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Front Page News
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Our new partnership with Copart, one of the world's largest online remarketers of vehicles, is filling the uShip site with hundreds of new listings for cars, boats, recreational vehicles and other profitable shipments. Copart operates 146 auction facilities around the world and sells cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles and powersports equipment to dismantlers, rebuilders and used car dealers in more than 100 countries. Most of the vehicles sold through Copart are damaged cars deemed a total loss for insurance purposes or are recovered stolen vehicles. Copart also sells dealer trade-ins, public and dealer consignments, damaged rental cars, retired fleet vehicles and repossessions. Direct links from Copart’s website make it easy for auction winners to list their vehicles for transport on uShip. What does the Copart/uShip deal mean for uShip Service Providers? More Available Shipments: There are currently hundreds of available shipments from Copart customers with dozens more being added daily. Find Listings Fast: Service Providers can go to uShip's Find Shipments tab, scroll to More Filters and click on Copart Shipments . Profitable Loads: Each uShip listing from a Copart auction is from a recent purchase and should be ready for immediate shipment. The Copart partnership is making it easier than ever for Service Providers to find shipments on uShip. Look for the Copart logo on any listing and you'll know it's a quality shipment deserving of your attention. Most Copart auction purchases have to leave the auction lot within five days, so customers are anxious to accept a bid and get moving....
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uShip.com is now the exclusive shipping partner for Motorcycle.com . Shipping price estimates from uShip are integrated into all listings so shoppers can get an idea of how much it will cost to ship their purchase. Motorcycle.com, owned and operated by Verticalscope Inc., is visited by more than one million users each month and offers sport bikes, choppers, cruisers and more. Motorcycles from Motorcycle.com purchases are ready for transportation bids on uShip.com....
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We’ve introduced a new look and new features for our members’ profile pages. The feedback area has been reorganized for all members and more detailed feedback is now shown on profiles for Service Providers. The layout of Service Provider profiles has been updated to highlight the Company Snapshot information and we’ve added links from US DOT and MC numbers to a page containing information imported from the US FMCSA’s SAFER database (see policy change for TSPs below). These changes will help customers more easily find the information they need to evaluate Service Providers and make an informed decision. Other things you’ll notice on Service Provider profiles include multiple thumbnails for photos and the ability to add promotional videos to showcase equipment, introducing staff and explain services. We also added a new feature called “uShip Sales Rank,” which is an automatic ranking of Service Providers based on their uShip sales volume over the preceding 90 days -- overall and in each category that they have activity. Change to Communication Policy Because we now link directly to US FMCSA SAFER information, effective December 18, Service Providers will no longer be allowed to direct customers offsite to SAFER in Q&A communications, forums or any other place on the uShip site. Service Providers that would like to share their US FMCSA information should ensure that their ID numbers are included in the proper fields in their profiles so the automatic display will function properly. If you’d like to point your customers and prospective customers to your FMCSA data, please refer them to your uShip profile, where all of this information can be found. Directing customers offsite to SAFER is no longer necessary and will now be a flaggable offense, so please refrain from doing so....
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We’ve introduced a new look and new features for our members’ profile pages. The feedback area has been reorganized for all members and more detailed feedback is now shown on profiles for Service Providers. The layout of Service Provider profiles has been updated to highlight the Company Snapshot information and we’ve added links from US DOT and MC numbers to a page containing information imported from the US FMCSA’s SAFER database (see policy change for TSPs below). These changes will help customers more easily find the information they need to evaluate Service Providers and make an informed decision. Other things you’ll notice on Service Provider profiles include multiple thumbnails for photos and the ability to add promotional videos to showcase equipment, introduce staff and explain services. We also added a new feature called “uShip Sales Rank,” which is an automatic ranking of Service Providers based on their uShip sales volume over the preceding 90 days -- overall and in each category that they have activity. Change to Communication Policy Because we now link directly to US FMCSA SAFER information, effective December 18, Service Providers will no longer be allowed to direct customers offsite to SAFER in Q&A communications, forums or any other place on the uShip site. Service Providers that would like to share their US FMCSA information should ensure that their ID numbers are included in the proper fields in their profiles so the automatic display will function properly. If you’d like to point your customers and prospective customers to your FMCSA data, please refer them to your uShip profile, where all of this information can be found. Directing customers offsite to SAFER is no longer necessary and will now be a flaggable offense, so please refrain from doing so....
