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A&E’s new ‘Shipping Wars’ series trailer vid — and the operators featured
December 21, 2011
| by: Todd Dills
There’s a new reality-TV series coming January 10, with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 9:30 p.m., EST and PST, to the A&E network. You may have heard a little about it already here in Overdrive. The trailer vid for the Shipping Wars show is embedded below, and I thought I’d take a moment to introduce the hotshot haulers (and one Class 8 driver) involved.
The show springs from producers’ involvement with the folks behind the uShip.com online freight marketplace, which if you’re not familiar with it allows for owner-operators to bid on freight in real time via an eBay-like system. It’s an appropriately competitive arena, given the earnings-contest nature of the show, following on other A&E programs about various businesses, from Parking Wars (about Philadelphia tow-truck operators) to Storage Wars (about the storage auction business).
Among the operators competing for the most earnings on the show is Class 8 hauler Marc Springer (pictured), in business for just under a year. The remainder:
**Jennifer Brennan (also pictured), a rookie hauler who began hauling livestock and has expanded into more exotic hauls, such as a water buffalo and a million-dollar Ferrari.
**Jarrett Joyce, in business for several months.
**Roy Garber, a two-year owner-operator and one of the top earners among the contestants going into the competition.
**Veteran husband-wife team Scott and Suzanne Bawcom of Dream Time Transportation. Scott is a former bomb squad specialist in Iraq turned trucker, with Suzanne working the back office and occasionally jumping in a second truck in the business.
Keep an eye out for the Jan. 10 premiere. And for now, here’s that trailer.
I am an independent trucker, own my own 2006 Peterbilt cab over sleeper conventional rig; flatbed trailer. I move for the military and other subcontractors around the country. I live in Liberty Hill, TX, just north of Austin, TX. I am very interested in competing in your show. Please send detailed information.
Seth, It’s not our show — get in touch with the folks at A&E or uShip for that.
I have not seen your show yet but I can’t wait. I can’t wait because I’ve been in the loop for many years and have hauled loads that make cars move over three lanes and look at me like im crazy. Maybe a little, but you have to be. I still haul once in a while but for the most part I have people call me for advice on how haul all types of loads. how to tie how to strap,chain,rope,winch,wrap,stak,prop the load, and get thru the scales.It’s the best job there is.Something new every day.I can’t wait to see how you do it.Good luck.FARGO69
I’ll definitely be checking it out on Jan. 10th, but I’m afraid I already have some questionable feelings from what I’ve read so far. I see where the participants consist of only one class 8 driver who has only 1yr experience, a young lady who is a self proclaimed rookie, and two more hotshotters. One with several months experience and the other with two years. It seems to me that if the shows producers were truly interested in shining a positive light on the industry that they could have found a more experienced cast of players. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see how it all plays out. On a more positive note, I have noticed that “Truck Stop Missouri” has silently disappeared. I doubt that it will be missed, sorry fellas.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. It ought to be an interesting show — given the hotshot nature of much of uShip “retail” freight, I don’t know how much it will reflect on the trucking industry writ large whether positive or negative. I’ve talked with the Bawcoms a bit, and will be sharing their story later, and they at least feel that the reality of the business should be fairly clear, if nothing else. I’ll share more of my talk with the Bawcoms, who’ve actually been in business close to five years at this point, and doing a majority of their hotshot business direct with shippers today, fairly soon. Keep tuned.
I have not seen your show this is the first time I’m even hearing about IT. I don’t think I’ll be watching due to me running my company GWR 2and sons transportation.I’ve been in the trucking profession since the 1900′s and I’m quite sure we’ll be talking about it on the radio doing our own reviews and listening to others comments all the best.
I have to agree with Bandit. Being a 20-plus year veteran driver and small fleet operator I have my concerns of how the lack of experience will reflect on the industry.However I will try and watch the show with the same respect I give any driver who is out there trying to make a living.This business is getting tougher every year and maybe this show can shine a good light on what we as professional drivers deal with.
[...] of truck-driving reality-TV series debuts tonight, with back-to-back half-hour episodes of ‘Shipping Wars’ occupying the 9 p.m. (ET and PT) hour on A&E. The debate over whether the show will be a boon [...]
This is real! THESE GUYS ARE ALL CRAZY! cAN’T WAIT LOVE IT ALREADY
Well I watched as much of it as I could, including the marathon they had on Last Friday. IT was awful!! It’s been brought to light that some of them had no authority to even haul loads during the taping of the show. Scott even hauled for Uship for almost 2 years after having his authority revoked. (he’s since got it back) Jennifer was a plant, she had her authority for all of 6 months. This was just a bunch of staged drama.
[...] their Dream Time Transportation business, in Overdrive‘s January 2012 issue, or check out the series trailer vid over on the Channel 19 blog. And for a bit of the show’s flavor: The first season featured the carriers competing to [...]