Tag Archives: shipping

Etsy Shipping for Beginners: Package, Print, and Ship Your First Order

Video

Video Description

Congratulations on your first Etsy sale! Now it’s time to ship your order with confidence. In this beginner-friendly video, I walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to ship your first Etsy package the right way.

In this video, I cover:
✔️ How to set up your Etsy shipping profile (and why it matters before your first sale)
✔️ The difference between processing time and shipping time
✔️ The basic shipping supplies you’ll need to get started
✔️ How to weigh, measure, and package your first order
✔️ How to buy and print your Etsy shipping label
✔️ How to create a USPS scan form for easier drop-offs and pickups
✔️ Common shipping mistakes new sellers make — and how to avoid them

Whether you’re shipping T-shirts, handmade crafts, or digital downloads with physical extras, this guide will help you avoid costly errors and get your orders out smoothly.

This is Part 1 of my Etsy Shipping Series — make sure to check out my upcoming videos on:

Etsy Shipping Costs: How to Price Your Items Without Losing Money

The Best Etsy Shipping Supplies (and Where to Get Them)

How to Ship Internationally on Etsy

Timestamps
00:00 – How to Ship Your First Etsy Order
00:52 – Setting Up Your Shipping Profile
06:09 – Creating a Shipping Profile
12:08 – Shipping Supplies You’ll Need
15:22 – Packing Your First Order
16:23 – Buying u0026 Printing Labels
21:10 – Creating a USPS Scan Form
24:39 – Common Shipping Mistakes to Avoid
26:55 – What’s Coming in the Next Videos

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Helpful Links:
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📊 Everbee – https://www.everbee.io/?via=shawn

🏦 Relay (Best Business Checking Account) – https://relayfi.com/hws

Subscribe for more Etsy tips u0026 tutorials:
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Strait of Hormuz Week 4 In Shipping | Is the Aya-TOLL-ah Booth Open to Everyone?

Video

Video Description

The Week Four recap of the events transpiring in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf covers issues including the latest update from the Joint Maritime Information Center; the major news stories as featured in gCaptain; the latest passages over the past 48 hours via Marine Traffic; and how may the United States used the newly arrived Marines in the area.

Contact What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

UKMTO JMIC Advisories
https://www.ukmto.org/partner-products/jmic-products/jmic-advisories/2026

Marine Traffic
www.marinetraffic.com

gCaptain
www.gcaptain.com

A Trans-Pacific Traffic Jam | What’s Going on With Shipping?

Video

Video Description

November 30, 2021

On this episode of What's Going on With Shipping, host Sal Mercogliano – Chair of the Department of History, Criminal Justice, and Political Science, former merchant mariner, and instructor of Maritime History, Security and Industry Policy – discusses recent comments regarding the reduction of vessels in the anchorages off Southern California and an Op-Ed by Frank Coles on the plight of mariners.

Frank Coles: Out of Sight Means Out of Mind
https://gcaptain.com/frank-coles-out-of-sight-means-out-of-mind/

US Labor Secretary Visits Top West Coast Ports as Union Talks Loom
https://gcaptain.com/us-labor-secretary-visits-top-west-coast-ports-as-union-talks-loom/

Recent Progress at Our Ports: Robust Inventories and New Moves toward Greater Velocity
https://www.whitehouse.gov/nec/briefing-room/2021/11/29/recent-progress-at-our-ports-robust-inventories-and-new-moves-toward-greater-velocity/?utm_source=twitter

Port of Los Angeles SIGNAL Report
https://signal.portoptimizer.com/

Port of Long Beach WAVE Report
https://polb.com/port-info/wave-weekly-advance-volume-estimate/

Marine Exchange of Southern California FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/Mxsocal

Secretary Walsh Visits Port of Los Angeles
https://youtu.be/wkabuoqRsO8

Shipping is Afire | Attacks off Kuwait | No Escorts, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve & the Jones Act

Video

Video Description

The March 12, 2026, update discusses the attack on two tankers off the coast of Kuwait and a containership off the UAE. We provide an update on shipping news including some national perspectives. Finally, an examination of Secretary Wright's comments about convoying, the issues with conducting convoy operations and the proposal to waive the Jones Act for 30 days in an effort stem fuel costs in the United States.