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Shipping customers have more confidence in Service Providers they feel they know. With the new functionality added to our Service Provider profiles, it is now possible to add a promotional video to your profile page, which can help you earn your customers’ trust and also earn their business. As an incentive to help you give it a try, Transportation Service Providers that add a video to their profile between December 17, 2008, and January 31, 2009, will be automatically entered into the uShip Moviemaker Sweepstakes. What Can I Win? Red Carpet Prize Package - $500 Value 10 movie passes Director's Dinner Digital Camcorder Moviemaker Award Gift Card Runner Up Prize Package - $125 Value 4 movie passes Moviemaker Award Gift Card Profile videos are easy to make and do not need to be professional quality. Create one (or add a video that you’ve already made) by January 31, 2009, and you could be the big winner. Winners will be selected at random from all eligible videos received. Learn more ....
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Shipping customers have more confidence in Service Providers they feel they know. With the new functionality added to our Service Provider profiles, it is now possible to add a promotional video to your profile page, which can help you earn your customers’ trust and also earn their business. As an incentive to help you give it a try, Transportation Service Providers that add a video to their profile between December 17, 2008, and January 31, 2009, will be automatically entered into the uShip Moviemaker Sweepstakes. What Can I Win? Red Carpet Prize Package - $500 Value 10 movie passes Director's Dinner Digital Camcorder Moviemaker Award Gift Card Runner Up Prize Package - $125 Value 4 movie passes Moviemaker Award Gift Card Profile videos are easy to make and do not need to be professional quality. Create one (or add a video that you’ve already made) by January 31, 2009, and you could be the big winner. Winners will be selected at random from all eligible videos received. Learn more ....
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Carbon emissions and their environmental consequences are increasingly becoming an area of concern. As a growing number of scientists currently support the notion that human action has significantly contributed to global warming, laws are being enacted to limit the toxins dispersed into the atmosphere. Although the intent of such legislation is admirable, certain laws inadvertently burden citizens who happen to work in the targeted industry, and the anti-idling laws being passed across the country are a textbook example. While they aim at reducing the carbon output of trucks by limiting the time they can idle, these laws fail to consider the truckers well-being and place drivers at risk of debilitating fines for noncompliance. In recent years numerous states have passed anti-idling laws to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide vehicles release into the air. Targeting truck stops specifically, the laws place limits on the amount of time a truck can be stationary with the engine running, and put drivers who break the rules at risk for fines and other punishment. On top of the inherent inconvenience these laws place on drivers, what’s worse is the lack of a national continuity. Even as the main points are uniform from state to state, the specific idling time allowed and penalties vary greatly, forcing drivers to continually be aware of the local laws each time they stop for a break. For example, idling beyond three minutes can land a driver a fine up to $25,000 in Connecticut, while breaking the same law in nearby Maryland carries a maximum penalty of $500. Some states’ allow longer idling periods if temperature is above and/or below a certain number, and still others have yet to determine what a violation of their law results in. Sitting in a running truck longer than the allotted period in Denver, Minnesota, New York, St. Louis and Utah can even land violators in jail. Although environmental protection is certainly a pressing issue, what these laws fail to consider is the well-being of those behind the wheel of the trucks. For many, their truck functions as a home while on the road, and sleeping in the cabin is just part of the job. Unlike a normal home however, drivers are forced to run their engines in order to keep their temperature regulated, and therein lies the conflict. Even as they are mandated by law to have a certain number of uninterrupted rest hours a day, truckers must awaken numerous times a night to warm-up or cool down their cabs in order to be...
