uShip Blog

Five Secrets to Getting Your Bid Accepted

agreenspan@uship.com — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:01:00 GMT

What are the tools and techniques that the top uShip Service Providers are using to win more shipments on uShip? Here we give you some insight on what the top TSPs are doing to eliminate empty miles.

1. Fill out your profile completely

Completely filling out your uShip profile is essential when competing for business. If you and another carrier place the same bid and have similar feedback ratings, a shipper will have to rely on your profile to make his decision. An incomplete profile can make a shipper lose confidence in your service and drive their business to other service providers.

Check out our guide for Five ways to improve your company profile

2. Bid on new listings

Tossing a bid on a new listing has its advantages. The shipment will still be fresh on the customers mind and right away you can meet or beat their expectations for shipping costs, quickly earning you a booking. Although the right bid on a hotly contested shipment can earn you a big job, new listings allow you the opportunity to be the first in touch with the shipper giving you a leg up.

Find Shipments Now.

3.    Ask Questions and Engage the Customer

The Q&A section on the listing page gives you a great opportunity to speak directly to the customer before he decides which bid to accept. It’s a great way to not only ask the shipper any questions you may have about the listing, but also to speak to them and make a great first impression.

Simply stating what days you can pick up and deliver as well as what services your bid includes can be enough to engage a shipper and make your bid stand out. For example:

“Hello, I can pick up your shipment between Wednesday and Sunday, and deliver within 4 days after pickup. Which day would you prefer? Door-to-door services with loading and unloading included. I have submitted a bid for your consideration.”

4.    Use Bid Valet

The bids on a shipment can change very quickly depending on how many bids it receives. Bid valet can help you to keep placing competitive bids, even when you are unable to be at the computer. Simply set the initial and minimum bids you are willing to make and you can set bid valet to either automatically underbid other TSPs, or lower your bid by a certain amount every few hours. This can give you a leg up on the competition by having the lowest bid, while getting the best price you can negotiate.

5.    Group bidding

Part of winning more jobs is to bid on more jobs. Group bidding allows you to bid on several listings without worrying about overbooking.

When you find multiple listings that you could transport, but only have room for one or two of them, group bidding allows you to freely on many shipments along a route. Once you have matched as many shipments as you can haul, the group bidding tool will cancel the remaining bids.

6.    Be quick to respond

Although you’re probably not glued to a computer all day, you should take the time to check on your bids and respond to questions as quickly as possible. Quick responses by you or your employees show a customer that you’re interested and reliable.

A strong profile, good communication, and taking full advantage of uShip tools can go a long way to making sure you’re never short on business!
Have more tips for getting bids accepted? Share them in the comments!

2010 Boating Season Events Calendar

agreenspan@uship.com — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:22:00 GMT

The weather is starting to get better, and you know what that means: time to get the boat and hit the water. We've put together a list of some of the major events you shouldn't miss this boating season. From Aquapalooza to the Ultimate Sport Show, find out about the hottest boating events this year.

78th Northwest Sportshow
3/24-3/28 Minneapolis, Minn.
This annual 5-day event turns the Minneapolis Convention Center into a one-stop marketplace for outdoor fun— the best place to see and buy everything you need for your outdoor adventures! See and board hundreds of boats and explore the latest model RVs.
Bay Bridge Boat Show
4/22-4/25 Annapolis, Md.
From portable car-top boats to trailer-able fishing and ski-boats, to luxurious motor yachts & more, the Bay Bridge Boat Show has it all!
Aquapalooza
7/30-8/1 Lake Travis, Texas
AquaPalooza is the name given to a series of on-water celebrations held during the last two weekends in July at more than 100 locations around the world. Created by Sea Ray Boats, AquaPalooza is free and open to all boaters and non-boaters. Each gathering features fun activities for family and friends of all ages, such as live entertainment, games, giveaways and much more. The signature event is being held in Lake Travis, Texas, outside of Austin this year.
Tampa Boat Show
9/10-9/12 Tampa, Florida
Tampa’s largest and longest-running boat show is the best place to see and buy boats, gear and accessories! From fishing to cruising to family fun there are boats for every lifestyle, activity and budget—see everything from luxury yachts to personal watercraft displayed on land and in the water at the Tampa Convention Center.

