Building a logistic app like Uber Freight is crucial for you to achieve success in the logistics industry. Do you know why?

The transportation and supply chain sectors were facing a loss of $15 billion each year due to operational errors and downtime. Large businesses and individual carriers also faced consequences. These scenarios resulted in price increases and the exodus of logistics providers from the market. But, Uber Freight has transformed the logistics industry by connecting shippers with carriers through a seamless digital platform.

Uber Freight has set a new result-oriented model that everyone wants to replicate its success and improve their customer base and revenue figures. This app has kicked out the brokers in the business of logistics which made it more profitable and feasible for the users.

Business owners find it more beneficial to build a logistics app like Uber Freight to earn some extra bucks and achieve success. But before making that decision, it’s crucial to understand the logistics app development cost. The average cost ranges from $15,000 to $100,000 but there’s more to uncover that you should know before deciding a budget.

In this blog, we’ll explore the cost of building a logistics app like Uber Freight along with factors affecting the cost. After reading this blog, you will gain a better understanding of the cost so that you can plan a perfect budget and seamlessly start your partnership with a logistics app development company. But before the cost, let’s understand:

Why Businesses Should Develop a Logistics App Like Uber Freight?

Uber Freight partners with shippers and carriers of all statures with complete transparency and accountability. Their API solution offers real-time pricing and digital brokerage solutions. Uber Freight provides a complete transportation management system that caters to scaling supply chain businesses. It addresses several logistics and supply chain issues and businesses should develop a logistics app like Uber Freight because of the following:

1. Increasing Demand and Revenue Potential

The global logistics market is growing rapidly due to the expansion of the eCommerce industry and the increasing demand for fast delivery. Furthermore, the trucking market plays an important role in the USA’s economy because this industry has been the epicenter of providing convenience. So, building a logistics app like Uber Freight can help businesses reach a large customer base.

2. Better Fleet Management

It’s troublesome to manage a logistics business without an app or software. Building your own fleet management application is important to manage fleet-related data in one place which can help in making informed decisions. So, if you build a logistics app like Uber Freight, then you will be able to manage all vehicles on time and avoid any technical or other issues. This management will result in controlled and profitable business.

3. No Need For Paperwork

A logistics app like Uber Freight makes the business automated which ultimately reduces the paperwork required. This helps you go paperless for almost every operation such as tracking delivery, sending e-bills, getting paid, accounting, etc. Furthermore, you save money and time. Automation also provides access to the data and helps them in making important decisions.

Key Features of a Logistics App Like Uber Freight

Alluring and seamless features are the main attraction of any app. They boost your mobile app performance and require important focus during logistics app development. Each feature needs a separate tech stack and has different functionality. It’s important to include the features that meet your customer’s satisfaction and fulfill its purpose. Uber Freight includes three main interfaces, the shipper, the carrier, and the admin who manages the app. Each profile has different features and these features are;

1. Driver/Carrier Features

• Profile Registration: The driver or carrier should be allowed to create a profile that should include necessary details about them or the vehicle. This section needs to be easy to use and include a form that should ask for important details including their photograph and vehicle details.
• Orders List: The drivers should be aware of the orders. This feature should include details about the shipment and its requirements. With this feature, drivers can adjust their journey based on the order type.
• Accept/Reject Orders: A driver can be busy doing some other work. So, this feature is important because it allows them to accept or decline the booking as per their availability and space.
• Order Search: This feature allows the drivers to search for any specific order they have transported. You need to add an advanced filter in this feature to speed up the process by enabling drivers to search by adding filters like date, item type, location, distance, etc.
• Order Details: The drivers should be able to contact the shipper in case of any updates. This feature should tell all the details about the order such as weight, destination, type, etc.
• Smart Payments: An app for efficient payments allows the drivers to collect payments after the delivery of the shipment. Integrating the best payment gateways can be the cherry on the cake.
• Seamless Maps: Maps are one of the most important tools for any driver in the logistics business. It makes them aware of their location and the next stop in their route. Making the maps GPS-based can be a good choice.
• Digital Document: This feature allows drivers to upload or download any bill of loading and unloading. The documentation is an integral part of the logistics business and a dedicated section with a built-in scanner makes it easy for drivers to use the app.
  
• Real-Time Notifications: The driver should be notified of the upcoming motel or eatery. Receiving real-time notifications related to upcoming orders makes the process easier and beneficial. This feature should be considered during logistics app development.

2. Shipper Features

• Registration: Users who are sending their shipments are the shippers in the logistics industry. This feature allows them to create their profile using information like address, personal details, etc.
• Order Placement: Allow shippers to place orders and find the available vehicles. You should ask for information about the order such as weight, size, destination, pickup, and drop-off location, delivery date, etc. The users should be allowed to see the offers and estimated delivery time, pricing, etc.
• Online Documentation: This feature is important for both drivers and shippers. The shipment should require a transport permit due to its size. So, documents should be uploaded for smooth transportation. Please integrate a built-in scanner to scan the documents properly.
• Real-Time Order Tracking: A shipper wants to receive updates about the package. Your logistics app like Uber Freight should include a map with the real-time location of the vehicle driver. This feature will build good customer relations.
• Payment Gateway: Logistics mobile apps should include a payment option to pay the driver after the delivery right through the app. You should allow your users to pay via other methods.
• In-App Communication: Uber Freight allows shippers to communicate with carriers to resolve queries or provide instructions.
• 24/7 Support: The application provides support to shippers to foster trust and increase customer engagement.
• Carrier Matching: This feature matches the shipment with available carriers based on location, capacity, and preferences. It saves time for both carriers and shippers.