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Amid reports of bailouts, political corruption, and layoffs, some good news is always welcome—especially during the holiday season. From businesses looking out for truckers far from home to safer highways, this is news that anyone will welcome. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters Announces New Data Showing Record Low Highway Fatalities U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters today said the number of people killed in traffic crashes is expected to reach a new record low in 2008, with early projections showing an almost 10 percent drop in highway traffic deaths in the first 10 months of this year. Highway safety is an important issue for everyone, but is even more pertinent for those involved in the transportation industry. A first instinct when hearing this headline is to think, “Of course, fewer people are travelling.” Thankfully decreased travelling is only a part of the story. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles also fell, from 1.37 to 1.28. This is the lowest rate in the history of record keeping and is attributable partly to a 10% increase in the usage of seat belts. The perfect diet for stranded truckers The Colorado DOT, accordingly, has finished the first phase of a series of new parking facilities along the corridor that, including the basic facilities, come with "gift bags" for stranded truckers. "If truckers are forced to wait more then five hours to resume driving," the report notes, "care packages containing beef jerky, Oreos, trail mix, Vitamin Water and other snacks will be handed out by local emergency responders." We’re coming upon the season for cold, snowy conditions (we even got a bit here in Austin). In Colorado the Department of Transportation is making sure that no truckers will have to go hungry due to inclement weather. Though no one likes having to sit and wait for weather to let it up, we’re happy to see that Colorado is looking out for those who are passing through their state. Have a holiday dinner on Volvo On the road this Christmas season? Volvo Trucks is providing free holiday dinners for professional drivers at 163 Flying J truck stops on Christmas Eve. Christmas is a time to be home with family, but occasionally work pulls you away. Thankfully Volvo and Flying J Truck stops are teaming up to make sure that though you may be away from home, you won’t be without a warm dinner. This is a great example of a couple companies doing what they can to let drivers know they are appreciated....
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We have a lot of large shipments on uShip, but nothing quite compared to these mega-moves. Tuesday we examined moving London Bridge and the A380 , Yesterday was shipping Egyptian obelisks and freeing Willy . Today: the USS Cole and the Nauset Lighthouse. What? USS Cole • Length of the USS Cole: 505 ft Where? Aden, Yemen to the USA When? October, 2007 How? M/V Blue Marlin, the wrold’s largest semi-submersible heavy lift ship • The four ballast pumps on the Blue Marlin pump 3,300 cubic meters of water an hour. Why it’s on here: The USS Cole is huge . Plus, semi-submersible ships are awesome. The Story On October 12, 2000, terrorists attacked the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden, crippling the ship by blasting a gaping hole in the side. Tasked with transporting the destroyer home was the M/V Blue Marlin, generally used to move oil platforms around the world’s ocean. The Blue Marlin lifts large vessels out of the water by flooding ballast tanks, which submerges the deck under the surface, allowing the load to be positioned over the deck and subsequently lifted out of the water when air replaces water in the ballast tanks. A custom wood jig built on the deck safely cradled the Cole for its trip across the Atlantic. What? Nauset Lighthouse • Age of the lighthouse: 130, though residence at Nauset began 84 years ago. Where? 300 feet away from the coast of Eastham, Massachusetts • 175 feet of coastline protecting the structure eroded in around 50 years. When ? A few days in the early 1990s How? Truck, and the iron will of a concerned preservation society Why it’s on here: Building moves are somewhat common today, but our list needed wicked awesomeness only the northeast and Massachusetts can bring. The Story Located in Eastham, Massachusetts, Nauset Light began its stay in 1923. By the early 1990s, thanks to coastal erosion, the lighthouse sat 25 feet from the edge of its home cliff. Concerned about the future of the historic building, a group of local citizens formed The Nassau Light Preservation Society and finalized plans in 1996 to move the lighthouse 300 feet to safety. The aged building was reinforced and a cut away from its base over a few days. Then the building was lifted and prepared to move via jacking and cribbing, which means drilling holes in the foundation and running steel beams through, then attaching the beams to pneumatic jacks so the building can be lifted onto dollies or a truck. The hardest part of the move behind them, workers took the building...
