uShip

What uShip does

uShip is a two-sided online transportation marketplace founded in 2004 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, connecting shippers with a nationwide network of more than 35,000 active carriers for vehicles, motorcycles, boats, furniture, household goods, less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, and heavy equipment. The core platform operates on an auction-style listing model: shippers post shipments for free, carriers submit competing quotes, and the marketplace handles matching, secure payment holding (uShip Payments), optional cargo protection (uShip Protection Plan, Ship with Confidence Guarantee), and real-time tracking. Underlying technical components include an LTL freight class calculator, native mobile apps for iOS/Android, and a multi-tier API stack (LTL Connect, LTL Direct, LTL Portal) enabling enterprise and e-commerce integration.

Revenue is generated primarily through marketplace transaction fees paid by carriers on successful bookings, supplemented by a subscription-based Power Carrier Program and managed-services contracts with enterprise shippers. Distribution combines direct self-serve web/mobile traffic, content marketing (cost calculators, educational guides, The Long Haul podcast), and embedded partnerships with Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, and Proxibid, which surface uShip rates at point-of-sale in e-commerce and auction flows. The platform serves a distributed long-tail of individual and SMB shippers alongside enterprise customers such as AgXplore, and operates across 12 countries spanning North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and Asia.

Name

uShip

Legal name

uShip Inc.

Website

https://uship.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

uShip is an online shipping marketplace founded in 2004 that connects individual, SMB, and enterprise shippers with 35,000+ carriers for vehicles, furniture, LTL freight, and heavy equipment across 12 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Transaction Fees: Carriers pay service fees when they successfully book and complete shipments through the uShip marketplace. The platform charges fees for listing visibility, quote submissions, and successful bookings.
2. Premium Carrier Services: Power Carrier Program offers exclusive benefits and perks for carriers who meet performance criteria, generating additional revenue through enhanced placement and features.
3. Business Solutions: Enterprise accounts, API integrations, and co-branded portals for e-commerce businesses (Shopify, Etsy) that want to offer uShip-powered shipping, with volume-based pricing and account-specific rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

uShip operates an online shipping marketplace that connects shippers needing to transport large, bulky, or specialty items (cars, motorcycles, boats, furniture, household goods, freight, and heavy equipment) with a nationwide network of over 35,000 active professional and independent carriers. Shippers post listings for free and receive competing bids from verified carriers, then book and pay through a secure escrow-style payment system that releases funds upon delivery confirmation.

