DALLAS – August 24, 2012 – uShip.com, the global online transport marketplace, today announced plans to further extend its commercial freight business, including a new product suite for enterprise shippers and broker/3PLs, two key executives, and deepen its focus on commercial truckload, LTL, heavy haul and vehicle categories. The announcement was made today during the Great American Trucking Show where uShip was an exhibitor.
uShip PRO
First, uShip unveiled details of uShip PRO, the company’s online, full transactional and automated freight matching platform for business shippers, brokers, 3PLs and carriers. Currently in invite-only beta, uShip PRO fully automates the traditional offline carrier negotiation and dispatch process freight transactions by moving it entirely online, eliminating phone calls, faxes and paperwork. uShip PRO features electronic load posting, TMS integration, online negotiation, bid acceptance, auto-tendering, carrier authority and compliance monitoring, shipment tracking, an industry-leading mobile app, and secure payment. http://www.uship.com/pro
uShip PRO also lets business shippers and brokers build their own network of trusted and approved carriers, creating an eBay + LinkedIn model for freight matching. Within a broker’s approved network, carriers are alerted to loads based on preferred lanes, schedule and specialty.
Executive Hires
Second, uShip added two key executives to its commercial freight team: B2B ecommerce innovator Jason Reneau as general manager of uShip PRO, and LTL freight veteran Chris Lee as vice president, commercial freight development.
As GM of uShip PRO, Reneau oversees the strategy, marketing, and operations of the new platform. He has 17 years of experience in B2B e-commerce companies, playing key roles in several notable startup successes and exits, such as FreeMarkets Online (B2B online auctions, record IPO in 1999), Kiva Systems (distribution center logistics automation, acquired by Amazon) and MindBites (video e-commerce marketplace and SaaS publishing platform). http://www.linkedin.com/in/jreneau
As VP of commercial freight development, Lee is responsible for developing best-in-class carrier partners and a world-class freight sales team focused on SMB and enterprise shippers. He brings 15 years of freight, logistics and transportation experience, including various LTL management and sales positions at YRCW, Worldwide Express (the largest UPS reseller in North America), and FedEx Freight. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-lee/9/1a4/a57
The duo join uShip’s existing commercial freight team including Charles F. Myers, GM of uShip Freight, and Dean Xeros, GM of uShip Motors & Relocation and VP of Sales. The four have a combined 100 years of experience in shipping, logistics, supply chain management, transportation sales and distribution center automation.
“Our emerging commercial freight initiative comes down to uShip creating the next generation load exchange that can help modernize the shipping process in this industry,” said Matt Chasen, CEO and founder of uShip. “Jason’s B2B, ecommerce and online auction background making him perfectly suited for this role, while Chris has a proven track record of building LTL programs and sales teams at some of the biggest industry players.”
Categories, Technology and Pricing
While uShip has historically been focused on specialty, non-traditional freight for hot shot and expedited carriers – as is the focus of A&E’s “Shipping Wars” which features uShip loads – the company’s traditional, commercial freight market has grown organically and today represents 30 percent of uShip’s shipping volume. Since 2004, over $3B of goods has been shipped by uShip’s 1.5 million shippers, 30,000 brokers and 300,000 carriers worldwide. Several key partnerships have facilitated this growth, including Ritchie Bros. within heavy haul, and eBay Motors, Cars.com and Oodle.com within vehicles. uShip plans to make additional announcements that support further growth in its commercial freight categories.
uShip’s emerging commercial platform leverages the company’s existing proprietary technology, including its own load search algorithm, secure payment system, ratings/reviews system, fraud detection, mobile apps and load tracking. uShip’s eBay-like feedback system is incorporated into uShip PRO to streamline the vetting process with brokers and business shippers, while the uShip Mobile App actually finds loads for carriers based on the driver’s GPS location. In addition to its auction format, uShip allows shippers and brokers to name fixed prices for their loads or book instant rates published by service providers.
About uShip
uShip.com is the world’s largest and most trusted transportation marketplace primarily serving the freight, household goods and vehicle shipping markets. Consumers and businesses can compare and book upfront quotes, name their own price or receive auction style bids from thousands of customer-reviewed Transportation Service Providers, ranging from independent owner-operators to the largest freight carriers and brokers. Launched in 2004, Austin, Texas-based uShip operates globally with localized sites in 18 countries and regions on five continents, including North America, Europe, South America, India and Australia.
