Procurant, Uber Freight Team to Streamline Produce Supplier Logistics

Procurant and Uber Freight US have partnered to give fresh produce suppliers a new way to source and book shipping with competitive rates.

The collaboration brings together Procurant’s cloud-based software for the food supply chain and Uber Freight logistics solutions that offer reliability, flexibility and transparency for shippers and carriers, according to a Tuesday (Oct. 4) press release.

“This partnership is a game-changer for grocery retailers and their produce suppliers, and it will bring much-needed relief to an industry struggling with rising transportation costs and truck availability,” said Procurant CEO Eric Peters.

With the new Procurant Ship feature resulting from this partnership, produce suppliers will be able to view competitive transportation rates. Additionally, they can secure shipment of a load while responding to an active purchase order and see real-time in-transit status— all within the Procurant order management platform, according to the release.

To streamline carrier selection, it also provides immediate access to available carrier capacity.

As freight rates continue to be volatile, this technology helps produce suppliers source transportation services that are effective, safe and reliable — and make sure the food stays fresh and arrives on time, Matt Menner, head of 4PL sales, east at Uber Freight, said in the release.

“Through this exciting partnership with Procurant, we enhance the resilience of produce supply chains by reducing waste, keeping costs down, moving produce more efficiently and ultimately better supporting the communities we serve,” Menner said.

See also: Digital Marketplaces Tackle 3,000 Years of Agribusiness Inertia

Global fresh food is a $3 trillion-plus market, yet the agriculture industry in many cases still clings to paper documentation and doing business manually, DiMuto CEO Gary Loh told PYMNTS in an interview posted in August.

Given the industry’s narrow margins, even a single percentage point waste factor can cut margins by a third or more, Loh said.

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