Bear Shift Logistics LLCBear Shift Logistics LLC (“Bear Shift”, “we”, “us”) is a licensed property freight broker. This policy explains what information we collect when you contact us or use our services, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It applies to bearshift.com, quote.bearshift.com, tms.bearshift.com, to the private load links we send to carriers and their drivers (driver steps, bill of lading, rate confirmation and tracking pages), and to the email, SMS and WhatsApp messages we exchange with you.
1. Information we collect
We only collect what we need to quote, book and move freight.
| Category | Examples | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Contact details | Name, company, email address, phone number | You — quote form, email, SMS/WhatsApp, phone |
| Shipment details | Origin and destination, pickup/delivery dates, pallets, weight, dimensions, commodity, references | You |
| Carrier details | MC/USDOT number, insurance certificates, W-9, authority documents, driver name and contact for an assigned load | The carrier, and public FMCSA records |
| Message content | The emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages you send us and our replies | You |
| Shipment documents | Bills of lading, proof of delivery, cargo condition photos | Carriers and drivers |
| Driver location (GPS) | Precise location of the driver's phone (latitude, longitude, accuracy) with the date and time, while a load is in transit — see section 2 | The driver's phone, only when the driver turns sharing on or taps a check-in |
| Website usage | Pages viewed, approximate location by IP, device/browser type | Automatically, via our website |
We do not ask for or intentionally collect Social Security numbers, payment card numbers, health information, or any special categories of personal data. Please do not send them to us.
2. Driver location (GPS)
When we assign a load to a carrier we send its driver a private link (the driver steps page and the bill of lading). That page can share the precise location of the driver's phone with us. Because the driver usually works for the carrier and not for us, we set out here exactly how it works.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is collected | Latitude, longitude and the accuracy reported by the phone, with a timestamp and the load it belongs to. Nothing else — no contacts, no phone identifiers, and no location outside the loads we assign. |
| When | (a) At the instant the driver taps a check-in button (arrived or departed, at pickup or delivery): one point. (b) While the driver has ticked “Share my location while I run this load” and keeps that page open: about one point every one to two minutes, and only between arrival at the pickup and departure from the delivery. |
| Consent and control | Continuous sharing is off until the driver turns it on, and the phone asks for its own permission on top of that. Unticking the box, closing the page or denying the browser permission stops it immediately; the page shows whether sharing is actually on. Check-ins, photos and the bill of lading all work with no location at all. |
| Why we do it | So the customer can see that the shipment is moving without calling the driver, and so arrival and departure times can be evidenced when detention is billed, an appointment is missed, or a delay is disputed. |
| Who sees it | Our staff, and the customer of that shipment through the tracking link for that load. We do not sell it, do not use it for advertising, do not share it with the driver's employer as a performance measure, and do not use it to score or discipline drivers. |
| How long we keep it | Location points are deleted 180 days after delivery. The arrival and departure times stay in the shipment record, because broker records must be kept (see section 7). |
A driver who wants their location points deleted sooner can write to Ac@bearshift.com with the load number; we remove them for loads that are already delivered and not subject to an open claim or dispute.
3. How we use it
- To prepare quotes and respond to your inquiries.
- To arrange, dispatch, track and document freight shipments.
- To show the customer where their shipment is, when the driver has chosen to share location.
- To verify carrier authority, insurance and safety records before assigning a load (fraud prevention and compliance with 49 CFR Part 371 and related FMCSA requirements).
- To issue rate confirmations, bills of lading and invoices, and to process payments.
- To keep records we are required to keep as a licensed broker.
- To improve our service and, where you have asked for it, to send you service updates.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for automated decisions that produce legal effects about you.
4. SMS and WhatsApp messaging
No sharing of mobile data for marketing
No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the other categories in this policy exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties, except with the subprocessors strictly necessary to deliver the message to you (see section 5).
Consent
We send SMS or WhatsApp messages only to people who have given us their mobile number and asked us to contact them there — for example by submitting a quote request, by messaging us first, or by asking a Bear Shift representative to follow up by text. Consent to receive messages is never a condition of any purchase or of doing business with us.
What we send
Messages are operational, not promotional: quote replies, load status and appointment updates, document requests, and answers to questions you asked. Message frequency varies with your shipping activity.
How to stop
Reply STOP to any message to opt out; you will receive a single confirmation and no further messages. Reply HELP for assistance, or contact us at Ac@bearshift.com or (425) 754-5008. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
5. Who we share information with
We share only what is necessary, and only with:
- Carriers and drivers assigned to your shipment — pickup and delivery details, contact at the facility, and the reference numbers needed to complete the load. Carriers never receive what you pay us.
- Shippers and consignees involved in the same shipment — including, through the tracking link for that load, the driver's location while it is in transit, if the driver turned sharing on (section 2).
- Service providers that operate our systems on our behalf, bound to protect the data: our web host (Hostinger), our messaging providers (Twilio for SMS/WhatsApp; our email provider for email), and Anthropic, which processes message text so our assistant can draft a reply (see section 6).
- Public authority databases — we look up carriers in the FMCSA public registry. We send only the carrier's MC/USDOT number; we never send customer data there.
- Professional advisors, insurers and authorities when required by law, or to establish or defend a legal claim (for example, a cargo claim).
We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone.
6. Automated replies
To answer you faster, some incoming messages are processed by an AI assistant that reads your message and drafts a reply. Quotes it provides are non-binding estimates generated by our own pricing system. Messages involving claims, damage, payments, invoices, cancellations or legal matters are always routed to a person before anyone replies, and a Bear Shift employee can review any conversation at any time. You can ask to speak with a person at any point by replying to the message.
7. How long we keep it
- Shipment records, rate confirmations and bills of lading: at least three years, as required of licensed brokers under 49 CFR § 371.3.
- Cargo condition photos: 12 months, then deleted automatically.
- Driver location points: 180 days after delivery, then deleted automatically. The arrival and departure times themselves stay with the shipment record.
- Messages (email, SMS, WhatsApp): kept while you are an active contact and for a reasonable period afterwards for claims and audit purposes.
- Opt-out records: kept indefinitely, so we do not message you again by mistake.
8. How we protect it
Access to our systems requires an individual account and password, is limited by role, and is logged. Data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), documents are stored outside the public web root, and we take regular backups. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep your information safe and will notify you if a breach affecting your personal information occurs, as required by law.
9. Your choices and rights
Drivers: location sharing is optional. Leave the box unticked, untick it at any time, close the page, or deny the permission in your phone — nothing is collected and you can still do your check-ins, photos and paperwork. See section 2.
You may ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you, or to stop contacting you. Write to Ac@bearshift.com and we will respond within 30 days. We may need to keep records that broker regulations require us to retain, and we will tell you if that is the case.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights (for example under the Washington My Health My Data Act or the California Consumer Privacy Act). We honor those requests regardless of where you are located.
Children
Our services are for businesses. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16.
Changes to this policy
If we make a material change we will update the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you directly.
10. Contact us
Bear Shift Logistics LLC
410 N Main St, Ste 100 Buffalo, WY 82834
Email: Ac@bearshift.com
Phone: (425) 754-5008
MC 1784949 USDOT 4509218 Licensed property broker