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To help our members that are on-the-go, we have launched the m.uShip.com mobile version of the site. The site lets users access their uShip accounts and communicate about their pending shipments, so they’re never out of touch. Members can access m.uShip.com from Internet-enabled phones and portable devices. For Service Providers Stay up-to-date on your bids without leaving your truck. Never miss out on a match because you can’t get back to the shipper in time. Ask questions about shipments and answer questions about your bids. Double-check a delivery address and even view it on a map (depending on the phone). Access contact numbers and other important information for your matches. For Shipping Customers Review your active listings and compare your bids while you’re away from the computer. Correspond with Service Providers and ask or answer questions to make sure you have all the information you need to pick a carrier. Read your messages and alerts so you always know the status of your shipments. Check to see what time shipments are scheduled for pickup or delivery and get contact information for your Service Provider. No download or special registration is required to use m.uShip.com . uShip does not charge for access to the mobile site, but standard data rates from your mobile service provider may apply. Check it out today or learn more on our m.uShip.com overview. Visit m.uShip.com from any Internet-enabled mobile device and let us know what you think over at Ship Happens ....
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To help our members that are on-the-go, we have launched the m.uShip.com mobile version of the site. The site lets users access their uShip accounts and communicate about their pending shipments, so they’re never out of touch. Members can access m.uShip.com from Internet-enabled phones and portable devices....
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We have a lot of large shipments on uShip, but nothing quite compared to these mega-moves. Yesterday , today and Thursday we are looking at the greatest moves of all time. Today: Egyptian obelisks and freeing Willy. What? Egyptian Obelisks • Forumula to find the volume of an oblelisk: Where? From stone quarries to several locations across Egypt, Europe, and (eventually) the world When? The earliest obelisks were built (and thus, had to be moved) in 1950 BC How? Boat, horse and man-power Why it’s here: Several civilizations coveted the Egyptian monoliths, and no matter the century, moving them is no small feat. The Story The Egyptians moved the single stone monuments from the quarries to their destinations by filling a boat with sand, creating a surface to slide the obelisk on, in addition to lowering the boat to a manageable height, then removing the sand, securing the obelisk and allowing the boats to float down the Nile River. The Romans moved Obelisks across the Mediterranean in boats powered by 300 rowers. When moving an obelisk just 275 yards in Rome, 160 horses were used to lower and raise the 327-ton obelisk Despite their “advanced” technology, the English couldn’t move an Obelisk home until the creation of steamships—and even then they had trouble. They built a barge, aptly named the Cleopatra, to move the obelisk home. During a storm, the captain of the ship towing the Cleopatra, fearing the barge lost, released it into the ocean, where it was later found floating and brought to England for scrap. American William Vanderbilt dry docked a large ship in Egypt, cut a hole near the bow for loading, sealed the obelisk, and brought it to its new home in Central Park. What? Keiko the Orca Whale, star of Free Willy • Average weight of a male Orca: 8,000-12,000 lbs • Largest Orca male on record: 22,000 lbs Where? Mexico City, Mexico to Newport, Oregon to the coast of Iceland When? Keiko’s total journey from his tank in Mexico, to his rehabilitation in Oregon, to his release into the wild took three years. How? UPS, Flat Bed Trailer, US Airforce C-17 Why it’s here: The trip literally freed Willy, a character liked and remembered by many growing up during the movie’s release. The Story After the surprise success of the movie Free Willy, which “starred” Keiko the Orca Whale, the unsuitability of his living conditions in his tank in Mexico City were brought to public attention. Responding to demand, the Mexico City amusement park where Keiko was housed donated...
