Uber Freight plans to start operating in The Netherlands in April, the company‘s first expansion outside the US.

Lior Ron, head of Uber Freight, wrote in a blog last week that the company was expanding its operations into Europe.

“Our launch starts in the Netherlands, where in the coming weeks local carriers and drivers will be able to book and move their first loads with Uber Freight. From there, we plan to expand Freight access other parts of Europe in the near future.”

Since launching in the US two years ago, Uber Freight has worked to revitalise the trucking industry and bring new opportunities to the entire logistics ecosystem. The Uber Freight app connects trucking companies of any size with loads to haul, giving drivers upfront pricing, fast payment and the ability to book a load with the touch of a button. Uber Freight also unlocks opportunity for shippers, providing access to a vast network of reliable carriers as well as real-time visibility into the status of their freight.

Ron said the logistics industry is the backbone of the European economy and a sector Uber is committed to serving. The European truckload market is a US$400 billion marketplace and the third largest in the world after China and the United States, yet it still takes dispatchers and drivers multiple hours –  sometimes even days – of administrative work to book a single load.

“European shippers and carriers have many of the same pain points as their US counterparts and can benefit from the technology Uber Freight has developed. For example, the European trucking market is experiencing a severe shortage of drivers, and of the time drivers are on the road, 21 percent of total kilometres travelled are empty. Inefficiency of this scale results in shippers struggling to find available drivers to move their goods. Additionally, small- to medium-sized carriers in the EU make up more than 85 percent of the total carrier pool, and just like in other international freight markets, they experience the most difficulty connecting with larger shippers. When you combine these shortcomings in the market, the price of goods goes up. A more efficient and transparent freight marketplace is something Uber Freight can bring to the table that will pay dividends to all, as well as reduce wasted miles and fuel.”

Ron said Uber‘s expansion into Europe is an important first step toward bringing their vision of a more efficient, transparent freight marketplace to the international stage.

“As we grow, we will endeavour to be a reliable partner to European carriers, shippers, and everyone who‘s working to build a bright future for Europe‘s logistics industry,” he said.