Online transport marketplace also enhances its trust and safety suite with $2500 in free cargo insurance for customers
AUSTIN, Texas – August 6, 2012 – Season 2 of Shipping Wars, A&E’s original real life series that features uShip.com, premieres Tuesday, Aug. 7 with back-to-back episodes at 9 pm ET/PT. For millions of fans, that means another season of cutthroat bidding by Jarrett, Jennifer, Marc, Roy, and newcomers Chris and Robbie – the six independent truck drivers that haul the world’s most unusual and seemingly unshippable freight found on uShip. In Season 2, the transporters tackle everything from giant crystals and Lego sculptures to a Ferris wheel and a Vietnam-era helicopter.
What makes Shipping Wars different from the spate of other real life series is that it addresses a common problem – the expense and effort required to move large items – and demonstrates a practical solution: uShip.com, where people can be connected to qualified transporters who can more affordably and safely ship everything from cars and boats to motorcycles and furniture – and even an angry, spitting camel (See Season 1).
On uShip’s online transport marketplace, customers create a free listing that describes the item that needs transport. Thousands of feedback-rated carriers then competitively bid to win the business, which drives prices down – just like on Shipping Wars. Transporters are able to offer discount pricing because they are often filling excess truck space. In addition to the auction format, customers also have the ability to compare and book upfront rates or name their own price for shipping.
To give customers greater assurance, uShip recently enhanced its suite of trust & safety products by adding free cargo insurance. Now, qualified shipments get up to $2500 in cargo insurance, at no cost to the customer. Additional insurance coverage comes with a fee. This new addition, along with secure online payments, fraud protection, verified and rated carriers, and the uShip Guarantee, makes uShip the safest way to move goods. Customers continually rate service providers 98% positive, far above the industry average.
“Most people never have to ship items like those featured on Shipping Wars – army tanks, a 40,000-lb caboose or a gyrocopter – but they frequently need vehicle transport, furniture moving or delivery of an eBay or Craigslist purchase,” said Matt Chasen, CEO and founder of uShip.com. “Shipping Wars shows millions of people how uShip can help them move these items more efficiently and safely, saving them money and time and reducing their stress.”
During Shipping Wars Season 1 (January/February 2012), uShip saw not only an increase in overall listings to its site, but an increase in transporter registrations as well. In fact, during the 24 hours following the series premiere on January 10, over 4,000 carriers registered on uShip. Over the course of January and February – which coincided with Season 1 – more carriers registered on uShip than the previous 14 months combined. uShip now has more registered drivers on its platform than UPS and FedEx combined. At any given time, there is between $12-15 million in business available on uShip.
“Shipping Wars” is produced by Megalomedia for A&E Network. Executive producer is Jonathan Nowzaradan. Co-executive producers are Tom Mireles, Jeff Keels and Graham Davidson. A&E executive producers are David McKillop, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Neil A. Cohen and Devon Graham.
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 over 300,000 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 and on five continents, including North America, Europe, South America, India and Australia.