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We have a lot of large shipments on uShip, but nothing quite compared to these mega-moves. Today, tomorrow and Thursday we are looking at the greatest moves of all time. First up: the A380 and London Bridge. What? The A380, world’s largest airliner • Length of wings: over 110 ft Where? From Broughton, North Wales to Toulouse, France • The wings alone traveled approximately 1,040 miles, or 1,674 km When? The move took 4 weeks How? Custom land carrier, barge, and ship Why it’s here: The world’s largest airliner required three forms of transport to move and required careful calculations of the tides The Story You’ve seen the mammoth jetliner on the news, in print, or possibly in person. What you might have missed is the logistical nightmare of bringing together the final parts for assembly in Toulouse, France. One of the more complicated of the moves involved transporting the wings from Broughton Facility in North Wales on a four week journey to Toulouse. Due to the size of the wings, a move by water was the best option. Starting their journey on the back of a 96 wheeled custom carrier, the wings traveled a mile to the river where custom barges waited for the correct tides to make the tight bridge clearances along the river on way to the coast. A miscalculation of the tides would have spelled disaster. Next, the wings left the British coast in cargo ships bound for the port of Bordeaux, where another barge will took them up the Garonne River where, once again, travel was dictated by tides and bridges. Upon arriving in Langon, the wings formed part of a convoy that traversed, by night, the final 150 miles over newly widened roads and new bypasses at a mere 10 mph. What? The London Brige (yes, the one in the nursery song) • Number of London bridges throughout history: 6 documented bridges; 3 wooden, 3 stone/metal • The Romans built the first London Bridge. Where? London, UK to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA (10,000 miles) When? The move took 3 years How? Boat, then repeated truck shipments Why it’s here: The nightmarish logistics of disassembling and reassembling the storied stone bridge. The Story The Romans constructed the first London Bridge sometime in the 1st Century, and since its inception, several different versions crossed the Lower Thames River. The last London Bridge was sold at the end of its life, rather than being torn down and recycled. American businessman and founder of Lake Havasu City, AZ Robert McCulloch purchased the bridge for $2,460,000 in...
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CTA: Trucking to prosper “It’s been a tough year for everyone, motor carriers and shippers, and this has resulted in downward pressure on freight rates in 2008," Bradley said in a news release. "But shippers would be advised to partner with carriers now to lock-in capacity for when things do inevitably start to come back, which we hope will be sometime in 2009. Some shippers get it and are now entering into multiyear agreements with carriers.” It seems like just yesterday that the economic slowdown began in earnest (although we know now that the United States has been in a recession since December of 2007 ) and there is already increased talk of the coming economic rejuvenation. The latest comes from the Canadian Trucking Alliance, who is looking toward a 2009 that brings an increased shipping demand. Coupled with driver shortages and fewer trucking companies could see higher rates for shipping customers and higher pay for drivers. New Jersey Assembly panel OKs bill to crack down on road rage Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, D-Monroe, wrote in the bill that it would be illegal for motorists to make audible verbal threats, flash headlights, use demeaning gestures or direct other such actions at persons driving lawfully. This is the second year in a row Greenstein has pursued the effort. A year ago, the bill advanced from committee but didn’t come up for consideration before the full Assembly. A law that prohibits reckless driving would be welcome by many, but if this bill passes and becomes a law in its current form, expect legal challenges. In fact, similar laws have been and are challenged by defendants who claim their First Amendment rights are being violated. One such current case, Hackbart v. The City of Pittsburgh , hinges on a similar issue. David Hackbart was trying to parallel park when he got a bit frustrated. Hoping to tell a fellow driver and bystander how he felt, Hackbart earned a citation for his middle-finger display . The Supreme Court has generally held that even communication in poor-taste is protected although laws can be enacted that protect against “ fighting words ”—words or actions that are made in order to provoke a reaction from another party. Are the actions prohibited the New Jersey bill considered fighting words? If prior court decisions are any indication, likely not. Federal Rules target medically unfit truck drivers Federal regulators are taking steps to get medically unfit truck and bus drivers off the road after being accused...
