Online Transport Marketplace uShip.com Adds Find Shipments, Bidding Capabilities for Over-the-Road Transporters Using its Mobile App
Austin, TX – October 31, 2011
Perhaps no other segment of the U.S. workforce is more reliant on mobile technology than today’s 3.2 million over-the-road truckers. In fact, a survey of transporters onuShip, the online transport marketplace, confirmed truckers’ growing dependence on mobile phones, apps and wireless services when running their businesses: Nearly 6 in 10 truckers are conducting more of their business through mobile phones this year compared to 2010.*
Starting today, uShip just made that dependence easier. With the latest uShip application (or “app”) for iPhone and Android smartphones, tens of thousands of transporters on uShip can discover new business while on the road, no matter where they are in the U.S. Based on a transporter’s GPS location, active shipments nearby will be displayed. Using the touch screen app, carriers can either place a bid directly through their phones or initiate questions to shippers before bidding. The free uShip app is downloadable directly from within the phone or the phone provider’s online app store. To view a demo of the uShip Mobile app, watch this YouTube video.
Along with the uShip app for iPhone and Android smartphones, uShip offers mobile services for “regular” cell phones as well. In fact, the recent uShip poll found 36 percent of carriers on uShip own cell phones purchased in 2009 or before. To serve that segment of audience, uShip offers a variety of other mobile services, including the mobile uShip web site (http://m.uship.com), Phone & Text Alerts, and uShip Tracking that allows carriers to post Facebook-like status updates and customers to check the status of their delivery.
“Launching the latest uShip app on iPhone and Android smartphones in the U.S. is just the tip of the iceberg in our mobile strategy. As a global company that’s localized in 10 countries and regions, we see this as a platform that could touch a quarter of our business over the next few years,” said Matt Chasen, CEO and founder of uShip.com.
- A survey of 6,000 active transporters on uShip was conducted in August 2011, and reflects respondents’ mobile usage patterns, dependencies and preferences. View full survey results here.
About uShip
uShip provides shippers, brokers, carriers and owner-operators with one of the most advanced online spot market freight exchanges available today, specializing in large items such as cars, boats, household goods, motorcycles, FTL, LTL, heavy equipment and more. Since 2004, uShip’s transport marketplace has attracted nearly $250 million in business transactions, over one million customers, and 200,000 feedback-rated brokers and carriers. The Austin-based company operates globally with localized sites in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria and the European Union. http://www.uship.com