Contact What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

00:00 Introduction
02:11 March 12 Update Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz
06:59 News Updates
09:48 How the US is Fumbling Global Shipping: Escorts, SPR u0026 The Jones Act

Tankers and Containership Hit Across Persian Gulf as Maritime Attacks Continue
https://gcaptain.com/tankers-and-containership-hit-across-persian-gulf-as-maritime-attacks-continue/

Explosive Sea Drones Emerge as New Threat to Tankers in Gulf Attacks
https://gcaptain.com/explosive-sea-drones-emerge-as-new-threat-to-tankers-in-gulf-attacks/

Covert Shores
https://www.hisutton.com/IRGC-USV.html

JMIC Advisories
https://www.ukmto.org/partner-products/jmic-products/jmic-advisories/2026

Iran’s shadow fleet disrupted by Middle East war
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156581/Iran%E2%80%99s-shadow-fleet-disrupted-by-Middle-East-war

Middle East VLCC indexes are still near peak but Atlantic rates are sinking
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156591/Middle-East-VLCC-indexes-are-still-near-peak-but-Atlantic-rates-are-sinking

Up to 140 containerships at risk in Gulf as indiscriminate attacks spread
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156596/Up-to-140-containerships-at-risk-in-Gulf-as-indiscriminate-attacks-spread

Indian Source Says Iran to Allow India-Flagged Tankers Through Hormuz as First Tanker Arrives
https://gcaptain.com/indian-source-says-iran-to-allow-india-flagged-tankers-through-hormuz-as-first-tanker-arrives/

Norway Bars Its Ships From Hormuz as Attacks on Merchant Vessels Escalate
https://gcaptain.com/norway-bars-its-ships-from-hormuz-as-attacks-on-merchant-vessels-escalate/

US Hormuz Escorts May Start by End of the Month, Wright Says
https://gcaptain.com/us-hormuz-escorts-may-start-by-end-of-the-month-wright-says/

U.S. to Release 172 Million SPR Barrels as New Tanker Attacks Drive Oil Higher
https://gcaptain.com/u-s-to-release-172-million-spr-barrels-as-new-tanker-attacks-drive-oil-higher/

Naval escorts would cap tanker transits at under 10% of normal volumes
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156589/Naval-escorts-would-cap-tanker-transits-at-under-10-of-normal-volumes

US Considers Easing Jones Act to Tame Spiraling Fuel Prices
https://gcaptain.com/us-to-ease-shipping-rule-in-bid-to-tame-spiraling-fuel-prices/

Should the US Navy Start Targeting & Seizing Iranian Tankers | Did the US Navy Just Torpedo Shipping

Video

Video Description

We discuss the sinking of the Iranian frigate Dena by the USS Charlotte off the coast of Sri Lanka and the impact this is having on commercial shipping. We also look at past escort operations in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea and why such an operation may not work this time and also discuss a strategy that would target Iranian supertankers on the high seas.

Contact What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

00:00 Foundation of US Navy understanding of Commercial Shipping
03:27 March 7 Update
06:55 Insurance Crisis in Shipping
09:25 How did the US Torpedo Global Shipping?
13:16 Convoying in the Past – Tanker War u0026 the Red Sea
19:59 Current US Naval Situation
21:19 Potential Strategy for the US – Target Iranian Tankers at Sea
24:43 Conclusion

Marine Traffic
www.marinetraffic.com

Iran’s IRGC Challenges Trump To Have US Vessels Escort Tankers In Strait Of Hormuz
https://gcaptain.com/irans-irgc-challenges-trump-to-have-us-vessels-escort-tankers-in-strait-of-hormuz/

Iranian Shadow Fleet and Greek Affiliated Ships Lead Strait of Hormuz Transits
https://gcaptain.com/iranian-shadow-fleet-and-greek-affiliated-ships-lead-strait-of-hormuz-transits/

When the Underwriters Blinked: What the Hormuz Insurance Crisis Really Means
https://gcaptain.com/when-the-underwriters-blinked-what-the-hormuz-insurance-crisis-really-means/

Maritime Insurance Premiums Surge as Iran Conflict Widens
https://gcaptain.com/maritime-insurance-premiums-surge-as-iran-conflict-widens/

Reinsurers Scrap War-Risk Cover After US Torpedoes Iranian Ship
https://gcaptain.com/reinsurers-scrap-war-risk-cover-after-us-torpedoes-iranian-ship/

The Tanker War
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1988/may/tanker-war

The Tanker War, Part II: A Historical Perspective
https://gcaptain.com/the-tanker-war-part-ii-a-historical-perspective/

2026-0001B-Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea-Military Operations and Potential Retaliatory Strikes by Iranian Forces and Proxy Forces
https://www.maritime.dot.gov/msci/2026-0001b-strait-hormuz-persian-gulf-gulf-oman-and-arabian-sea-military-operations-and

JMIC Advisories
https://www.ukmto.org/partner-products/jmic-products/jmic-advisories

Is the Strait of Hormuz Open? | What Impact Will This Have on Shipping? | Hormuz Data | US Sealift

Video

Video Description

The US and Israel initiation of Operation Epic Fury has led to a call by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to close the Strait of Hormuz. We examine the data coming from the ships traversing the region and the alerts being sent out by various maritime organizations to shipping. We also discuss how this will impact the global tanker market and if the US is moving large ground and support forces into the area.

