Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85450
BUSINESS uShip expands to commercial side Robbie Welsh and Christopher Hanna are among the regulars on A&E's "Shipping Wars," where competing independents find loads on uShip. GAUGES The online auction-style freight service uShip announced an expansion into the commercial freight market with its uShip Pro platform. It will be introduced this fall. About 70 percent of uShip's business comes from the Total miles for the average of all three segments (flatbed, dry van and reefer) rose from 27,455 miles in the first quarter of this year to 27,741 miles in the second quar- ter, but net income jumped from $12,090 to $13,759. An increase in revenue (due to higher rates) in May and June and a decrease in fuel costs in the same months drove up monthly net income averages for the quarter by roughly $500 a month. as miles stay flat Income soars consumer side, the rest from business-to-business, said Dean Xeros, vice president of sales for uShip. "We are now ready to take this to the next level." The uShip loads online. Carriers create a profile that includes their MC numbers, insurance coverage, safety rating and other details. As carriers move loads through uShip Pro, they can increase their uShip rating and visibility to shippers, just as they do with the consumer uShip platform. Brokers and shippers can track shipments online. They can also create private carrier networks to send loads automatically based on their carriers' lane preferences or past transactions. Upon receiving loads, carriers in the private network can choose to "book it now" or reject the load without the need for phone calls or faxes. Payments can be automated upon delivery through PayPal. The uShip Pro platform also has integration tools for Pro platform is designed to provide carriers with full details about each load and the tools to nego- tiate bids for brokers and shippers to import load postings directly from transportation management systems. — Randy Grider IDLEAIR HAS SECURED $7 million of growth financing and plans to add five more locations this year and 15 in 2013. The truck stop electrifica- tion provider currently operates 30 locations in 12 states, a total of 1,600 parking spaces. MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY contracted in August for the third time since July 2009, but the overall economy grew for the 39th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY data is now available twice monthly via webcasts spawned from a collaborative effort between the Truckload Carriers Association, Internet Truckstop and Big Truck TV. The webcast, "Update," appears on the truckload.org, bigtrucktv.com and truckstop. com websites. 20 | Overdrive | October 2012 DRY VAN $.80 $.70 $.60 $.50 $.40 $0.70 $0.60 $0.50 $0.40 $0.30 $6,000 $5,500 $5,000 $4,500 $4,000 $3,500 $3,000 FLATBED Fuel costs per mile REEFER 2010 2011 2012 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q Net income per mile 2010 2011 2012 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q Income per month 2010 Quarterly data points represent three-month averages. 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 2012 2011 Rates continue to slide as summer closes All three segments once again saw rates slump in August, marking back-to-back months of decline. Rates in all three segments shot up to their highest points since 2008 this spring and early summer before toppling in July. DRY VAN $2.50 $2.25 $2.00 $1.75 $1.50 Aug. 2010 Aug. 2011 Aug 2012 FLATBED REEFER Internet Truckstop