Shipping Option - Uship

Uship cant be held responsible....they just set the deal up. Same with ebay or really any other middle man. For instance, you cant sue me it I help you buy a house (I am a real estate broker ad well) if the other party backs out or something...as long as I adbised you correctly. Why would you think uship should have some responsibility? They are just bringing to independent parties together and facilitating the deal for a fee.

It is up to you to put a contract in place for protection AND if enough value, insure the load. Alsi chevk to make sure the shipper has insurance or are bonded. If you dont have a clue about that stuff...then you have to educate youself or use a company like ups that owns their trucks and the drivers are employees.

I have never understiod people that bad mouth a company that doesnt own or have control over another party...they just facilitate things but beyond that have no responsibility.

That woukd ve like me saying amaxon sucjs because my new flat screen tv is broken or better yet arrived broken from the shipper...I would go after the shipped for the damage, not amazon.

I would remind him of the contract he signed and remind him of the consequences...ie I would report thw load as stolen along with his dot number ect AND sue him I to the stone age. He would go to jail, I would seize his truck ect for the money owed and be happy to sell his stuff off to pay for it. Yes a PITA but you have to be willing to not get screwed with...I am one of those people...oh and taken stlon goods over state lines...interstate commerce felony, so I can sic the bigger boys on him.

The point is I dont work with anyone that is not bonded, insured and has a good rep. I have a contract in place and know my rights. Any of those that screw with me learn the hard way.

Oh I also have a friend that was a broker...but because someone steals a load I cant see how you are liable. Your bond is to make sure you pay the shipper ect. You might have to submit stuff for a lawsuit, not no be personally liable for booking a legit shipment with a shipper. Again just like I cant be held liable for something I coukd have no knowledge of in a r e al estate contract (say mold in the walls that I coukd not see or dwfective wiring).

Originally Posted by Mick

I was a freight broker for several years. I was the "middle man" between the shipper, trucker and receiver (basically the same as what U-Ship does). I was absolutely responsible to the shipper for selecting the truck and to the truck for the load to be picked up. I was "bonded" and could be held liable to either party for certain things. What U-Ship has done is cherry pick the brokering aspect without being held responsible. There is PLENTY that can go wrong. The show Shipping Wars is "made-for-tv" but the problems (and "near-misses") portrayed are actually things that can go wrong.This is just one example - What would you do if somebody loaded your car, drove to another state, then called you demanding another $500 before he'd deliver it?

I would call the police, show him the signed contract, then file a report and have the guy arrested. Very simple. We can play the what-if game all day, but really comes down to doing your homework and due diligence (as you stated in original post). There was a similar problem in the moving business where guys would load a truck and demand more $ before offloading. The company was held to its contract and, as I recall, heavily fined (see Father and Son movers lawsuit Google). Anyway, even though Uship is brokering, you are still dealing with independent drivers that very typically are incorporated. Treat your dealings with them just as you would any other corporation. You stated that you were held responsible in your former job, but also went on to say that you selected the truck. Well, that puts the onus on you. With Uship, they just put the people together and give the shipper the choice of who they want to use. But they also offer insurance options to cover losses. I also think they offer a remediation service in worst-case situations as you describe, but I would have to look further into their info to confirm if they do this and how it works.