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UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

developer.uber.com

21–30 of 90 posts

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#21
post #2

This is a game changer - not only for what service it provides, but I think it will lead to more companies making APIs for totally non-technical tasks. Sure there are companies like task rabbit, shyp, etc etc, but this is the next level of ease. Relevant - I want an API for a cleaning service. AirBnB integration so that it can automatically track when a guest has left and the cleaner shows up within an hour to get it…

Well, isn't EDI just an API for manufacturing + supply chain management?

As far as retail stores are concerned, they make an API call to a supplier, and product shows up.

Granted, it's a pretty convoluted API, but I don't think it's too difficult to imagine what a supply chain algorithm would look like. Just lots of exception handling + long timeouts...

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#22

Can somebody give an example of a service that needs this, where Fedex wouldn't do?

Sure. I've been involved with a bunch of vendors who exhibit at conferences. Often there is an "oh shit" moment when you unbox the crates and find that the monitor you have is busted. You're missing an audio cable. You really need a 4' 2x4 to fix a collapsed table.

Doesn't really matter, but you could see a need for an "equipment and stuff" on demand in an hour type of service catering to these events.

Similarly, every wedding venue can have an "emergency" service for missing stuff ("Florist flaked? We can put petals to the metal and have them there in an hour!")

These are perhaps more extreme, but I'm sure there are any number of restaurants in your area that don't deliver, but might like to have that capability. One morning last week I went to my local bagel shop to find the manager loading dozens of boxes of bagels into her car (catering for the local school's Teacher Appreciation Day). There is insufficient demand for the bagel shop to have a full time delivery driver, but big catering orders UberRush might really fill a need for them.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#23
post #11

Can somebody give an example of a service that needs this, where Fedex wouldn't do?

FedEx is not really focused on same day/same hour intra city delivery. Most of the shipping providers have an infrastructure around warehouses set in place. This means that the shipping providers picks up all packages and then brings them to a warehouse where they are sorted and then shipped out again. UberRush comes to the pick-up location and directly brings it to the recipient.

> FedEx is not really focused on same day/same hour intra city delivery.

Well, in that they have lots of other services, sure, but FedEx does have both long-distance (FedEx SameDay) and shorter-time-window local (FedEx SameDay City) same-day services.

The main difference would be that FedEx isn't subsidizing rates with investor money to fuel growth, so its more expensive.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#24
post #2

This is a game changer - not only for what service it provides, but I think it will lead to more companies making APIs for totally non-technical tasks. Sure there are companies like task rabbit, shyp, etc etc, but this is the next level of ease. Relevant - I want an API for a cleaning service. AirBnB integration so that it can automatically track when a guest has left and the cleaner shows up within an hour to get it…

There are similar APIs available for same day delivery from Postmates and Deliv so not exactly a new concept.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#26

Can somebody give an example of a service that needs this, where Fedex wouldn't do?

The on-demand aspect of the service is what I believe to be most important. FedEx et all will deliver to my doorstep, but can they be here in an hour?

> FedEx et all will deliver to my doorstep, but can they be here in an hour?

FedEx SameDay City Priority seems to guarantee delivery within 2 hours from package ready time within the shortest (0-15 mile) delivery range, and its available in a lot more cities than UberRUSH.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#27
post #9

We integrated the UberRush API as part of our multi-carrier shipping API https://goshippo.com/shipping-blog/introducing-uberrush-ship... It's interesting to see Uber entering the space of same day delivery. Happy to chat about the integration experience if anyone is interested!

Why does your API is making such a big assumption that there is only one parcel/package per shipment[0].

I have looked at your competitors as well. Except for one all of them make this assumption. I guess customers with multi package shipments are not your target clients.

[0] https://goshippo.com/docs/#shipments

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#29
post #27
post #9

We integrated the UberRush API as part of our multi-carrier shipping API https://goshippo.com/shipping-blog/introducing-uberrush-ship... It's interesting to see Uber entering the space of same day delivery. Happy to chat about the integration experience if anyone is interested!

Why does your API is making such a big assumption that there is only one parcel/package per shipment[0]. I have looked at your competitors as well. Except for one all of them make this assumption. I guess customers with multi package shipments are not your target clients. [0] https://goshippo.com/docs/#shipments

Valid question. General answer is that we and other companies in this space are fairly young companies and most of us haven't been able to tackle that problem yet. We are all working our way upstream.

We have multi package shipments in beta. Here's the gist: https://gist.github.com/sbeidas/0c3e1364abc077543996f97f9aa7... It's live and in prod but beta. Let me know if there's feedback

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#30

Better hope domino's doesn't enter the market. Not sure if they could since it's all franchises. But, I imagine they could price it less than $6 per delivery.

maybe not. dominos makes money from the pizza it is selling not just the delivery fee. if they had to purely make profit from delivery it might be a similar price

From quora:

In city areas it is possible to make up to 8 deliveries per hour.

In suburban areas it is possible to make up to 4 deliveries per hour.

In rural areas it is possible to make up to 2 deliveries per hour.

If you assume about $14/8 that's about $1.5 cost during prime times.

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