Dollars & Sense
Filling The Empty Miles
They are among the thousands of independent owner operators across the country that are being forced to make a decision - get innovative or get out.
Jim, a 25 year veteran of the trucking industry and his partner Dee, known together as 'I95transporter' on the uShip marketplace, have been transporting motorcycles along the East coast together for the past 6 years. While they used two trucks in the past, today they operate only one, and it only leaves home with a full load.
"We have been forced to scale back our operations just to survive this recent spike in diesel prices," stated Jim Van. "This has made us rethink our business and make sure that we are maximizing every mile on the road."
"A site like uShip, which accounts for almost 60% of our business, gives us the opportunity to be more innovative by using the internet to find loads we otherwise never could. It has not just kept us in business while we weather this storm - it has also kept us profitable."
A substantial number of truckers are following suit, as about 30% of American truckers are now bidding for jobs on uShip's innovative reverse auction-style online marketplace. Truckers have embraced the eBay-like model and are actually growing their businesses by picking up additional jobs on routes where they have empty cargo space.
Using uShip also instantly solves the problem of how to fill cargo space on return trips. For many, winning additional jobs helps to fill the gaps in business and provides much-needed revenue to offset otherwise prohibitive fuel costs.
According to uShip CEO Matt Chasen, rising fuel costs have made a significant impact on the trucking industry. As a result, many technology-savvy truckers are not only staying afloat because of uShip, but some are actually expanding their operations.
"Since starting uShip three and a half years ago, over 100,000 transportation service providers (TSPs) have joined the site and shipped more than $400 million worth of goods-everything you can imagine," Chasen said. "Now, you can find truck stops across the U.S. with truckers on laptops bidding on the jobs that will allow them to maximize every inch of cargo capacity for every mile they drive. Rising fuel costs are a reality, and those who want to survive will have to adapt."
uShip, however, is more than just a marketplace to customers. The company says it is a site dedicated to helping re-shape the transportation industry and give truckers the tools they need to be successful.
uShip provides its members a suite of technologies, including feedback ratings that allow truckers to build a national reputation Also included are advanced search capabilities that enable truckers to find the right type of shipment along their route, along with advanced bidding tools that ensure they will not miss a load opportunity.
The result is that innovators like Jim and Dee Van are able to stay active in a business they love. "These are hard times for everyone, but for us, this is our livelihood. If uShip can help us get that extra motorcycle in our truck, we know the extra income goes directly to our bottom line which helps us keep the truck running."
The beginnings
Matt Chasen, a former Boeing Co. engineer, says that this concept revealed itself on a trip from Seattle to Texas. It occurred to him that his rental truck was two-thirds empty and he began brainstorming about how he could lower shipping costs by matching excess truck capacity with people's oversized deliveries.
Founded in 2003, uShip is the first and largest online marketplace for shipping services. Members list anything they need shipped, from household goods to vehicles to freight, and receive bids from thousands of feedback-rated service providers, including movers, carriers, transporters, van lines, freight brokers and independent service providers.
Who's using uShip
Most of the Shippers who utilize uShip are individuals, small businesses, and eBay users who are looking for an easy, cheap way to ship just about anything. The company says that its Shippers have listed anything from a 6-bedroom household, to a warehouse full of 1 million baseball cards!
On any given day, there are thousands of shipments listed on uShip representing millions ofdollars of business. It's totally free for members to list shipments and for service providers to place bids. uShip's reverse-auction format and patent-pending search technology dramatically reduce shipping costs by allowing service providers to find shipments along their routes and fill empty cargo space. uShip's feedback system holds service providers accountable for their service and rewards those that perform well.
Visit http://www.expeditersonline.com/sub/uship/ for more information.