Uber really has changed the transportation world as we know it. Since its formation in 2009, it has launched many different programs that have made an impact on our daily lives. The first is its taxi service. While many people may think that paying for an Uber every day is more expensive than owning a car, that actually isn’t always the case.
According to the 2018 annual internet trends report, it is cheaper to rely on Uber than it is to own a car in four of the five largest U.S. cities. These cities include New York City, Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Dallas was the fifth city they looked at that did not make the cut. It costs roughly $65 weekly to own a car in Texas, whereas a weekly Uber would cost $181.
One of the biggest reasons taking an Uber every day is cheaper than owning a car is because of parking expenses. According to a resident of San Francisco, another very large U.S. city, Uber only costs about $150 a month, whereas paying for a parking space behind their apartment was $350 a month. Without a car, you don’t have to pay for parking or even car insurance.
Another way Uber is saving people money is in car repairs. When you own a car, you have to pay for repairs when something goes wrong. You also have to pay for routine maintenance. The total average repair cost in America is $305.55. This includes $202.28 for parts and $103.27 for labor. When you are riding in someone else’s car every day, you don’t have to dish out any dough for car repairs.
Uber’s taxi service isn’t the only way the company is saving people money. Uber Freight is now stepping up to the plate. Uber Freight is aiming to create a shipping service with self-driving freight trucks. They have already started testing the technology out earlier this year.
There are more than 12 million trucks, locomotives, rail cars, and vessels that move cargo over the transportation network. What Uber Freight aims to do is to be more efficient and productive so they can cut down shipping times and costs.
“The opportunity for technology to connect all the different trading partners in the industry is absolutely massive,” Ashley Dorna, Niagara vice president of supply chain, said. “Uber, Convoy and Amazon are all trying to crack the code on how to drive that integration and shorten the supply chain.”
Uber Freight hauled more than 10,000 loads for Niagara last year alone. They are trying to find a way to get a strategic advantage in the shipping industry so they can cost costs. They started Uber Freight Plus, which offers a series of discounts and incentives like cheaper gas and rewards credit cards to try to reduce shipping costs.
Uber is making strides to change the way we do things, and it seems to be working. They are not only making it cheaper to get around, but they are trying to lower the cost of shipping which might even boost the economy. What’s next, flying cars? Oh wait, they are already working on that. What can’t Uber do?