For more events check out the 2010 Boat Shows and Boating Events Calendar by About.com or visit the great list at BoatShows.com

What's the Deal With Minivans?

community@uShip.com — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:19:00 GMT

The New York Times automobile blog ran a fun piece today about the owner of a minivan which was may have previously owned by Jerry Seinfeld. The new owner, who’s from Austin, Texas, brought his car back from New York, finding various jobs on uShip to help pay for the trip. Gold, Jerry, Pure Gold!

The whole incident is reminiscent of, of course, a Seinfeld episode about Jon Voight's car.

Five Tips for Choosing the Right Transporter

community@uShip.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:03:00 GMT

You’ve made your listing on uShip and received a few bids, but how do you know which transporter to accept for is the right one for your shipment? Here are a few things to consider when choosing a transporter, to ensure that whichever service provider you select will offer the services you are interested in.

1. Check their uShip profile

The first step in choosing the right transporter is to read through their profile. Their uShip profile can include information such as the number of trucks they have, their insurance information, the categories they specialize in, and more.

Most importantly, you can also see a snapshot of their shipping history on uShip, and read through the feedback they’ve received on uShip. Transporters with ten or more shipments get reviews and ratings in five categories such as communication and care of goods, as well as detailed feedback messages left by their previous clients, are available for you to read through to help you choose the right transporter for you.

2. Ask questions

You can post questions to transporters that have bid on your shipment at any time. From your “my uShip” page simply click the “ask questions” button under any bid to start a conversation. While asking questions does not commit you to accepting anyone’s bid, it can help you to choose the transporter that’s right for you.

3. Be flexible

Being flexible with your dates means that more transporters will be able to accommodate your shipment. If you’re on a strict (and short) deadline, this isn’t always a possibility, but being as flexible as possible with pick up and delivery dates will usually result in more bids, lower prices, and more chances to find the transporter that is right for you.

4. Request bids

If you find a transporter in the uShip Directory that you think would be great for your shipment, you can request a bid from them. If they are available, they can place a bid on your shipment for you to consider. The advantage of requesting bids is that you can alert transporters to a listing that they might otherwise not have seen, not only increasing the number of bids you receive, but also helping you find the right transporter for your shipment.

5. Changing your mind.

If after choosing a transporter and accepting their bid, you realize that they cannot accommodate your needs, you can always cancel your shipment before pickup. When you cancel a match, uShip will refund 100% of your deposit, and you can list it again to find another transporter.

Remember that no matter what transporter you choose, all shipments are covered by uShip’s Ship with Confidence Guarantee .

Hey Transporters! Deliver uShip's 1,000,000th Listing and Win!

community@uShip.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:42:00 GMT

uShip will soon reach ONE MILLION shipment listings since the marketplace was launched in 2004. To celebrate this milestone and show our appreciation we are having a giveaway that is exclusive to uShip Service Providers. If you bid on, match, and complete the millionth listing on uShip, you will receive a $1,000(£750) MasterCard gift card!

Find shipments now!

Ritchie Bros. -- The Greatest Equipment Show on Earth

community@uShip.com — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:14:00 GMT

What do you get when you combine 6,000 pieces of construction equipment stretched across 200 acres with 3,500 bidders from 75 countries? The nation's largest heavy equipment auction hosted by Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers! Since Monday, Feb. 15, the British Columbia-based Ritchie Brothers team has conducted the event in Orlando, Fla., the location of its enormous facility. But enormous doesn't begin to describe this operation, which sells about one piece of equipment per minute over a five-day stretch, representing between $170-$180 million.

While conducting over 300 auctions around the world every year, the Ritchie Bros. team has continued to innovate, incorporating timed auctions, Internet bidding, and of course, online shipping to its offering through its partnership with uShip. Several members of the uShip team were on hand in Orlando helping on-site bidders list their equipment to be shipped. Central Canada, Germany, Panama, Newfoundland, Texas and North Dakota are just some of the destinations winning equipment is headed.

uShip's own Nick Hermandorfer, from atop the uShip "Help on Wheels" vehicle, put together this short video to demonstrate the vastness of the yard:

Top Auto Transport Trends Ahead in 2010

community@uShip.com — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:04:00 GMT

Earlier this week we announced that Dean Xeros joined us as General Manager of uShip Motors, which includes the transporting of cars, light trucks, antique and classic cars, motorcycles, and boats. As former VP of Business Development (and other roles) at DAS (Dependable Auto Shippers), the largest privately held auto shipper in the country, Dean knows a thing or two about moving cars.

