7 Tips for Shipping Your Startup Culture Overseas

We’ve all heard of Google’s famous culture and seen pictures of the unique offices they have all over the world – but how do you make sure your startup’s culture doesn’t get lost by the baggage handlers when you expand overseas? Your culture isn’t programmed – it’s not even written down anywhere! Your startup’s culture still just happens – and making sure it continues to happen when you decide to go global is no small task.

At Austin-based uShip, we took on this challenge when we opened our second office in Amsterdam – and we will face it once more as we now expand into Brazil and Latin America. Here’s a look at what we’ve done to make sure we “keep uShip weird” across the globe.

uShip’s Top 25 Most Shipped Cars & Light Trucks

Some sites like KBB.com (Kelley Blue Book) put out their “most-researched” used cars list, while Google has a consistent measurement of consumer interest with its Google Trends tool. All good stuff, but these rankings only show consumer intent, not necessarily a consumer's ultimate purchase or action related to that intent.

So, what about some ACTUAL consumer activity?

That’s where uShip’s 2012 Top 25 Most Shipped Cars & Light Trucks list comes in super handy.

Nearly 700,000 cars and light trucks have been listed on uShip all-time, so we have a pretty good idea of what people are buying, where they are moving and when they’re moving it.

With thousands of active auto carriers and hotshots on uShip, it’s easy and affordable to get that vehicle purchased on eBay Motors or Cars.com brought to your front door. Afterall, 3 of every 4 passenger vehicles purchased on eBay Motors is to an out-of-state buyer.

uShip’s Top 10 International Shipment Destinations

Since launching in 2004, loads on uShip have gone into, out of and within over 100 countries around the world.  In 2009, we began localizing within key countries around the globe, giving customers the ability to transact in local language, currency, measurements and time zone.  In just 3+ years, we’re now localized in 18 countries/regions on five continents. 

Non-U.S. listings, transporter registrations and shipping volume have continued to steadily increase.  Today, 20% of our listings come from outside the U.S.  In Fall 2012, uShip launched localized sites in Latin America, including Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

 

So what are the Top 10 Destinations for international uShip shipments?

Here’s a ranking. This ranking includes any shipment crossing an international border. We anticipate looking at this list in a year, it will look much differently as uShip’s recently-launched Latin American sites gain traction:

1. Canada
2. Germany
3. United States
4. United Kingdom
5. France
6. Austria
7. Spain
8. Australia
9. The Netherlands
10. Italy
11. The rest of the EU

Honorable mentions: New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Ghana, Japan, Chile, Russia

 

Freight News Roundup – Truck of the Future, the Truckpocalypse & New CSA Changes

Every week, we're bringing the uShip community posts and articles about the transportation industry, transport policy and technology, and recent trucking news.

Is This The Truck Of The Future? - CDLLife.com

CDL Life has brought you features on trucks that have been coined t the trucks of the future.  AirFlow is hoping the BulletTruck will shape the future of trucking. AirFlow is working to design the world’s most functional, aerodynamic truck.  This summer, engineers drive the prototype from Connecticut to California.

2012: The Stories of the Year - Journal of Commerce

From labor battles to natural disasters, 2012 was filled with risk for shippers and the companies moving and managing their cargo. Here are the stories that defined the year.

 

Watch a truck and tractor drag race, read about new CSA regulations, and find out what might happen in a "truckpocalypse"  after the break. >>

uShip Secures $18M in Venture Funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

Looking back on 2012, it’s been uShip’s best on many accounts – record volumes and registrations, featured in a reality TV series, an amazing influx of talent, the list goes on.  And we're not letting up as the year comes to a close.  In fact, today we're announcing uShip has secured $18M in Series C funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), one of the world’s top venture capital firms.

The infusion brings the total capital raised by uShip to $28M.  KPCB joins institutional investors Benchmark Capital and DAG Ventures, each of which participated in earlier rounds.

So what does this mean for you, a shipping customer or transporter on uShip?  In short, this funding will propel uShip’s next phase of growth, particularly the development, sales and marketing of uShip PRO -- uShip’s commercial freight platform currently in private beta -- as well as its mobile platform and global presence.  For additional perspective, see the post on TechCrunch.

Freight News Roundup – Jaccuzzis, Floods, Fuels, and the Longest Trucks in North America

Every week, we're bringing the uShip community posts and articles about the transportation industry, transport policy and technology, and recent trucking news.

