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.”