With the auto industry and therefore auto shipping coming off a dismal year, there are a lot of questions heading into 2010. On the heels of this week’s NADA conference in Orlando, where a few prognostications were made by industry execs, Dean has chimed in with his take on what lies ahead in 2010 – and how it’ll impact auto transport volumes for carriers:

1.   Cautious Optimism. The tenor of comments coming from the NADA show this week was largely one of caution, with a touch of optimism, largely around slow, steady manufacturing. With this increase it will be interesting to see what the mix of the transportation types will be. Is it primarily a local or short mileage move, or do we expect the longer distance moves to reappear. If the used car market could show even a small increase in activity, the combined volumes could be promising. Finally the vehicle transporters can see the light at the end of tunnel … I believe we have reached the bottom, and we will enjoy a slow, deliberate climb up.

2.   Wild Card: Fuel. There is talk of diesel reaching $3 a gallon by summer. We all remember the summer of 2008 where many transporters either exited the shipping market or at a minimum, idled a number of their trucks. High MPG vehicles also exited the market as owners attempted to slim down their fuel consumption with more efficient vehicles. That was the bad news. The good news was the fuel market corrected itself within four months and maintained those lower levels well into the first half of 2009. Again, having cautious optimism on fuel is key. My bet is IF it happens, the panic by consumers will be at a much lesser degree, which will translate to a higher volume of vehicle activity as compared to 2008.

3.   More Help On The Way?: Quite possibly. Relocation has always played a key role in the success or as in recent years, the struggles of the vehicle shipping industry. Early indicators suggest that much like the automotive industry, there is an expectation of growth during 2010. With this market kicking in the promise of a more robust peak shipping season between Memorial Day and Labor Day could be expected.

Bottom Line: The stars are aligned for a promising 2010. No longer look in your rear view mirror at 2009, stay focused on the road ahead. Safe travels!

Stephen Colbert’s “C” Desk Listed on uShip???

community@uShip.com — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:48:00 GMT

An alert uShip member passed this along to us yesterday. It appears the “Collectible C-Shape Desk” of Stephen Colbert, host of the satirical news show, The Colbert Report, is listed on uShip. Headed from New York City to Lawrence, Kans., we learned the desk is from “a TV show” (as the listing states) and was auctioned on eBay for $14,800 as part of The Colbert Nation Liquidation. Proceeds benefited the Dr. James W. Colbert Endowed Chair at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The desk, which needs to be delivered ASAP, is listed within uShip’s Highway to Help charitable delivery program aimed at helping people or organizations get shipping services at little to no cost. Unlike most auctions on eBay, the seller is covering delivery costs, so any transporters covering that lane or who have excess capacity and are heading west from the NYC area, definitely give this a look. This is a special care item and will require professional expertise and equipment.

Speaking of charitable shipments, uShip is also hitting the road in the name of charity. Taking a page from the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile playbook (minus the wiener), uShip has created “Help on Wheels,” a 40-foot, uShip-branded RV that will tour the nation to provide free, charitable shipments for those in need while asking, “What do uShip?” When not offering its free services, Help on Wheels will also serve as a giant moving billboard at partner events, such as its maiden voyage this weekend to Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers’ location in Orlando, Fla., site of the nation’s largest heavy equipment auction (Feb. 15-19). If you’re there, swing by and say hello.

Update: The desk has found a transporter! A bid for $1,399 was accepted and the desk is on it's way to Lawrence, Kans.

uShip Transporter Survives Three-Day Ordeal, Still Delivers Rescue Dog

community@uShip.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:51:00 GMT

We at uShip are getting wind of an incredible story of survival by one of our transporters, Jason Pede (uShip ID: litpilot) of Chesterton, Ind.

Late last week, en route from California to Topeka, Kans., Jason, 31, hit a snow storm in Colorado, stranding him for three days as his Lincoln Navigator slid into a snow drift several feet high. Along with his cargo, Jason also had on board a less-than-year-old Australian shepherd rescue dog that was listed on uShip and needed transport to its new home in Pueblo, Colo.

