We’ve all been there. Life gets busy, and you suddenly realize that the relocation move, vehicle shipment, or motorcycle shipment you were supposed to book has crept up on you – and you’re left with a last-minute shipping conundrum.
You’re now scrambling to find a shipping company to get the job done, only to find astronomical prices and timeframes that just don’t work for you.
This last-minute shipping dilemma has driven millions of people like you to uShip. We’re happy to help, whether you’re using uShip for a just-in-time or plenty-of-time move.
Here are five common scenarios we see and hear where our marketplace and carrier network has bailed out our last-minute shipping customers:
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LAST-MINUTE FURNITURE SHIPPING
Shipping antiques, armoires, sectional sofas, or high-end vintage furniture can be a real stumper even in the best-planned scenarios. Throw in a last-minute timeframe and that’s when shipping gets dicey and expensive, due to expedited special-handling and white-glove service fees. On uShip, 99 percent of the more than 40,000 active feedback-rated carriers in our network blanket-wrap their shipments. The rest are likely heavy equipment or car haulers – and it’s hard to find blankets that big. The blanket-wrappers are always looking for extra shipments to fill their trucks along the existing route. This increases the likelihood that they’ll be able to pick up your furniture quickly and at a fair price. One antique seller sold a 10 x 14 Karastan rug to a customer over 500 miles away. After a few calls to some traditional freight carriers, he tried uShip. He posted the rug shipment listing on a Wednesday night and by Thursday morning he had three quotes from transporters. After reviewing feedback, the carrier he ultimately chose was $210 cheaper than the lowest quote he got from a traditional carrier.
The seller accepted his offer at 1 p.m. and the rug was picked up later that day at 4 p.m. By Friday evening at 6 p.m. – just 29 hours after the shipment was booked – the rug was delivered to the client in Tuscaloosa, and for substantially less money than regular freight companies.
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LAST-MINUTE VEHICLE DELIVERY
The good news about having so many car buying sites at our fingertips today is that one’s dream car is pretty easy to find. The downside is that it’ll likely be out of the area. For example, over 70 percent of cars purchased on eBay are bought by buyers at least two states away from the seller. And when you find that great deal or that dream car, you need to act fast before someone else grabs it out from under you. That’s where uShip comes in. Posting your vehicle on uShip gives you access to instant published rates from providers or you can test the market by getting quotes from competing carriers. Whichever way you go, that new car – or a new car to you – will be on its way to you in no time.
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LAST-MINUTE HOUSEHOLD MOVES
We see this scenario a lot: a new job requires a family to relocate cities in a short time period. Moving is stressful enough, but when you throw a new job on top of it, it’s a doubly tough act to balance. Most people’s gut reaction is to do the move themselves. But when you do a DIY vs. uShip comparison, the cost is largely the same. And if you’ve got a moving allowance from the new company, that’s a no-brainer. Put the shipment on uShip and get the help. But here’s the thing about packing and estimating. People always underestimate their volume of stuff. Twenty boxes are actually 40 or 50. A dozen paintings are actually 18. Six pieces of furniture are always 10. You get the picture – it’s harder and more strenuous than it first appears. And that’s why you can count on the professionals on uShip to do the heavy lifting. We also see college students returning home from school over the summer, new graduates moving to first jobs, and adult kids downsizing their aging parents into either smaller homes or independent living situations. While those may or may not be last-minute moves, a thick layer of psychological stress is often spread over these types of moves. Get the help of a professional mover. You’ll be glad you did.
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LAST-MINUTE BOAT TRANSPORT
Spring is one of your favorite times of the year because it means getting the boat on the lake after a long winter. But driving your boat with wind in your thinning hair is one thing; moving it on land from place to place is another. Consider protecting your investment by hiring a professional boat hauler, someone who knows the ropes and rules of the road when it comes to securing your watercraft while en route. One other piece of advice: get your boat listed on uShip early this spring. Once it warms up and everyone’s itching to get on the water, scheduling your quick (and safe) boat move can be more challenging. Be sure your hull is free of any zebra mussels, invasive mollusks native to fresh waters in Eurasia that wreaks havoc on ecosystems. If zebra mussels are discovered on the hull while in transit, authorities will require the boat be left on the roadside.
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LAST-MINUTE MOTORCYCLE SHIPPING
To motorcycle owners, summer means bike rallies and doing the biker hand wave. As motorcycle rallies have grown in popularity, we’ve seen an emerging trend of owners shipping their bikes hauled to and from their favorite rally by motorcycle movers. This lets the owner meet their bike there, ride it around the rally, fully enjoying the camaraderie, and then fly home to wait for the bike’s return. Bike owners realize riding any sort of distance to the location will absolutely wreck their body. Plus, they may not be able to take that much time off of work to ride there and back. If you’re still determining your favorite motorcycle rally, check out our post on 6 Best Motorcycle Rallies in the Country. And if attending Sturgis or the Republic of Texas Rally is a last-minute thing, there are always thousands of affordable motorcycle transporters available on uShip heading that way.
No matter whether you’re facing a last-minute shipping crunch, you know a few things will always be true when you go with uShip:
- No-Annoyance Policy. We’re firm believers that you should NOT be bombarded with calls and texts from delivery companies or listing services where you’ve given your name, email, and phone number. We hear reports of people who are STILL getting contacted by brokers six to nine months later. On uShip, you’re in control. We only allow the exchange of contact information after a transporter is booked and a shipment paid. You can then reach out to the provider (or vice-versa) to arrange the details.
- No-Ambivalence Policy. Unlike freight companies who pass off your item to 6-8 other companies in the process, uShip offers you carriers who handle your shipment from start to finish. They care about and treat your item as if it was their own. In other words, they aren’t ambivalent about your delivery. This can be confirmed by reading reviews and feedback from real customers based on real transactions. This isn’t Yelp.
- Plus, booking off uShip with a transporter can leave you vulnerable and without a safety net as a shipping customer. There’s also uShip’s Ship with Confidence Guarantee, and when you need it, there are humans standing by in the form of uShip Member Support, available at [email protected].
- No-Overpay Policy. The neat thing about being an open marketplace is that transporters compete for your business. Whether it’s placing head-to-head quotes or being the first to accept your offer price, transporters know they can’t overprice their shipments and win business. This means you win because the market naturally keeps rates competitive and current.
- Also, unlike booking with a broker where you pay multiple times over the course of a single shipment, you only pay once on most uShip shipments. This means no last-minute trips to the ATM machine in the driving rain or speeding to the bank before it closes on a Saturday afternoon. Simply provide your provider with a payment code at delivery. Their funds are automatically released to them. Done and done.
Don’t Let Last-Minute Shipping Get In The Way
Last-minute shipping isn’t anyone’s choice, but sometimes it’s the hand we’re dealt. When you need to catch a break – and reliable transporter no matter what you’re shipping – uShip has your back.
