Holiday Shipping 101
Put Hassle-free Shipping on Your List This Year

With the end of the year and the holidays upon us, the last thing anyone wants to deal with are the typical shipping hassles and inconveniences that accompany a heavy shipping season. The following information and tips will help you give yourself the gift of smooth shipping this year.

Freight
The following tips will help alleviate stress by enabling you streamline and simplify your freight shipping.

Be Smart About Pallets
Pallets, when not packed and wrapped with care, can become a shipping nightmare. Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid pallet headaches with a few simple steps.

• Many shippers try to save a few dollars by skimping on shrink-wrap. All too often, boxes fall off of poorly wrapped pallets and are damaged or lost. A good rule of thumb is to use two to three complete wraps around the pallet to ensure a secure load.
• If every box on your pallet is not going to be labeled individually, it’s a smart idea to at least mark each box 1 of 10, 2 of 10, etc. By doing so, you can minimize the risk of any boxes being missed if they should fall off the pallet. In addition, it is recommended that you mark somewhere on the pallet how many total boxes are in the shipment.

Deal Carefully with Damages
If the worst happens and one of your shipments shows up damaged, don’t panic. Calmly and carefully observing the following tips may help resolve the situation in your favor.

• The most important thing you can do when there are damages to a shipment is to completely fill out the claims form. While this seems like such a common sense recommendation, many customers neglect to take the time to understand and properly complete claims forms, which can often lead to rejection of the claim. Call the carrier if you’re not sure how to fill out a form, because it is ultimately up to the customer to prove that the carrier caused the damage. In addition, take pictures, if possible. Having photographic evidence of the damage will go a long way in justifying your claim.
• Make sure that you mark on the BOL that there are damages and have it signed by the driver to be submitted with the claim. Be sure to include details such as the quantity of boxes damaged, descriptions of the damage, etc. Again, make sure the driver has dated and signed the BOL before he or she leaves.
• If you discover damage after the driver has already left, stop unpacking the shipment and retain all the packaging. Contact the carrier immediately and request that an inspector be sent to review the damage. Refrain from using any of the products from the damaged shipment, and if you must use some of the non-damaged goods, get approval in writing from the carrier’s terminal manager.

Other Important Tips

• Drivers are just like everyone else and like to take time off around the holidays. This can result in carriers having a shortage of drivers and can potentially lead to delays. It is recommended to move up your scheduled pickup time(s) by at least an hour during the holidays to mitigate any potential problems.
• If your shipment has some value to it, check your carrier’s liability limits. When in doubt, put insurance on your shipment. The peace of mind and protection that it provides will justify the extra expense.
• Avoid having your shipment audited by the carrier (and the cost potentially increased) by properly classifying your shipment. Your risk of an audit rises dramatically when an incorrect NMFC code is used, either deliberately or by accident.

A little extra time and effort is all it takes to ensure that your end-of-year shipping is as worry-free as possible. Unishippers would like to wish all of its customers safe and happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

Customer Chronicles
Stellar Shipping Helps Make Alumacraft Boats Unsinkable

For over sixty years, Alumacraft (www.alumacraft.com) has been building its reputation as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of fishing boats. Established in 1946, the company specializes in crafting smooth-riding, high quality aluminum boats that are built to last. With powered craft varying in length from 12 to 21 feet, as well as a line of canoes, Alumacraft offers its customers unparalleled craftsmanship and attention to detail in each of its products.

As America’s largest independently owned boat manufacturer, it is absolutely essential that Alumacraft is able to deliver its boats in a secure, efficient and timely manner to its customers. For the past four years, Alumacraft has trusted its shipping to Unishippers, and the results have been outstanding. Mike Ellis, Alumacraft’s purchasing manager, couldn’t be happier with the company’s shipping partner. "Unishippers does a great job for us in so many ways, from the web tools they provide to the great pricing," Mike says.

According to Mike, one of his favorite aspects of Alumacraft’s relationship with Unishippers is the access he has to the shipping provider’s Freight Manager tool. "We like the ‘what if’ aspect of Freight Manager," Mike says. "It’s great to be able to instantly see all the pricing and transit time options for each of our many shipments. Freight Manager has been a great asset to our company’s shipping."

Having a Unishippers office nearby with a knowledgeable, trained staff is a huge asset to a company with such diverse shipping needs as Alumacraft. "Our local Unishippers office is very responsive," Mike enthuses. "They understand our company’s business and what our shipping needs are, and they deliver the results we need. We know we can count on them to get the job done."

