Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019:
Uber Freight moves to new headquarters in Chicago
Three years after its initial regional launch in Texas, Uber Freight has opened a new office in Chicago, where the freight-matching brokerage will now be headquartered. Uber says it will spend more than $200 million annually in the Chicago area, which accounts for real estate investments, staff and other expenses. The company says it plans to hire 2,000 employees in the Chicago area over the next three years, most of whom will be dedicated to Uber Freight. The company signed a 10-year lease for the Old Main Post Office in the historic Chicago river area.
Timothy Chelette was named the 2019 Pilot Flying J Road Warrior.Big G Express driver named Pilot Flying J Road Warrior
A 15-year truck driver for Tennessee’s Big G Express won $10,000 after he was named Pilot Flying J’s 2019 Road Warrior this week. Trucker Timothy Chelette has served as a Tennessee Road Team Captain and currently is an America’s Road Team Captain. He has compiled more than 1.9 million accident-free miles during his career. In the last four years, Chelette has raised more than $30,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through an annual motorcycle ride he created.
Rodney Hagan of Webster, Florida, and William McNamee of Christopher, Illinois, were named the second- and third-place Road Warrior winners, earning $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Ryder expands COOP truck-sharing program to Orlando
Ryder announced Tuesday that its peer-to-peer truck-sharing platform, COOP, is now available in the Orlando, Florida, area. The program allows fleet owners with idle or unused equipment to generate extra revenue by renting that equipment to other businesses. Launched in 2018, the platform is currently available in all of Georgia and in parts of Florida.
Truck owners can list their vehicles on the digital platform, set vehicle availability for idle periods and, upon vehicle return, receive guaranteed payments from Ryder. All COOP users are vetted to ensure they comply with safety and reliability standards. Each transaction is covered by physical damage insurance, a $1 million liability policy and includes 24/7 roadside assistance.