Sixty feet of controversy - Walmart's new 'supercube' trailer hauls 30% more payload. So, why isn't the industry celebrating its arrival? - Truck News (Canada)

On Nov. 6, Walmart Canada took the wraps off a radical new tractor-trailer design it says increases cubic capacity by roughly 30%.

The ‘supercube’ trailer was designed and built in Ontario, in partnership with Innovative Trailer Design. The trailer itself is 60.5 feet long, 7.5-ft. longer than the industry standard. A lowered floor and 126-inch interior increases trailer capacity by 28%, offering 5,100 cu.-ft. of storage, and a drome box mounted to the back of the cab adds another 521 cu.-ft. of carrying capacity. The trailer is pulled by a Freightliner cabover. The tractor-trailer doesn’t exceed existing length or weight restrictions.

The U.S. DOT has established a single point of contact to truckers hauling fuel to navigate the various state regulations in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The effort includes a one-stop hotline and a petroleum support team to help keep fuel stocked in regions facing supply disruptions and shortages.

A number of states have issued waivers on certain regulations including hours of service, vehicle size and weight, tolls, fuel taxes and the use of low-sulfur diesel. And while these states have information sites and hotlines of their own (see related story), the federal hotline aims to be a one-stop clearinghouse for information related to the transport of fuel.

Truckers Taking to Mobile Technology -  Bill Cassidy, The Journal of Commerce

When it comes to technology, truckers are going mobile, with 70 percent of drivers surveyed by uShip.com saying they use mobile phones for business. The number of truckers using apps jumped to 43 percent, a 16 percent increase from last year’s annual mobile usage survey, according to uShip.com.

More than half of the truck drivers surveyed said their smartphone could or already has replaced dash-mounted GPS-based navigation equipment. The survey, now in its third year, provides data that underscores the effect of mobile consumer technology on businesses, including transportation and logistics.

Unusual Use of Public Infrastructure: Team Suspends Jaccuzzi From a Bridge in France

AJC's and Cat's return from their trip to South America, was just what we needed to initiate this dream project, namely to suspend a jaccuzzi from a bridge. The bridge had our name written all over it, as it was the highest in Europe at the time of its construction (1933-1934) with 600 ft of void.

Watch a trucker stranded hopelessly in a flood chat on his phone, read about new fuel alternatives, and learn strategies for dealing with unpaid detention time after the break. >>

The Cheapest Way to Move Out of State: Don’t Do It Yourself

What is the absolute cheapest way to move out of state or move your stuff out of storage? The answer is simple: Choose a professional, reliable moving company that actively competes for your business.

You might think renting a U-Haul or Penske truck and spending a couple days on the road is the cheapest option for a cross-country move. But as I’m about to show you, that’s usually not the case. Contrary to traditional logic (“Why pay someone when I can do it myself?”) – the DIY moving option becomes prohibitively expensive when you factor in the cost of a truck rental, fuel, insurance, moving supplies, food and lodging. Professional moving services can actually save you both time and money.

The Almighty Infographic: Those that rent a truck to save a buck usually don’t.

To explain how hiring a cross-country moving company can save you money, I priced out three different moves ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 miles.

Penske and U-Haul prices are based on Summer 2012 rental rates for a 26-foot truck plus basic expenses: cheap hotels, insurance and basic moving equipment. This doesn’t even include intangibles like time off from work and school.

Why is uShip less expensive? Since customer-reviewed moving companies compete for your business on uShip and often combine deliveries, the exact same relocations are hundreds of dollars cheaper— even including similar road trip expenses like hotels and fuel.

The Austin to Bend price is an actual uShip move from June, 2012. Chicago and Hartford are both uShip shipping estimates taken from a weighted average of several hundred three-bedroom moves between those cities. All examples include personal expenses.

So make it easy on yourself – relocating is stressful enough as it is. Leave moving to the pros.

uShip Mobile Survey: Truck Drivers Prefer Android over iPhone 2-to-1

Today uShip released the results of its third annual mobile usage survey, designed to give the industry some insights into how over-the-road truck drivers are using their mobile phones, apps and other wireless devices for business.  Over the coming days, we’ll be rolling out various pieces from this survey, including data that shows increased mobile dependence, significant shifts in use of smartphone GPS navigation over traditional GPS units and a greater appetite for social media and apps via mobile. 

What Mobile Devices Do Truck Drivers Use?

When it comes to the type of device they prefer, transporters were nearly twice as likely to have an Android device (47%) over the iPhone (24%).  And at 27%, even the basic “nothing fancy” phone (i.e. not a smartphone) ranked higher than the iPhone.  Bringing up the rear was Blackberry (3%) and Windows phones (1%).

