Uber Freight Is Stuck in a No-Win Situation
The unprofitable unit doesn’t fit the company’s model and has little to no synergies with its main ride-hailing and delivery businesses.
Rebecca Tinucci has a thankless job.
Photographer: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
Rebecca Tinucci has just been assigned one of the toughest jobs in transportation. She was named chief executive officer of Uber Freight after its founder, Lior Ron, jumped ship to become the chief operating officer of Waabi, a driverless large-truck startup.
Tinucci, a Tesla Inc. veteran, was hired by Uber Technologies Inc. to help develop infrastructure for Uber drivers who own electric vehicles. She’s now in charge of solving Uber’s freight problem. The ride-hailing company made a bet that using its technological prowess to digitize the trucking industry would reap big rewards. That bet hasn’t paid off and it’s unlikely it ever will.