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Mythbusters, Discovery Channel's award-winning program hosted by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, attempts to prove whether many commonly held beliefs are true. In the course of the show's six seasons the guys have addressed issues from murder with an ice bullet to whether cola will corrode a nail, and in the process they have attempted to "Bust" several myths involving large trucks with varying degrees of success. We at uShip always have trucks on the brain, so we took a special interest in a few episodes in particular. The Cement Truck Explosion - Every truck manufacturer insists they have the toughest trucks on the road, and in this segment the guys put a cement truck to the test. In an attempt to determine whether hardened cement can be removed from a mixing truck through the use of dynamite the group sends echoes and dust flying. Although they do succeed in dislodging the contents it comes at the expense of the entire truck, which completely disintegrates in the largest explosion the show has seen to date. Not even a $25 billion could reassemble it afterwards. Myth busted? The Following Three Episodes were aired together in a Big-Rig Special . Can you say uShip watch party? Knight Rider Ramp Trick - Using a moving big-rig, a ramp and a 1980's sports car Adam and Jamie hope to find out if it is possible to drive the car up a ramp and into the truck while both are speeding down the highway. Both are concerned that the car will accelerate when it hits the ramp and shoot wildly into the truck, so all necessary safety precautions are taken. Adam goes first, and despite wet road conditions he successfully pulls off the trick at 35, 55 and 65 miles per hour. Jamie follows by reversing out of the moving truck down the ramp. Sounds like they both have what it takes to be super service providers! Myth confirmed! Drafting Behind a Big-Rig - The team tests the myth of whether trailing cyclists can draft behind a moving big-rig to increase speed and conserve energy. You may be familiar with this concept, as leaders in bike races like the Tour de France often utilize their teammates similarly. To set the bar, Tory rides the course at a speed of 20mph with no assistance from a draft while his heart rate is monitored. In the second run Tory rides the same track behind a big-rig set to 20mph to see if it's easier. After reaching the target speed, Tory easily cruises behind the truck and finishes faster with less effort. Myth confirmed! But seriously, don't any of you knuckleheads...
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Over the last several months, pirates seem to have taken the world by storm. More accurately, the news media is reporting on piracy with increasing frequency. Searching on Google News returns over 48,000 news articles related to pirates. Even though piracy is happening thousands of miles from American shores, it still has real effects on consumers in the US and abroad. By increasing risk and uncertainty, piracy raises the cost of shipping. At the same time, piracy raises the cost of insurance for shipping operators. In response, shipping companies such as AP Moller-Maersk are rerouting their ships to avoid Somalia's coast. Somalia is an east African nation which has been ravaged by civil war for decades. Without a strong (or any) central government, piracy in Somalia has become an increasing nuisance. Everything from cement to steel travels on ships and many of those ships pass by Somalia and the Horn of Africa (see the list of ships attacked by Somali pirates). Piracy cannot be solved overnight but governments and companies are not sitting still. The UN recently authorized the use of military force while private security company Blackwater is holding talks with shipping companies . To learn more, try the following resources: Modern Day Pirate Tales is a blog chronicling piracy around the world. Hear about pirates from a captain whose ship was hijacked. Learn about piracy and ransoms from KCRW....
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In response to the needs of our business customers and other frequent freight shippers, we now offer upfront quotes from multiple brokers on LTL freight, available for immediate purchase. How it works: List your LTL freight shipments on uShip.com for free and get instant quotes Compare the upfront quotes and select a carrier for immediate shipment If no quotes work for you, your listing can be opened for bids from other providers Choose any auction-style bid or upfront quote you like The new service addresses the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses that ship frequently and want competitive upfront quotes so they can quickly evaluate their shipping options and select a carrier right away. Shippers receive real-time quotes for their LTL freight shipments from top regional and national carriers, including SAIA, Roadway, Yellow, UPS and FedEx Freight. If standardized carrier rates and services don’t meet the customers’ needs, shippers can still list their freight shipment in the uShip.com marketplace and receive custom auction-style bids from other service providers. This latest launch of instant “Ship it Now” quotes in LTL freight adds to uShip.com’s offering of upfront quotes in other categories, including autos and motorcycles. Ship it Easy, Ship it Fast – Ship it Now List your LTL freight shipment and get instant quotes Transportation Service Providers that would like to participate by offering upfront quotes should contact uShip for details....
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In response to the needs of our business customers and other frequent freight shippers, we now offer upfront quotes from multiple brokers on LTL freight, available for immediate purchase....
