Uber Freight to open up new Chicago-based headquarters

Uber Freight, a subsidiary of the ubiquitous, ride-sharing service Uber, whose proprietary app matches trucking companies with loads to haul, announced today it has opened up a new company headquarters in Chicago.

Uber said it plans to invest more than $200 million annually in the facility in the form of headcount, real estate development, and other expenses. And it added that this Chicago location, for which it has inked a ten-year lease, will function as a key engineering hub for Uber Freight, and it will hire thousands of new employees in the Chicago region in the coming years. Uber Freight said that the business is growing quickly, and this new office represents Uber’s commitment to Freight as it builds innovative technology to help truck drivers find the best loads for their businesses while also accelerating logistics operations for shippers.

“Uber Freight is among Uber’s fastest-growing business units,” an Uber Freight spokesperson toldLM. “Three years on from launch, Uber Freight has scaled across the U.S. and into Europe and, today, counts 46,000+ carriers in its network and 1,000+ shippers as customers, including AB Inbev, Niagara Bottling, Land O’Lakes, and many more Fortune 500 companies.” “Since the beginning, the Uber Freight team has been composed of the best and brightest minds in technology and trucking, with Freight workforce hubs in San Francisco and Chicago, and many more employees spread throughout the U.S. and, more recently, Europe.”

As for setting establishing a major presence in Chicago, the spokesperson said that Chicago is the heart of the global transportation industry and has long been one of Uber’s biggest business centers.

“It was a natural fit for the Uber Freight HQ as we rapidly scale our world our world-class team to support Uber Freight’s growing global opportunity,” the spokesperson said. “Uber Freight is a global business, innovating logistics solutions for shippers of all sizes across the US and Europe. This investment in Chicago shows that Uber is bullish about Freight’s growth. Scaling the team – specifically, our engineering team – in Chicago will enable us to meet the massive market opportunity that exists today, better serving shippers all over the world.”

As for staffing at the new Chicago facility, Uber plans to hire 2,000 new employees in the region, known for its tenured trucking and technology talent, over the next three years, the majority of which will be dedicated to Uber’s growing Freight business.