Uber Freight extends Powerloop drop-and-hook network nationally

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Managed transportation provider Uber Freight announced Wednesday at the Mid-America Trucking Show that it has expanded its drop-and-hook solution Powerloop nationally and enhanced its load bundling options, and that it’s utilizing new trailer technology to help shippers fight fraud.

Powerloop, first introduced in 2018, enables Uber Freight’s shippers to access over 1,000 dry van trailers, and other carrier’s available trailers, to meet their logistical needs without having to overinvest in the assets themselves. On the carrier end, it allows power-only drivers to obtain preloaded trailers and attempt to maximize their time on the road while also avoiding longer loading and unloading times.

Since its introduction, the Uber Freight offering has served more than 220,000 loads using over 10,000 carriers. Powerloop saw a 43% increase in power-only load volume in 2023, according to the company.

In an interview with FreightWaves, industry veteran Alyssa Correale, head of Powerloop, explained that the larger pooling capacity will give shippers the reliability of having assets available while carriers in the network can focus on utilization of their assets.

“The recipe for high utilization is knowing where your assets are and keeping those assets busy,” she explained. “Powerloop’s technology powers the visibility of those assets and leveraging our carrier-customer network gives us the ability to truly create the most highly utilized assets in the industry. … Everyone wins in a high-utilization network.”

Correale said the offering is more than a marketplace for trailer pools, but rather that Uber Freight takes a managed services approach with its shippers under the Powerloop network. This includes an in-depth lane analysis, a review of shipper seasonal trends, weekly and monthly reporting of service metrics, and an Uber Freight staffing plan.

For carriers, the technology allows them to book multiple drop-and-hook loads through a feature called “bundling.” Using the company’s proprietary algorithms, carriers can maximize their weekly earnings but take multiple Powerloop loads at a time. This option also avoids driver burnout by capping routes at hours-of-service limits.

Uber Freight’s Powerloop bundling function. (Gif: Uber Freight)

Correale explained that all Powerloop trailers are equipped with GPS, cargo sensors, door sensors and monitoring cameras to avoid the high levels of cargo theft the industry has recently been experiencing.

“We partner with SkyBitz, Spireon and FleetPulse [by Great Dane] to watch for fraud,” she said as she detailed how Uber Freight watches out for behavior like trailers out of route or doors opening before delivery appointments are made.

“We are not just dumping trailers wherever; we are building a lane density and network balance for the industry, too,” said Correale.

The company also recently announced it has surpassed $18 billion in freight under management worldwide with goals to grow its European business to over $2 billion in freight under management by 2028.