3. Admin Panel Features

• High Security: A logistics mobile application has a variety of personal data and users are always concerned about the security of their data. Implementing two-factor authentication could be better to prevent any breaches and unauthorized access.
• Dashboard: The admin panel dashboard should be detailed to help them keep an eye on everything that is happening on the app. Including the list of upcoming orders, current orders displayed by location on the map, and completed deliveries could be better.
• Carrier Queries: A logistics company faces a lot of queries and holding & solving these queries is important for the admin panel.
• Advanced Algorithm: An advanced logistics mobile application should have an advanced algorithm to match the shippers to the carriers as per their requirements. This algorithm analyzes a match based on several factors such as location, freight details, etc.
• Effective Billing: Billing and invoicing is the most important part of a service-based business. Admins need to have a feature of billing that allows them to accept or decline the billing generated by shippers or drivers.
• Driver Verification: This feature allows the admin to verify the driver using identity and background checks to ensure safety and compliance.
• Revenue Tracking: It eliminates the need for relying on other softwares by allowing the monitoring of revenue streams and generating financial reports within the system to evaluate the profits earned in a selected period.
• Alerts: This feature provides automated alerts to the admin about shipment updates, delays, or compliance breaches.

Apart from these basic features, you can include some advanced features to make more impact with your logistics app like Uber Freight. These features are;

• Real-Time Traffic Analytics
• Built-in Messaging
• Weather Updates
• Built-in Calendar

Factors Affecting Uber Freight Logistics App Development Cost

Logistics app development cost is volatile in logistics app development process. It keeps fluctuating based on various factors which should be known to plan a perfect budget before leveraging logistics app development services. Now, let’s explore the factors affecting logistics app development cost in a detailed way:

1. Technology Stack

The tech stack is the backbone of any application because it’s necessary to make any app feature-rich. The type of technology stack you choose will determine the capability of the application. If you want your on-demand logistics app to be fast and sturdy, then you need to choose a high-quality tech stack along with different APIs. This decision will impact the logistics app development cost. However, you can go with a lower-end tech stack but it may not meet your expectations. Checking the logistics app development guide is important to make informed decisions about the tech stack.

2. Number of Features

Making your app attractive in terms of functionality is important to acquire new customers and expand your reach. It’s great to add features to your app but you should remember that the number of features in your logistics app like Uber Freight will impact the logistics app development cost.

You can follow the most recommended method which is integrating generic features first and then moving towards the advanced features. This method will provide you with a good estimate of how much money you are spending so that you can work according to your budget. The use of iot in logistics and supply chain is also increasing. So, keep that in mind while including features in your app.

3. Development Partner

This is the most important component of the logistics app development process because finding a reliable partner means developing your desired logistics mobile app like Uber Freight. Either you can hire a freelance development team or you can partner with a logistics app development company.

Working with a freelance development team can be cost-saving but you need to compromise on quality and maintenance. On the other hand, a full-fledged mobile app development company helps you transform your vision into reality. They understand the role of technology in logistics industry and create applications to drive business growth.

4. UI and UX Design

The design of logistics mobile apps is an important factor in expanding its reach. Working with an experienced UI/UX designing team is crucial to add appealing, user-centric, and attention-grabbing designs. However, the number of designs and their quality will impact the cost but choosing a bad design can result in a bad user experience. You can choose a custom design within limited resources to meet customer expectations and achieve success.

5. Platforms

The choice of platforms depends on your budget for developing your desired logistics mobile application. You can build your app for iOS, Android, or both. If you choose best native app development company in India or the USA to develop your app separately for both platforms then it can be costly. So, you need to develop it for one platform only if you lack the budget. You can also go with cross-platform app development to save your cost and time. This approach allows the development of apps that run on both platforms using a single codebase.

Cost Breakdown for Developing a Logistics App Like Uber Freight

As you have understood the factors that affect the logistics app development cost, it’s time to uncover the actual cost. The cost of developing a logistics mobile application like Uber Freight can range from $10,000 to $100,000 or more but it can depend on the factors that we have mentioned above. However, the complexity of the application also fluctuates the cost. The more complex your app, the more you need to spend to build and launch the app. Let’s understand how much does it cost to build a logistics app for different complexities:

However, this is a cost estimation of building a logistics app with several complexities. You need to talk to a company to know the actual cost of developing a logistics app that can help you meet your business goals and satisfy customer needs.

Wrapping Up

The average cost of developing a logistics app like Uber Freight ranges from $10,000 to $150,000 or more. However, the logistics app development cost may vary but it is a worthy investment considering the rapid growth and market statistics. You need to choose a reliable app development company to build your desired logistics app.

At RipenApps, we have a team of professionals who are experts in developing logistics apps that can help you achieve your business goals. Our team is well-rehearsed in all the emerging technologies and has delivered a logistics app that became successful.