If the list of openings on uShip.com/Jobs is any indication, we're GROWING!

We're also thrilled to be named to named among the 2012 Best Places to Work by the Austin Business Journal.

A third-party survey of uShip employees places the company among Austin's top medium-size employers-- and as we grow, it's no mystery why. We have fun at work, we do awesome things and we like each other.

Here at uShip, our culture ultimately lends itself to our #1 core philosophy: "Never stand still-- always experiment and innovate." We're constantly working (day and night!) to deploy new features on our site and mobile app, to implement fixes and improve the many moving parts of the uShip platform.

And in order to truly excel at our mission of being the world's leading online solution for shipping anything, anytime, anywhere, we've decided this:  

Hiring a pirate is our top priority.*

See the Corporate Pirate job listing here. If you're a swashbucklin', salty bucaneer with exceptional business pillagin' and plunderin' skills, we'd be honored to have ya climb aboard our 'Ship.

...

*This be 100% a joke. There is no pirate position. But, we are growing and are truly serious about hiring the best and brightest in:

• Web developers
• Software engineers
• QA
• Marketing pros 
• Designers and UX experts
• Transport and logistics industry experts

uShip currently has 17 openings in Austin, Texas and Amsterdam, NL. (Swashbuckling is just a plus.) 

Frequent visitors to uShip may have noticed our home page has "had some work done" over the past few months! 

Among the more important changes in the home page facelift:  We've (1) simplified the way shippers are introduced to the site, and (2) given our awesome transporters a hefty amount of real estate on the left side of the page.

We're especially excited to show off some of the best transport businesses on the site in the home page image rotator. You could be featured, too!

Send us photos of your business or shipments any time! Simply email your high-quality photos to photos@uship.com.

How can I be featured on the home page?

Our featured carriers will rotate every month-- and we'd like to invite businesses from all over the US to submit interesting photos of their work. 

To be considered for a call-out on the homepage:

1. Get CarrierWatch verified -- or have Power Carrier status on the site.
2. Ensure your profile is complete and features the name of your company.
3. Upload high-quality images featuring your business to your carrier profile OR email them directly to us at photos@uship.com.  

If you have positive (mostly 5-star) feedback and few cancellations, we'd love to feature your business for thousands of uShip visitors!

What counts as a high-quality image?

A high-quality image for our carrier feature:

• Will be no smaller than 442 x 300 px.
• Features you, your vehicle, trailer or hauling equipment, or one of your shipments.
• Will be positioned horizontally -- keep this in mind if you're using your phone to take photos.
• Should be taken in daytime for quality lighting.

*(Obviously, sending us images does not guarantee placement. The selection and duration of any carrier featured on the home page is at the sole discretion of uShip.)

Send away! We look forward to seeing your photos! 

uShip Mobile has an MVP! 

Last month, we ran our first-ever Mobile Madness promotion for the uShip Mobile App, giving away thousands of dollars in credit for transporters on uShip. The top "bracket" of 64 carriers that booked the most loads using uShip Mobile won site credit.

We were impressed to find out that some uShip carriers book exclusively using mobile devices! The winner of uShip Mobile Madness, Tobias Shreeves, booked 17 loads throughout the month, all of which where booked with the uShip Mobile App. 

Shreeves (tshreeves) is an owner-operator from Tucson, Ariz. hauling boats, commercial freight, household goods, motorcycles and vehicles across the Western US. Since registering on the site in January, he's hauled 21 shipments with 100% positive feedback.

Seeing carriers doing brisk business with the app is a big deal for us-- we're putting a lot of sweat and tears into making the app an awesome, simple tool for carriers and customers that want to ship anything, anywhere, anytime. 

A couple days ago, we spoke with Shreeves to ask him how he uses uShip while on the road. Here are some of the highlights, along with some general advice for transporters:

How do you use uShip Mobile to book loads on the road?

"I have a full-time job during the week, and operate my hauling business on weekends. uShip is basically a vacation for me after work!

Typically I'll start looking for large shipments using Find Shipments during the week. I use search filters to narrow down the shipments that are along my route, and then for shipments that will safely fit on my trailer.

It has to be a shipment that is "significant" or pays well enough to cover my fuel and the way back as well. I always look at photos and shipment details to make sure its something I can haul.

Once I've booked a well-paying load, I'll look on my iPhone for smaller shipments to add along my route and for a backhaul shipment for the return trip. I've found I can book several shipments in one trip."

What are some other mobile apps you use?

"I frequently use Google maps, a GPS navigation unit and my mobile internet browser."

Do you have any practical advice for new transporters?

"Definitely. You'll never have everything you need on the road, so just be prepared to shell out for things you need at the last minute: chains, tie downs, blocks of wood, blown tires… and always ongoing maintenance costs. 

Other than that, you have to be smart about what you book. Pay attention to shipment details, and always know your limits in terms of your equipment and your planned route." 

Congrats to our Mobile Madness winner, TShreeves! Keep on truckin'!