Meredith Cunningham is the production/online editor for Retail Online Integration, its e-newsletter, The ROI Report, and website, RetailOnlineIntegration.com. Meredith is also the production/online editor for the Target Marketing Group's web-only brand, eM+C.
Before coming to North American Publishing Company, Meredith served as sports editor for The Evening Bulletin in Philadelphia, and was a designer for the Bucks County Courier-Times. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Utica College of Syracuse University in 2007.
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Postage rate increases have gone into effect; consumers want — scratch that — expect free shipping; and don't forget about returns. Yes, shipping can be stressful for the everyday multichannel retailer. But count your blessings because your shipping woes could be a lot worse, as seen on A&E's newest show "Shipping Wars."
Most large retailers have their own distribution centers, so they don't have to worry about placing bids on uShip, also known as "the eBay of transportation." uShip is a site where people post "unusual or oversized items" that they're looking to have shipped. Most items are pretty standard (e.g., cars or statues), but there are cases when oddities pop up, such as a massive puppet from "Little Shop of Horrors."
Once items are posted on uShip, carriers then bid against each other for the right to ship the item(s). At the end of each episode, each shipper receives a customer rating and review. Like traditional shipping services, these ratings improve credibility.
Here are just a few reasons to be thankful your shipping efforts aren't this complicated in a breakdown of the first three episodes of "Shipping Wars":
Episode 1: Pilot
What happens when an item is too large? In the pilot episode, carrier Roy Garber was tasked with carrying a 12-foot high horse statue from Ripley's Believe it or Not in New York City to Florida. But the Lincoln Tunnel is only 13-feet high. What happens if the horse was to be ruined because of the low overhang?
What happens when a shipper gets pulled over? Rookie shipper Jarrett Joyce was pulled over for not having the proper tags on his trailer. Joyce's trailer is registered in South Carolina, which doesn't require trailer tags. He was instructed to pull over in the next town and complete all the necessary paperwork. Joyce was fined $2,000 and he ended up taking a $1,800 loss on the item he was transporting. His delivery was late. Late deliveries equal late fees, and substantial setbacks often cost shippers a hefty out-of-pocket expense.
Episode 2: Double Down in Beantown
This episode saw married couple Scott and Suzanne Bawcoms run into a problem with weigh stations. A small crack in their truck's hubcap proved to be quite costly for the couple.
Episode 3: Bullship
Want to ship inbred bulls from Texas to Ohio? Shipper Jennifer Brennan won that bid … and had a hell of a time. Not only did she have to ship the "bucking bulls" used in professional bull riding championships, she had to herd them just to get them into her trailer. This trip was scheduled to take three days, but Brennan couldn't leave the angry bulls in the trailer all day and night. Therefore, she ended up using bull hotels to store her precious cargo, which cost her $60 for two nights. Plus she had to stop and feed the animals and clean up after them. When all was said and done, Brennan's original $1,000 profit dwindled to $540.
Meanwhile, the worst thing to happen to Marc Springer is that he left cargo behind — blades for a gyrocopter. Springer had to backtrack an hour and the mistake cost him a hotel stay.
"Shipping Wars" airs on Tuesday nights on A&E. I recommend checking it out. Next time you want to complain about what a hassle shipping is and how offering free shipping is hurting your bottom line, take into account what a bizarre path some items can take to get to their destination.
What would you do if you came across similar problems? Do you have any bizarre shipping stories? Let me know by posting a comment below.
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