[TowerTalk] WSJ article on U-SHIP

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting write up
that discussed U-SHIP and related trucking issues.
(See:  WSJ, May 13, 2015, Page B7)

You might get the impression from reading TT that
U-SHIP is something like U-HAUL, being for individual
small shippers.  Actually, U-SHIP mainly replaces
traditional freight brokers with business to business
full loads hauled by professional owner operators.
It turns out that you don't have to be a freight
broker to offer a job on U-SHIP.  That's where
ham towers come in.  The article discusses the
"backhaul" problem.  I knew a truck driver who
told me that car haulers delivering cars from
Detroit to Florida would put plywood on the bottom
of the car haulers and pull oranges back up north
so the back haul wasn't a total waste.  These
wildcat loads were the origin of the U-SHIP concept,
where it is "let's make a deal".  Excellent reading.

Rick N6RK