to leave the premises to find a new load or wait for an extensive period.
Uber Freight: Powerloop
Uber Freight’s drop-and-hook solution, called Powerloop, allows customers to book “power-only loads” to serve large shippers’ drop and live freight. To simplify the process, pre-bookings can be made only once at a time or with multiple loads.
“Powerloop trailers are now equipped with GPS, cargo sensors, door sensors, and 24/7 monitoring cameras,” says the freight company. This enables “real-time visibility” into the trailer location and its capacity.
This year, Uber Freights expanded its nationwide offering and the lane density of the Powerloop program. This has resulted in an “outpouring of interest in joining from folks across the industry.”
Cargo theft
Drop-and-hook has many benefits for the logistics sector, but one that could be seen as one of the most significant curbing cargo theft. Powerloop will soon provide users alerts against cargo theft.
“[This will provide] peace of mind to carriers and shippers,” says Uber Freight. The data generated from the smart trailers will be integrated with its transport management system. It will enable the following:
- Tracing,
- Tracking,
- Risk mitigation.
Industry’s efficiency and security
While there are many things to be concerned about in the logistics and supply chain industries, there is a continuous pursuit of efficiency and security.
By embracing innovative solutions like drop-and-hoop, businesses can streamline operations, reduce empty miles, and mitigate risks such as cargo theft.
Powerloop serves as a testament that technology and data-driven insights can be used to optimize the logistics process. While the industry continues evolving, business owners can learn from this and enhance their operations, driving greater efficiency and productivity through drop-and-hook opportunities.
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About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
