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Comment by bkor | Hacker News Reader

A logistic version would be way more beneficial. Basically an pick up a container and deliver it option.

A lot of effort is spend on just contacting either individual drivers or many small companies just to see who can pick up 1 container. This often done via multiple phone calls.

This "Uber-for-X" assumes you need it right now. Usually in logistics you don't; it's just the hassle or figuring out who can do it ahead of time.

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https://freight.uber.com/

Seems Uber is looking at tapping into the larger logistics market itself

Yea sure is. There is only so much of the world that Uber will capture even as the largest in the space. For everything else, the world would need a way to use a location stack that can compete with the might of Uber, no?

Isn't that what uShip is for? I only know about it from having watched a couple of episodes of Shipping Wars, but seems more or less hassle free, you just post your job and accept a bid.

Didn't know about uShip! It's still not exactly what I mean. This seems a customer to trucker option. I mean more _loads_ of offers to various truckers. uShip seems to be about the goods themselves. I mean just picking up a container. To pick up a container you need a truck capable of doing that, various documentation (incl something that proves you're allowed to pick it up), passport, etc. Cannot just go to a terminal and expect to get a container because someone asked you ;)

Despite that, seems fairly similar. The number of truckers is quite impressive though wonder if those are capable of trucking a container.

I think this is one of the things Convoy does. It's a startup out of Seattle I believe based around that idea. Seems to be doing very well.

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