Why are more truckers using Android devices and non-smartphone devices?

A few educated guesses go into giving this trend some meaning and context.  First, chances are when a transporter is on the road and is comfortable with their current cell phone, why change?  Since communication is such a critical part of a transport business operation, transporters are often averse to any possible interruption. It’s like going from a Pinto to a Ferrari – it may be a slicker experience – but the device might have a learning curve or setup process that is prohibitively lengthy, and many drivers may not be willing to take that risk.

Second, cost could very well be an issue here. Apple's iPhone 5 carries a price tag of $200 to $400 with a new two-year carrier contract or renewal. Android devices are priced more competitively, with frequent pricing promotions and a wider range of devices to meet buyers' needs. 

For transporters sporting “regular phones” – data shows 1 in 4 do – uShip offers a simplified mobile website (http://touch.uship.com) that can be accessed.  We also offer Voice & Text (SMS) Alerts, as well as uShip Tracking that allows carriers to post Facebook-like status and location updates from any device (no GPS or web browser needed) so that customers can check the status of their deliveries. Click here to learn more about these mobile features for uShip Carriers.

About the Survey

Started in 2010, uShip’s mobile study is unique in that it tracks year-over-year mobile trends – not just a single point in time – of a cross-section of active transporters on uShip, ranging from commercial carriers to small-fleet owner-operators to hot-shot drivers.  Over 26,000 drivers were surveyed between Oct. 17-30, 2012.

Freight News Roundup – The Election, Hurricane Sandy, Insanely Long Trucks and Red Light Camera-Evading Tech

Every week, we're bringing the uShip community posts and articles about the transportation industry, transport policy and technology, and recent trucking news.

This week we're following up on the ongoing effect of Hurricane Sandy on freight in the Northeast. You'll also find links to ATA's report on the massive shortage of labor in the transport industry, the longest trucks in North America, and a new device that prevents license plates from being read by red light and toll-collection cameras.

Trucking contributions heavily favor Romney, GOP - Jill Dunn, Overdrive

The trucking industry as a whole contributed $7.8 million in campaign contributions this election season, and 85 percent of it went to Republican candidates  — the largest percentage since 1990.

Feds launch fuel hotline; mobilize 'petroleum team' for hurricane relief - David Tanner, Land Line Magazine

The U.S. DOT has established a single point of contact to truckers hauling fuel to navigate the various state regulations in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The effort includes a one-stop hotline and a petroleum support team to help keep fuel stocked in regions facing supply disruptions and shortages.

A number of states have issued waivers on certain regulations including hours of service, vehicle size and weight, tolls, fuel taxes and the use of low-sulfur diesel. And while these states have information sites and hotlines of their own (see related story), the federal hotline aims to be a one-stop clearinghouse for information related to the transport of fuel.

ATA Study: Driver Shortage Will Get Worse - Journal of Commerce

American Trucking Associations recently released an analysis confirming that the trucking industry is facing a driver shortage that will likely worsen over the next decade. The study found that 90 percent of for-hire truckload carriers cannot find enough drivers who are capable of meeting Department of Transportation requirements. It estimates that there is a shortage of about 20,000 to 25,000 drivers, based on roughly 750,000 trucks in the over-the-road truckload market.

Read CDLLife.com's coverage of the ATA Study

 

Read about restrictions for truckers headed for Sandy-stricken areas, the longest trucks ever in North America, and tech that "fools" red light cameras after the jump. >>

Freight News Roundup – Hurricane Sandy Halts Shipping and Transport, Destroys Roads in Northeast US

 

Every week, we're bringing the uShip community posts and articles about the transportation industry, transport policy and technology, and recent trucking news.

This week, Hurricane Sandy has had an enormous effect on the transportation of goods to and from the Northeast United States. 

The Freight News Roundup below includes many breaking stories about the hurricane's aftermath and its effect on the transport industry.

Sandy Cripples East Coast Transit - Damon Lavrinc, Wired

The waters have begun to recede after Hurricane Sandy made landfall off the northeast coast of the U.S. last night, but the toll on the region’s transportation system is beginning to come into focus and it stands to be one of the worst mass transit disasters in U.S. history.

Read about where shipping has halted entirely, see Sandy. vs. a Truck, the DOT's plan for rebuilding infrastructure wiped out by the storm, and how damage will continue to affect carriers in the coming months, all after the jump. >>