Shipping Wars is a reality TV series on A&E that began airing on January 10, 2012. The show follows six independent carriers who have discovered that fortunes can be made transporting items that traditional carriers either cannot or will not haul. The series also features uShip, the world’s largest online auction house for independent truckers. For Season 1, the featured carriers are Marc Springer, Roy Garber, Jennifer Brennan, Jarrett Joyce, and Suzanne and Scott Bawcom. Starting with Season 2, the Bawcoms are replaced by the team of Christopher Hanna and Robbie Welsh. Season 3 premiered on December 12, 2012 . New shippers Johnny Chavez and the team of Chelsea Grant and Courtney Aguilera appear in Season 4.
In a typical episode, the carriers place bids on two jobs listed on uShip, in a reverse auction format. Each client has the option of awarding the job either to the lowest bidder, or to a higher bidder based on feedback from previous clients. Ties are broken in favor of the carrier with the higher average feedback rating. Winners load their cargo and attempt to deliver it intact by the client's deadline. Feedback ratings from clients are displayed as the loads are delivered. At the end of the episode, each carrier's net profit or loss is tallied on-screen, with the expenses subtracted from the bid amount to determine the overall profit or loss. At times, a carrier will arrange to haul one or more additional loads on the same trip, with the extra money figured into his/her tally.
