| uShip Inc. | |
| Company Type: | Private |
| Location: | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Area Served: | Worldwide |
| Industry: | Internet, Transport |
| Website Type: | Online services auction |
| Language: | Multilingual |
| Registration: | Required to list, bid and transport items |
uShip, Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based Internet company that operates uShip.com, an online marketplace for shipping services. Individuals and businesses post items they need shipped in a variety of categories, including auto transport, boat shipping, moving services, and the transport of heavy industrial equipment.
Transportation service providers on uShip place competing bids for the right to haul a customer's shipment. For some categories, including boats, autos and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, customers can select an upfront quote for transport services or enter an acceptable price to be matched with a transporter. Customers can book a shipment immediately from these quotes or opt to wait for auction bids, similar to eBay's "buy it now" feature.[1]
CEO and founder Matthew Chasen developed the business plan for uShip while enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business with co-founders Jay Manickam and Mickey Millsap.[2] In 2004, the uShip team competed in several business competitions, winning first prize at the University of North Texas, and runner-up at the Venture Labs Investment Competition (formerly the US MOOT Corp Competition) in 2004.[3] Shortly thereafter, uShip.com was launched in the United States and received funding from Benchmark Capital in 2005.[4]
From 2012 to 2015, uShip became the subject of a reality television series aired by A&E known as Shipping Wars, which follows a group of independent shippers who compete to bid on and deliver shipments through uShip.[5]
uShip has developed a Shipping Price Estimator, which provides estimates for transport services based on a weighted average of similar goods transported over similar distances on the uShip marketplace.[6]
In 2009, uShip entered a partnership with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest auctioneer of heavy equipment, to provide real-time estimates and quotes for transportation of industrial equipment and vehicles being sold at auctions.[7]
In 2011, eBay Motors began incorporating uShip's Shipping Price Estimator as a vehicle shipping option within all its U.S. auto, motorcycle and power sports listings.[8]