Rendering of the Northeast Plaza of the Old Main Post Office. Credit: Gensler
CHICAGO—City officials joined Uber Freight in a press conference on Monday to announce the firm will house its headquarters in 463,000 square feet of space at The Old Main Post Office in the Chicago River area.
The company states that it signed a 10-year lease for its new headquarters space at the 2.5-million-square-foot complex and will invest more than $200 million annually in the region through headcount, real estate investment and other expenses. The new office will also include Uber Freight's first engineering hub outside of its headquarters in San Francisco.
Uber plans to hire 2,000 new employees in the region over the next three years, most of which will be dedicated to Freight.
Over the last 27 months, Uber Freight has scaled across the U.S. and into Europe and, today, counts more than 400,000 drivers in its carrier network and more than 1,000 shippers as customers, including AB Inbev, Niagara Bottling, Land O'Lakes, and many more Fortune 500 companies.
"Trucking represents an enormous opportunity for Uber, and this milestone is a testament to our long-term commitment to our Freight business," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. "Chicago is the heart of America's transportation and logistics industry, and there is no better place to open our dedicated Freight HQ. Uber has long recognized the incredible history, innovation, and talent that Chicago has to offer, and we're excited about the thousands of new jobs our Freight business will help bring as we become one of the city's largest technology employers."
On the heels of its recent European expansion, Uber Freight states that it is dedicated to growing its talented team to continue serving the carriers and shippers that keep our world moving. Uber Freight HQ in Chicago will be focused on engineering operations, sales and account management.
"Since the beginning, the team at Uber Freight has been made up of the best and brightest minds in technology and logistics, with major talent hubs in San Francisco and Chicago," said Lior Ron, head of Uber Freight. "We are thrilled to deepen our investment in Chicago, which is known for its logistics expertise. We are excited to bring on board thousands of team members to help build the future of logistics together with our growing list of customers and to support the massive growth trajectory we see for Uber Freight in this industry."
Ron said in a blog concerning the new Chicago headquarters that in three years since its launch, Uber Freight has grown to a team of hundreds, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, and Amsterdam.
"Today's announcement is a testament to Chicago's place as both a global transit hub and world-class destination for the tech industry to grow and thrive," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "This investment also represents an important step in creating economic growth that is both dynamic and inclusive, with Uber leading by example through its collaboration with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, helping ensure the jobs of the future are available for every resident, and no Chicagoan is left behind."
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John Jordan
John Jordan is a veteran journalist with 36 years of print and digital media experience.