As Alumacraft’s business continues to expand, it knows Unishippers will be there every step of the way as its trusted shipping advisor. For Mike, the knowledge that Unishippers is at his company’s side makes him confident that there will be smooth sailing ahead. "Unishippers is just consistently reliable," Mike summarizes. "We know that we can count on them to get our shipments done in a timely fashion and at the best price."

Did U Know?
Stay Connected with Unishippers

Unishippers is constantly looking for new and better ways to keep our customers informed and up-to-date. Accordingly we are pleased to announce Unishippers’ presence on two of the most popular social networking sites in the world, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Facebook
Unishippers’ Facebook page is located at www.facebook.com/unishippers. This corporate page is constantly updated with shipping tips, product and service updates, holiday shipping schedules and tips, carrier updates, Unishippers announcements, customer testimonials, Express Manager and Freight Manager news, and fun videos. Coming soon to this constantly expanding page will be discussion and survey features. Become a fan of Unishippers today.

LinkedIn
Unishippers’ LinkedIn company profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/companies/unishippers. Here you can view profiles of Unishippers employees, and learn more about the company and its key statistics. Visit us on LinkedIn to get more information on the "who’s" and the "what’s" behind your trusted shipping advisor.

Fast Facts: EINs are the New SSNs

All Unishippers customers need to be aware of a new policy from the U.S. Census Bureau regarding Electronic Export Information (EEI) filing. Effective December 4, 2009 international shippers will no longer be able to use Social Security Numbers (SSNs) when filing EEIs.

From that date forward, government-issued Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) will be required for identification purposes in EEI filings. EINs can be acquired by registering online at IRS.gov or by calling (800) 829-4933 and following the instructions. If you have any questions regarding this new policy or any other aspect of your shipping process, your local Unishippers office will be happy to assist you.

New Carrier Spotlight: Oak Harbor Freight Lines

Oak Harbor Freight Lines has been one of Unishippers’ carrier partners since September of this year. In that short time, this venerable carrier has already earned accolades from Unishippers customers across the northwestern United States.

Founded in 1916, Washington-based Oak Harbor has earned strong name recognition in the logistics industry for its low claims rate and high reliability. Miles Shepard, Unishippers’ Director of Transportation Products, says that when Unishippers was looking for a strong, high caliber regional carrier in the Pacific Northwest, Oak Harbor fit the bill perfectly. "They are reliable, they have an enviably low claims rate and they are just great to work with," he states.

Speed is another asset Oak Harbor brings to its Unishippers partnership. "One of the greatest advantages they offer as a regional carrier is that the majority of their direct points are next day to second day," says Miles.

With 27 dedicated terminals in five states and more than 1,000 employees, Oak Harbor has proven a great match for Unishippers and its customers, and the partnerships’ future looks even brighter.

Saving You Time, Trouble and Money
2009 Holiday Shipping Schedules

As the holidays approach, we want to help you avoid any unnecessary shipping delays and direct you to the 2009/10 holiday shipping schedule for our carrier partners. You will find them on the Unishippers website. Click here for our freight partners’ schedules. We will continue to post our freight partners’ schedules as we receive them so please check back often.

Estes Express
Estes will have limited operations on Thursday, December 24, 2009 and will be closed on Friday, December 25, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010.

Roadrunner Transportation Services
Roadrunner operations will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2009; Friday, December 25, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010.

Saia®
Saia will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2009; Friday, December 25, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010.

YRC
YRC will be closed on Thursday, December 24, 2009; Friday, December 25, 2009; Thursday, December 31, 2009 and Friday, January 1, 2010.

Other Carriers
For our other freight partners’ schedules please visit our website here or call your local Unishippers office.

Please contact your local Unishippers office at 866.574.4774 if you have any questions. We value your business and wish you the happiest of holidays.

White Glove Service Adds a Touch of Class to Deliveries

Unishippers and its freight carrier partner Old Dominion have teamed up to offer White Glove service, which is designed to make our customers’ deliveries even more convenient than before. When you select White Glove service on your delivery to residential, medical, retail and other related facilities, you will be able to have inside delivery made to the room of your choice, with light assembly and packaging debris removal included.

This new service comes in four levels, allowing you to customize your deliver experience to suit your shipping needs:

• Level 1: Delivery across the threshold
• Level 2: Delivery to room of choice, up to two flights of stairs
• Level 3: Delivery to room of choice, up to two flight of stairs, unpack, debris removal and up to 15 minutes of assembly without tools
• Level 4: Delivery to room of choice, up to two flight of stairs, unpack, debris removal and up to 30 minutes of assembly with adjustable wrench and screwdriver

Your local Unishippers office can help you arrange White Glove service on your next shipment, as well as help you select the level that best fits your needs. White Glove service is just one more example of how Unishippers and its carrier partners offer the choices and value to their customers in the industry.