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Saved a bunch by shipping my desk
by evandena

I left an awesome desk at my parents house in michigan, with no way of getting it to my new house in wisconsin. After weighing my options of renting a truck and picking it up, or shipping it freight, i... more

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uShip Blog

Does “Fast, Cheap, or Good” still hold true?

Friday, November 20, 2009
Posted by community@uShip.com at 4:14 PM

The old adage says “fast, cheap, or good. Pick two”. You want it done quick and cheap? Well the quality will suffer. You need it good and fast? You better be willing to shell out the big bucks.

But does it really apply anymore?

Before the internet, it was hard to get competitive pricing for small shipments. With only a few freight companies in every town, it was hard to shop around for the best prices. If you needed something shipped, you have to wait until their trucks were ready.  Need the shipment rushed? It can be done, but it will cost extra.


Then there’s the question of “good”. You can open the yellow pages and pick a carrier, but all an ad takes is money. Even after checking references or the better business bureau, you get a small sample of their service, not a good picture of their average customer.

The internet changes all of that.


Fast

Then:
You had to wait for one of the local transport companies to have a truck available.   
Now: You have access to thousands of trucks across the country that could potentially transport your shipment.

Cheap

Then: Unless you were big enough to negotiate contracts, you payed the standard rate.  
Now: Multiple transporters can bid for your business, offering the best price possible.

Good

Then: You have to rely on their word, your instinct, and if you’re lucky, a few references. 
Now: You can browse through literally hundreds and thousands of reviews, and choose the transporter that gives the best service to the average customer.

When a marketplace connects thousands of customers and providers “fast, cheap, or good”, becomes “fast, cheap, and good”.
 

Pet Costume Contest Winner & New Contest for TSPs!

Friday, November 13, 2009
Posted by community@uShip.com at 4:01 PM

The uShip Pets Costume Contest has come to a close and we are happy to announce the winner:

By day she is Mizu, walking around the house, digging holes in the garden, and sniffing at your ankles,…but at night she’s known as the Bark Knight, the Canine Crusader, or simply, BatDog.  She walks the city streets, digging up crimes and sniffing out… evil. She was also the cutest pup in our contest, winning a $250 gift card for her owner!
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Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. There were so many adorable submissions, so make sure to visit our facebook page to see all of the entries!  

New Contest for Pet Transporters!

After the success of the costume contest, we thought we’d share the love with some of uShip’s excellent Service Providers. Starting Monday, November 15th, until December 31st, the uShip Service Provider with the highest number of successful pet matches will be awarded with a $500 Amazon.com Gift Certificate! For more information, check out the contest info page here.

So head over to find shipments and get bidding on any of the over 500 pet listings found there every day!

 

uShip has just enhanced its localized services in Australia and the 27-country European Union (EU). As with the recently improved services in the UK and Canada, it is now easier than ever for uShip members in Australia and across the EU to list and find shipments within their country or region.  

uShip automatically updates a user’s regional or country settings based on location, whether in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia or within the EU, which is the single largest developed market in the world consisting of more than 450 million consumers. . Members can also select a different region by clicking on the country flag in the upper right corner of any uShip page.

What does this mean for customers?

For members in the EU and Australia, uShip regional settings now reflect:

  • Local currency -- Australian Dollars (A$) and Euros (€)
  • Local time zone and date format settings for time-sensitive activity on uShip, such as listing expirations and voice alert preferences
  • Regional dimension/distance format for measuring items and distance in either English or Metric


What does this mean for transporters?

Service providers in Australia and the EU can take advantage of a number of the same regional settings their customers now have, such as local currency, time zone and measurement format, in addition to:

  • Default Find Shipments settings to help you easily find shipments to, from and within your country.
  • Enhanced support for Along-a-Route and Local searches in Australia and the EU.
  • EU and Australia Service Provider Directory so customers can easily find and request bids from you.


Transporter Special – First Match Fee Waived!

To celebrate today’s news, we’re offering a special to service providers:  For the next 90 days, all transporters qualify to have their uShip booking fees waived for their first shipment booked to, from or within the EU or Australia.   




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