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Struggling with what to get that special trucker on your list? Relax! uShip has you covered with our second annual list of great gifts for the road warriors in our lives....
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To all of American users, whether you're celebrating with your extended family or you're spending this Thanksgiving on the road, happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at uShip.com. To our international shipping users, why not use today to become a fan of uShip.com on Facebook? Ship Happens will be back tomorrow with the top Christmas gifts for truckers in 2008....
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A cynic’s view of democracy might be something like the following: a representative can remain popular with constituents and raise government funds by voting for laws and taxes that target those that don’t—or can’t—vote. Hotel taxes work along this principle. Local citizens aren’t staying in hotels, so they don’t have to directly pay the cost of the tax. Truckers, by their nature transient, are another easy target. And there has been much news of late concerning increased enforcement and new regulations targeting truckers. With states and individuals becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, California has stepped up enforcement of anti-idling laws . Trucks in the state are generally confined to only five minutes of idling—which precludes leaving a truck running while the driver sleeps. These violations don’t come cheap, either. A first violation is $300 and the penalties can go all the way to $10,000 for multiple violations. Another new rule that may impact truckers is one that comes from Montana, placing limits on “ off-site advertising .” Although the real targets of this ruling are mobile billboards, some feel that the ruling is too broad and will apply to trucks and trailers that have business logos and names attached. Truckers will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on this to see how enforcement goes. New rules and increased enforcement doesn’t just affect truckers. In last week’s New York Times came the story of the Clinton Diner . This Queens establishment has been around since 1935 and has been serving truckers for just as long. However, a recent uptick in parking ticket enforcement has significantly changed the makeup of the clientele at the Clinton Diner. This isn’t a new law that has taken effect, but enforcement was once lax to non-existent. Community groups pushed the New York Police Department to take action and in the past half-decade the number of tickets given has increased rapidly. Truckers have looked elsewhere with many taking their mandatory breaks in New Jersey or Long Island. Nick Diamantis, Clinton Diner, owner misses the truckers but can’t compete with the NYPD. Of course, all actions have consequences. Raise hotel taxes too high and your city won’t have tourists coming in—which harms the local economy. Pass regulations on truckers and you may have a Black Friday protest on your hands. What about you, uShippers: Have you noticed increased enforcement while out on the roads?...
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Paccar's Hybrids: Building a Heavy-Duty Supply Chain via Channel 19 While the Volt isn't scheduled to arrive in showrooms until 2010, U.S. automakers of another sort have already begun producing hybrid vehicles. These technologically advanced machines are produced by the commercial trucking industry, a line of business that doesn't garner nearly the amount of mainstream media attention for its environmental efforts as advancements in consumer auto production. Amongst talks of federal bailouts of the Big Three, Paccar brings an excellent counterpoint. Trucks obviously spend much more time on the road than an average vehicle and fuel efficiency is important. Paccar has found a need in the marketplace and has moved forward with plans even though profits from the new hybrids are years down the line. One thing is sure: when hybird technology drops in price, Paccar will be well positioned. OOIDA calls for postponement of 2010 emissions standards The organization is appealing to US policymakers to postpone the 2010 emissions standards in light of a new study released by NERA Economic Consulting that suggested fleet managers will hesitate to buy new equipment with 2010 emissions controls. The truth is unfortunate: polluting costs more than moving towards efficiency and eco-conciousness. With the economic pinch, we may be seeing more pushback against stricter environmental standards. NAFTA freight shipments reached record high in 2007 Trucks carried 61 percent of this freight measured by value -- $555 billion in 2007. Rail carried 15 percent, followed by maritime with 7 percent, pipeline with 8 percent, and air with 4 percent. Trucks saw the largest modal increase in shipment value from 2006 to 2007 -- $21 billion -- followed by rail (up $9 billion) and pipeline (up $4 billion). Last week we wrote about the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement . One thing is clear, however, and that is that NAFTA is growing larger by the year. And trucking is seeing the largest of that growth. Tender care sends butterfly trucking On Sunday, the couple took the healed monarch in a shoebox to Scotty’s, a popular and busy truck stop about 35 miles north of Albany. Anybody looking for company on the trip south? Be on the lookout for our new butterfly subcategory in the coming days. Recent uShip Stories Although Thanksgiving has not yet arrived, we already find ourselves in the spirit of the holiday. Around the country people are preparing their vacations to be home with their...
