![]() Return to the core Uber service: ride hailing. Looking beyond that, (or just to the side of that) we can see the distinct possibility that the disintermediators will be disintermediated, that blockchain is already doing to Uber what Uber may be doing to the forwarders. The whole history of the internet, after all, has been a record of disintermediations. One plausible hypothesis at the least, is that although Uber does value the connections and the institutional experience that the freight forwarders have and would be willing to partner with them to access those assets, it sees disintermediation in the near to mid-term future as it acquires those same contacts and experience for itself. This sounds a bit like the conventional “making nice” of a new entrant. So I actually see a great opportunity to partner with the freight forwarders with the on-the-ground trucking operation or we can be a trusted partner with the freight forwarders to provide transparency that their customers need all the way to the destination.” He then acknowledged that as of yet there was no “explicit” partnership between Uber and any freight forwarder, although he stressed that “we are very open.” Ron said, “They are very good at focusing on international freight and very good at servicing very complicated logistic needs. They are potential partners and collaborators with Uber. However, in an interview with ShippingWatch, Lior Ron, the head of Uber Freight, said that freight forwarders aren’t the competition. The most obvious response is that such a use of Uber’s technology would put it in direct competition with the freight forwarders, disintermediating their role. But it has already made a big impact among smaller shippers.Įarly in 2018, Uber also announced that it is working on an expansion of the Uber Freight service to international and oceanic routes. This has not had a huge impact for the largest shippers, who either have their own trucking fleets or have long term relationships in existence and little need for such a service. They have the option of simply indicating via a cell phone that they want a cargo shipped, giving the destination and the price they’re ready to pay. Since that launch, individuals or companies with freight to ship haven’t had to contact trucking companies.
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