Jason Pede, top left, was stranded in his SUV for three days in the snow in Saguache County, Colo., before he was found Sunday. Wife Amanda is at right. Children are Alexis Noelle Pede, 10, Roslyn Paige Pede, 5, and Tegan Mark Pede, 4.Seven miles off the main road, out of cell range and with temperatures dropping into single digits, Jason kept himself and the dog warm by making a fire from wood chairs and deadwood. After three days of surviving on some Mountain Dew and stale chocolate sugar wafers, Jason decided to trek into the wilderness for help. After walking seven miles he finally reached the main road – Hwy 114 – where five vehicles stopped to offer help.

After getting some much needed water, Jason’s next priority was getting back to rescue the dog, which has since been renamed "Lucky" by its new owner. Sunday night (Feb. 7), Jason and his family were reunited in Colorado Springs and then made it to Pueblo to drop off the dog to his new owners – no charge. He also covered the new owner's vet bill. uShip has refunded any deposits and fees incurred by both shipping customers.

Read the local newspaper story here.

We couldn’t be happier that this ended well with no lives lost. Here’s a short reminder on how to survive a snowstorm while stranded.

uShip & ekoVenture present SHIP YOURSELF TO COSTA RICA

community@uShip.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:19:00 GMT

The old saying goes, “If you look like your passport photo, you probably need the vacation.” Well, it’s time to dust off that passport and pack your bags! uShip and ekoVenture have teamed up to offer a chance to win a 9-day trip to Costa Rica, the hottest hot spot in Latin America (and we don’t just mean really fast wi-fi). And ekoVenture is even offering up to $1,000 toward airfare!

So why all the hoopla? Well, it’s a celebration of sorts. See, uShip’s one millionth shipment listing will take place at some point in early March. That’s right, ONE MILLION listings since we launched in 2004. Since it’s hard to pin point the exact date, we decided to just celebrate all month.

While uShip serves as the platform for making these listings happen, hundreds of thousands of shipping customers and transporters – perhaps even yourself – have been party to this milestone. To show our thanks, we want to send you and a guest to Costa Rica for some R&R.

So, if you do look like your passport photo, don’t sweat it. It’s nothing some beach time, getting up close and personal with an active volcano and a hike in a cloud forest can’t cure.

The contest ends Feb. 28, so check out the “Ship Yourself to Costa Rica” web site to learn how to get more chances of winning just by retweeting and posting to your Facebook page.

Get the full details on the 1,000,000th listing sweepstakes.

Five Unexpected Ways to Save on uShip

community@uShip.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:20:00 GMT

You already know that uShip is a great place to find transporters for a car, house, or boat. But did you know we have thousands of movers specializing in everything from shipping antiques and artwork to heavy equipment and horses? As the largest online shipping marketplace, we can help you to move almost anything. Here are a few unexpected ways that you could be using uShip to save some money.

1. Send your furry friends across the country

There are many methods to transport your beloved furry ones (or scaled ones, if you’re into reptiles) across the country. Traditional transportation options for pets can be very costly, or require you to adhere to strict guidelines and leave your pet unattended for hours in a cargo hold.
On uShip, you can find pet transporters that will treat your pet as if it were their own, and at a great price. The personal attention and care offered to your pet by uShip Service Providers can help ease the stress of moving.

Read the story of Brady going home to Florida!

2. Delivering that amazing eBay or Craigslist purchase

You finally found that perfect collectors piece on eBay or Craigslist, but now you need it delivered. While you could hassle your neighbor for his truck, you can save everyone the trouble and use uShip. In addition to our national movers we have thousands of local moving companies with vehicles for any size job. Whether you need a man with a van, pickup truck, or a full trailer to collect your fantastic finds, uShip can help you get a great transporter without sacrificing all of the money you saved on your purchase.

1960's Vendo's Coca-Cola machine bought on eBay

3. Bring home a piece of history with Special Care shipping.

You’ve inherited a china cabinet from your aunt Hilda, or finally found the perfect grandfather clock for your grandfather’s room in your home – but how will you get it home? Though it’s possible to do it yourself, antiques can be heavy and difficult to maneuver without the right expertise. One of uShip’s many special care movers can help.

