uShip is an open marketplace for people who need to move large items from one location to another. Users can post their shipping needs, and then transportation service providers can bid on the shipment. You can read customer reviews and select the company best suited to complete the job.

uShip’s movers include large and small businesses. uShip doesn’t prequalify or validate the licenses of any shipping company for most marketplace shipments, so you’ll need to do your homework before selecting a carrier. Before agreeing to work with a carrier, ensure that it has U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers, which are required for companies that operate vehicles hauling cargo in interstate commerce.

Start by completing a free listing so that companies can start providing you with quotes. The amount of time it takes to receive quotes varies based on the origin and destination of your shipment, but most listings receive quotes within 24 to 48 hours of submission.

You must provide as much information as possible to get the most accurate bid, as in-home estimates are not provided by uShip. The platform allows you to create an inventory of the items you want to ship, and you can upload photos to show the items you’ll be transporting. If you underestimate how much stuff you have, it can cost you a lot more on moving day.

The uShip app allows you to track your move while it's in progress. However, the carrier you select must have its location sharing turned on for this to work. You can ask about this during the bidding process.

The “Ship with Confidence” Guarantee means uShip compensates you up to $500 if your items are lost or damaged. If you want additional peace of mind, you can purchase a uShip Protection Plan at the time of checkout (available to most U.S.-based customers). The price of a uShip Protection Plan varies depending on the types of items you’re shipping.

Transporters operating across state lines must have Motor Carrier (MC) and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) numbers. There may be noncompliant service providers on uShip, though, that aren’t licensed to move things legally across state lines. uShip doesn’t prequalify movers or transporters, so always ask about insurance and licensing before accepting a bid. The company does use SaferWatch, a third-party service, to monitor whether a carrier has an active or inactive insurance policy.

Once you post a shipment listing, you get bids from multiple service providers. The shipping calculator helps you estimate what the move should approximately cost so that you can better assess which bids are competitive.

Here are a few examples of bids we received on uShip’s platform to ship a variety of items:

uShip also offers a military discount through ID.me for active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces, veterans and military spouses.