When the producers of A&E network’s “Shipping Wars” went shopping for colorful characters with strong personalities, Jennifer Brennan was a shoe-in.
“They were looking for someone who wouldn’t take crap from anyone,” Brennan says. The petite, 30-year-old goods transporter attributes her always-stand-your-ground attitude to her Southern roots. “I was born in Texas and spent a lot of my summers with family in Alabama. I’m a type A personality. I believe what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong,” she says.
Brennan, who lives in Austin, Texas, often takes a special interest in transporting animals. She was raised around farming and livestock and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty to get the job done. “It’s just the way I grew up. I was a tomboy, playing in creeks and riding horses and things like that,” Brennan says. “And I really love anything that has to do with animals.”
Only one of the stars of the show, Marc Springer, regularly drives an 18-wheeler. The rest of the contestants rely on dualies and one-ton pickups with various pull-behinds trailers to compete for loads. Brennan has a gooseneck and an enclosed bumper-pull trailer.
Brennan says since the show only focuses on certain loads, the viewers don’t always see the final profits for a set period for each star. “On a good week, I can [gross] $3,000 to $4,000 and bring home $2,500 to $3,000,” she says. “My business is pretty good. Besides the uShip loads, I have picked up some business by word of mouth.”
Overdrive: What’s your favorite load you have hauled on the show?
Brennan: The pig. I miss him still to this day. I named him Wilbur and he was with me two weeks. I got pretty attached.
Overdrive: What’s your favorite hobby?
Brennan: I have two: working out and hunting. I rifle hunt and bow hunt. I hunt hog, dove, deer and turkey. My fiancé’s family’s ranch is in Mason, Texas. We are a part of Willow Creek wildlife management, meaning we manage the population of the animals on the property. We do not shoot [just] to kill. We eat everything we shoot. We process all the meat ourselves.
Overdrive: How hard was it to get used to TV cameras following you around?
Brennan: Very hard. I would get so frustrated because they are in your face and will not turn cameras off when you’re having a problem. When I cry it’s because I’m frustrated. But now I don’t even know they are there. They know if I am moving an animal they better move or get run over.
Overdrive: What’s something else that most people don’t know about you?
Brennan: I am a huge college football fan. I have watched 16 hours of football on a Saturday alone. Another funny fact about me is I only take baths. I wash my hair in the bathtub. I don’t know why. My sister is the same way. When I walk into a hotel and they only have a shower, I hate it. I know, strange, but I have always been that way.