Special care movers have the gentle touch and expertise that ensures your fragile furniture makes it home safe and sound. The white glove services offered mean that you don’t have to worry about a thing – the movers will pick up, package, deliver and install your new antique wherever you need them to, ensuring your heirloom can keep passing down through the generations.

Antique sideboard handled with TLC.

4. Score A+ savings on a move to college.

Junior is finally out of the nest and off to college. While the image of a u-Haul or Toyota Seleca overly stuffed with boxes seems quaint, professional movers can often fill extra space in their trucks with relatively small-sized moves, such as a dorm room or fraternity/sorority house, for a fraction of the cost of renting. Think of it as one more chance to preach about making your dollar go the extra mile. There will be plenty of cramming to do in college, so let others take care of it for now.

Excellent experience shipping our daughter's apartment furniture to new college.

5. uShip helps you to help others.

When you need to send a helping hand, take the Highway to Help. uShip’s charitable shipment program was designed to help generous people to get in touch with generous transporters willing to help out on charitable shipments. Whether it’s care packages for the troops, or supplies for Haiti, highway to help can get your donations there. uShip Service Providers are a kind bunch, and may offer even lower rates than usual if it means lending a hand to those in need.

Learn more about the Highway to Help program from uShip CEO Matt Chasen.

5 Ways to Improve your Company Profile

community@uShip.com — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:46:00 GMT

When working with customers online, you lose some of the familiarity of personal interaction. Although we haven’t managed to digitize looking a customer in the eyes, giving them a firm handshake and a warm smile, there are still ways to make a great first impression to customers on the Internet.

Although some shippers may only be looking for the cheapest quote, most will want to know more about the transporters placing the bids. Your online profile, along with your bid comments and feedback, is the face of your company to these customers. We have put together a few tips for maximizing your uShip company profile, and help you win more jobs.

1. Fill your profile out completely

The more information you add to your company profile, the better. With two equally priced competing bids, our research shows that customers choose the company that inspires the most confidence. Filling your profile out entirely can give you the extra edge over the users that simply list their company name.

Along with your DOT/MC, company name, and insurance information gives your potential customers a description of your business and who you are. By telling your customers more about yourself, you help them feel more comfortable and increase their trust in your services.

2.       Include Pictures of your Operation and Equipment

Upload pictures to show off your rig, your office, or a shot of you loading or unloading a shipment. Showing customers your operation helps reinforce your expertise and remove fears that you will show up with a roll of duct-tape and an El Camino. Your profile is all about making a good impression, and pictures can reinforce your qualifications.

3.       Highlight your areas of expertise

If you have the experience and equipment for specialized moves, let your potential customers know. If heavy equipment, refrigerated transport, animals, pianos and special care are your specialty, remember to mention that on your profile, and even include a picture of you moving that kind of shipment. If you have 10 years of experience but forget to let shippers know, they will select the transporter who remembers to tell them.

4.       Use proper language and avoid ALL CAPS

Though you don’t need to be a Pulitzer Prize winner, double checking your profile for obvious grammar and spelling mistakes can make a big difference. You could be a great transporter, but poor grammar and spelling may give the impression that you’re careless. Double check with a friend or spouse, or use free spell-check tools on the internet like Spellchecker.

Also, avoid using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in your profile and bids. While using capital letters selectively can help bring attention to certain parts of your profile, using them exclusively can make your messages hard to read, and is also considered impolite “yelling” on the Internet.

5.       Watch what you say

From time to time, you may have a problem customer or get poor feedback that you do not deserve. Resist the urge to get back at that customer in the feedback process. Any shipper visiting your profile can easily read through your previous comments and may decide against using your services after reading your negative response to another shipper.

While you should certainly leave negative feedback for those that deserve it, try to do so in a professional tone. Coming off as bitter and insulting may lead future customers to think twice about using your services. Don’t give them the false impression that you’re anything but reliable, polite and professional.

Slight improvements to your profile could make the difference between winning or losing out on a great shipment, and don’t take very long to change.

Q&A With uShip CEO Matt Chasen on Highway to Help

community@uShip.com — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:18:00 GMT

uShip’s charitable shipment program, Highway to Help, has been live on the site since 2008, and in that time, we have seen the program grow quite a bit. At a time when charitable giving and service is on red alert following the earthquake in Haiti, we sat down with Matt Chasen to talk about Highway to Help’s accomplishments and what it holds in store for the future.