Product overview

uShip is an online shipping marketplace platform founded in 2004 that connects shippers with over 35,000 active carriers for transporting vehicles, furniture, freight, and heavy equipment. The core platform enables users to list shipments and receive competing quotes from verified carriers. The product portfolio includes dedicated services for car shipping, motorcycle transport, boat shipping, furniture moving, LTL freight, and heavy equipment transport. Business solutions include In-Home Delivery for eCommerce retailers, Vehicle Digital Delivery for auto dealerships, and LTL freight management with API integrations (LTL Connect, LTL Direct, LTL Portal). Supporting services include uShip Payments (secure payment holding), uShip Protection Plan (cargo insurance), Ship with Confidence Guarantee, real-time tracking, and mobile apps for both shippers and carriers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• uShip Marketplace The core online shipping marketplace connecting shippers with professional and independent carriers. Enables users to list shipments, compare multiple carrier quotes, and book transport services for vehicles, furniture, freight, boats, and heavy equipment. Free to list for shippers.
• Vehicle Shipping Service Car shipping service connecting individual and business users with auto transporters for cross-country, state-to-state, and long-distance transport of cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, classic cars, and non-running vehicles via open or enclosed transport options.
• Motorcycle Shipping Service Motorcycle transport service with open and enclosed shipping options for cruisers, sport bikes, vintage bikes, dirt bikes, and custom motorcycles. Includes door-to-door delivery nationwide.
• Furniture Moving Service Professional furniture movers service for residential and commercial furniture transport. Connects users with carriers experienced in handling furniture, antiques, and delicate items with blanket-wrap and white-glove options.
• LTL Freight Shipping Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight shipping platform for palletized and crated goods weighing 150 to 15,000 pounds. Offers instant rates from national and regional carriers with freight class calculation.
• Boat Shipping Service Boat transport service for powerboats, sailboats, yachts, personal watercraft, and boat parts. Offers cross-country, seasonal, and oversized boat transport with specialized trailers and equipment.
• Heavy Equipment Transport Heavy equipment shipping for construction, farm, commercial, and industrial equipment. Includes flatbed, step deck, and double drop deck options with oversize load permit coordination.
• Household Goods Shipping Large household goods shipping for furniture, appliances, and oversized items that exceed parcel service limits. Features first-to-final-mile delivery and blanket-wrap protection.
• In-Home Delivery Solution Business solution for eCommerce retailers offering first-to-final-mile delivery for household items. Includes API integration for instant rates at checkout, curated carrier network, and managed services.
• Vehicle & Motorcycle Digital Delivery Business solution for auto dealerships, auctions, and software vendors to ship cars and motorcycles directly to customer driveways with streamlined digital logistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• New shipments posted every 30 seconds
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify app integration enabling e-commerce retailers to display instant shipping rates at checkout and streamline the listing process. Merchants can connect their Shopify store to access uShip's nationwide carrier network without leaving their platform.
• EtsycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration for Etsy sellers shipping big, bulky items from their shops. Provides instant quotes, access to 35,000+ carriers, and earn credits with every shipment for future deliveries.
• eBaycoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified eBay Compatible Application and featured in eBay Solutions Directory. Allows import of auction listings from eBay with automatic synchronization of tracked items, shipping price estimates, and auction widget integration.
• Ritchie Bros. AuctioneerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation partner for Ritchie Bros. auctions throughout the U.S. and Canada. Ritchie Bros. Shipping Center allows buyers to arrange transport for heavy equipment purchased at auction. Supports lot import from Ritchie Bros. account.
• ProxibidminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntegration allowing import of auction listings from Proxibid platform with pre-filled shipment information.
• SaferWatchcoreTechnology or IntegrationCompliance monitoring partner for carrier verification and safety tracking. Helps monitor safety and regulatory information for carriers on the uShip marketplace.
• Various LTL CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with leading national and regional less-than-truckload carriers providing freight transportation services through the uShip marketplace platform.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shiply: UK-based reverse-auction shipping marketplace connecting consumers and businesses with transport providers for furniture, vehicles, and bulky items. Most direct competitor to uShip in the big-and-bulky consumer shipping marketplace model.
• GoShip: Online LTL and full-truckload freight marketplace providing instant quotes from a network of carriers. Closely comparable to uShip's LTL and freight shipping products with a similar self-serve quote-comparison model.
• Montway Auto Transport: Specialist vehicle-shipping broker operating a carrier network for car transport. Directly comparable to uShip's vehicle shipping vertical, competing for the same shipper demand and carrier supply.
• Sherpa Auto Transport: Vehicle-shipping broker with a national carrier network and price-lock guarantee model. Directly comparable to uShip's vehicle shipping service in customer profile and carrier marketplace structure.

Broad incumbents

• Freightquote by C.H. Robinson: LTL, truckload, and specialty freight brokerage owned by C.H. Robinson, one of the largest North American 3PLs. Comparable to uShip's LTL freight offering but as part of a much broader enterprise logistics portfolio.
• Uber Freight: Digital freight marketplace from Uber covering full truckload, intermodal, and brokerage. Comparable marketplace model to uShip's LTL/FTL freight shipping but at significantly larger scale and capital base.
• Flexport: Digital freight forwarder offering ocean, air, and ground services with a software-forward platform. Comparable to uShip as a tech-enabled freight intermediary but operating primarily in international forwarding rather than domestic big-and-bulky.
• ShipBob: E-commerce fulfillment and shipping platform serving Shopify, WooCommerce, and other merchants. Comparable to uShip's business solutions (In-Home Delivery, LTL API) in serving e-commerce merchants needing big-and-bulky shipping.
• u-Haul: Dominant North American truck/trailer rental and self-move provider serving both consumers and businesses. Indirectly comparable to uShip's furniture moving and household goods shipping as a substitute service for do-it-yourself movers.

Emerging players

• CitizenShipper: Peer-to-peer marketplace for shipping vehicles, pets, and large items, with a niche focus on customer-to-customer transport. Emerging competitor with comparable marketplace mechanics but smaller carrier base than uShip.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uShip
• Facebookfacebook.com/uShip
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about uShip