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Bette Garber, trucking fanatic and world renowned photographer, passed away last Thursday at the age of 66. Since 1976, she has followed her fascination with trucks up and down the American Interstate system, in and out of countless truck stops, and to numerous trucking shows to capture astonishing images of the trucks she held so dear. Several of Bette’s friends and admirers compare her to world renowned portrait photographer Annie Liebovitz, but one look at her work and you can see that there is no need to compare her work to anyone's--it is in a category of its own. Looking at her images, one can tell that she had a real passion and talent for what she was doing. She did not simply snap images of the trucks she felt were so intriguing, she wanted to know the stories behind them. Bette spent countless hours getting to know the drivers who spent their lives inside these amazing vehicles, many of whom she had formed life long bonds with. Her work has been published in several trucking publications, and she has produced several photography books of her own. She and her work will be missed and a tribute is in the works for mid 2009....
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FMCSA announced today, and will post in the federal register tomorrow, the new hours of service regulations that come about nearly a year and a half since a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that prompted the revisions. The new regulations may face their own legal challenges, however. The regulations are unchanged from the temporary rules and include two contentious provisions that had previously been tossed out by the courts. These two rules allow drivers to operate for 11 hours in a 14 hour window, as long as they have had 10 hours off work. Additionally it allows the drivers to start weekly calculations from zero after they had been off duty for 34 hours. Known simply enough as the 11th hour of driver and 34 hour restart provisions, these two regulation were challenged in court by Public Citizen . The US Court of Appeals for DC, which handles cases concerning the federal government, tossed out both provisions but did so on a procedural ground. FMCSA now feels that this process will pass provisional muster. This opens up a likely challenge by Public Citizen on non-procedural grounds, meaning carriers shouldn't assume that the "final" hours of service regulations will indeed be final....
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Truckers turn to GPS to find their way Trucking and navigation industry representatives say the market for global positioning systems in trucks is climbing as drivers work to trim miles to beat high fuel prices and tighter shipping demands. Commercial truckers who have relied on the global positioning system for years to track loads or predetermine routes now say they use it as real-time, turn-by-turn navigation to make themselves safer and more efficient. Rising costs and a downturn in markets often lead businesses to become more efficient and turn to technology to decrease costs and increase their bottom line. The current economic sluggishness is no different in this regard. One interesting side effect is an increased adoption of GPS devices by transportation service providers. Although the US military has been using satellite based positioning since the 1960s, consumer GPS was deliberately inaccurate for security purposes until the mid-1990s. Adoption since has taken off rapidly, with increasing accuracy and decreasing costs. The best selling phone in the US has GPS and navigation devices can be purchased for as little as $150 putting the system within reach of the average consumer. Transportation service providers are naturally flocking to these products as well. Being a tech-savvy set, uShip members are no different in this regard. We are interested to hear how uShip members are using GPS navigation. Do you find that it does indeed save you time and money? White House clears hours-of-service rules Details on the final hours rules, which respond to a July 2007 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, won’t be available until FMCSA publishes them in the Federal Register. In late December 2007, FMCSA issued an interim final rule holding the most recent regulations – including the challenged 11 hours of daily driving and 34-hour restart of cumulative work limits – in place pending another round of comments. After three attempts, the new hours-of-service rules seem ready to be finalized. Although final details have not yet been released, the changes look to be significant. One of the biggest changes expected is a regulation requiring the use of electronic onboard recorders by service providers who have a history of hours-of-service infractions. The regulations would also encourage the use of EOBR by all carriers by providing incentives. Gear up and ride Rockwood Products, the custom truck component manufacturer, and Nashville's...
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