First of all, tell us a little more about Highway-to-Help?

Highway to Help is uShip’s charitable shipment program. The idea is that we want to help people who are helping those in need. From Hurricane Katrina, to contributions to the Troops in Iraq, to the most recent disaster in Haiti, we have seen people who need help getting their charity shipments to people in need. The Highway to help program puts those shippers in touch with transporters who are willing to donate some or all of their services.

Why did uShip decide to implement this program?

Since our launch in 2004, we have seen people listing their charitable shipments on our site, but we had no specific way of highlighting them and helping them find transporters. We implemented Highway to Help to make it easier for shippers and transporters to get together to help people. The system also waives any uShip fees for confirmed charitable shipments.

How successful has the program been?

We’ve been very happy with the results, but feel we have a ways to go. Since the program was implemented in September 2008, we have seen charitable shipments travel over 200,000 miles. To put that in perspective, that’s about eight times around the Earth. We believe the program has been extremely successful at helping people. Of course, we hope that the program continues to grow.

How do I find or list charitable shipments?

People can create a charity listing by selecting the “charitable shipment” box when they add a listing to uShip, and it will be properly marked for service providers to see.

Transporters can find charitable shipments that are live on the site by selecting “charitable” under the pricing section in Find Shipments. This should bring up all of the active charitable shipments currently needing transport.

Anything else you would like to add?

Just that we’re very grateful to all of the shippers and transporters that have helped make the charitable shipment program such a success. The success of Highway to Help depends entirely on their kindness and generosity. It’s a pleasure to be able to help them.

Huge Heavy Equipment Auction in Orlando (Feb 15th-19th)

community@uShip.com — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:23:00 GMT

Thousands of heavy equipment items will be requiring transport at the Ritchie Bros.’s Orlando Auction Feb 15th-19th.

The Ritchie Bros is gearing up for it’s 2010 Orlando auction on February 15th to the 19th. The Orlando auction will feature thousands of heavy equipment items being sold to the highest bidder, with no reserve sale price. When the auction kicks off, there will be a great need for heavy equipment transporters to help deliver .
With over 1000 heavy equipment listings on uShip from the 2009 Orlando Auction alone, and even more expected this year, we are excited about the possibilities for our heavy equipment service providers.

Find Heavy Equipment Listings now>

More Ritchie Auctions in 2010

Although the largest auction of the year is in Orlando, Ritchie also has 97 auctions around the world throughout the year. Below is a schedule of upcoming Ritchie Auctions. As the official online transportation solution for RB, uShip will be seeing many heavy equipment listings throughout the year. Here are a few of the Ritchie Bros Auction dates.

PHOENIX, AZ - February 3rd
LAS VEGAS, NV - February 10th
TIPTON, CA - February 13th
ORLANDO, FL February 24th – 26th
FORT WORTH, TX - March 1st
LOS ANGELES, CA - March 1st – 3rd
TORONTO, ON - March 4th - 5th
OLYMPIA, WA - March 5th
SACRAMENTO, CA - March 10th - 12

For a complete schedule of 2010 Auctions visit rbauction.com

Commercial Drivers Banned from Texting While Driving

community@uShip.com — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:38:00 GMT

A new Federal law says if you’re driving an interstate bus or truck, and you are texting-while-driving, you will be subject to a hefty fine -- $2750. The ban comes after new studies show that texting makes an accident 23 times more likely. The ban, which is effective immediately, expands a current law banning all federal employees from texting while driving a government vehicle.

Listen to the NPR story.

Although the new ban has done away with texting on a handheld device, it is still necessary to communicate with clients and dispatch centers as you’re on the road. For the time being Fleet management devices which include communications options with GPS mapping technologies, are still allowed, although most are automatically disabled when a vehicle is moving. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the agency is also considering further bans on distractions at the wheel, including banning cell phones at the wheel altogether.

Although the number of hands-on communication options are decreasing, there are new automatic options for keeping customers up-to-date on your movement and locations. By combining GPS systems with the internet, tools such as uShip tracking can help keep people updated as to your location without distracting you at the wheel.