#hormuz #iran #strikes #tankers #trade #supplychain

Contact What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

00:00 Strikes on Iran and Danger to Shipping
03:50 Situation in Strait of Hormuz
08:34 Trade through Strait of Hormuz
11:04 Can Navies Protect Commercial Shipping?
15:40 War Risk Insurance
16:57 Impact for Consumers at the Pump
17:54 Other Factors Impacting Global Tanker Market
24:18 Is the US Strategic Sealift Fleet Moving?

Marine Traffic
www.marinetraffic.com

Seasearcher
www.seasearcher.com

IMF Portwatch
https://portwatch.imf.org/

US And Israel Launch Attacks on Iran
https://gcaptain.com/us-and-israel-launch-attacks-on-iran/

Houthis Signal Renewed Red Sea Shipping Attacks After U.S.–Israeli Strikes on Iran
https://gcaptain.com/houthis-signal-renewed-red-sea-shipping-attacks-after-u-s-israeli-strikes-on-iran/

U.S. Navy Declares Maritime Warning Zone Across Persian Gulf
https://gcaptain.com/navy-maritime-warning-zone-persian-gulf-iran-strikes/

Iran Radio Broadcast Bans Hormuz Strait Transits After US-Israel Strikes
https://gcaptain.com/hormuz-strait-tankers-avoid-iran-ban-us-strikes/

Maritime warning zone in place as US and Israel launch ‘massive’ strikes on Iran
https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1156475/Maritime-warning-zone-in-place-as-US-and-Israel-launch-massive-strikes-on-Iran

US Maritime Administration Warning: 2026-001A-Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea-Military Operations and Potential Retaliatory Strikes by Iranian Forces
https://www.maritime.dot.gov/msci/2026-001a-strait-hormuz-persian-gulf-gulf-oman-and-arabian-sea-military-operations-and

UKMTO
https://www.ukmto.org/

Joint War Committee
https://lmalloyds.com/committee/joint-war-committee/

How the U.S.–Israel Attacks on Iran Could Impact Oil and Gasoline Prices in the U.S. and Canada
https://gaspriceguy.substack.com/p/how-the-usisrael-attacks-on-iran?r=1tbcq5u0026utm_campaign=postu0026utm_medium=webu0026triedRedirect=true

Other Events Impacting Tankers:
U.S. Moves to Permanently Seize Sanctioned Tanker ‘Skipper’ and $150M Oil Cargo

Russian Oil Tanker Diverts From Cuba as Trump Naval Blockade Deters Shipments
https://gcaptain.com/russian-oil-tanker-sea-horse-diverts-cuba/

Sinokor’s VLCC Blitz Sends U.S. Gulf Rates to Pandemic-Era Highs
https://gcaptain.com/sinokors-vlcc-blitz-sends-u-s-gulf-rates-to-pandemic-era-highs/

Huge Supertanker Bet Keeps Growing With US Gulf Locked Up
https://gcaptain.com/huge-supertanker-bet-keeps-growing-with-us-gulf-locked-up/

Russia and Iran Launch Oil Price War for Chinese Buyers as India Retreats
https://gcaptain.com/russia-iran-oil-price-war-china-india-retreat/

EU Seeks G7 Coordination on Maritime Services Ban on Russian Seaborne Oil
https://gcaptain.com/eu-seeks-g7-coordination-on-maritime-services-ban-on-russian-seaborne-oil/

The Federal Maritime Commission Takes Aim at International Shipping | FMC ASSEMBLE!

Video

Video Description

FMC Assemble
January 27, 2026

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the Federal Maritime Commission and their involvement in the truck chassis market, maintenance tax loophole, flags of conveniences, chokepoints, ballast water, port access denial, the Red Sea, the controlled carrier list, anti-trust enforcement act against ocean carriers and Detention-Demurrage.

#supplychain #shipping #fmc #cargo #trade #ports

Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

Federal Maritime Commission
https://www.fmc.gov/

US Ocean Shipping Antitrust Enforcement Act Takes Aim At Container Carriers
https://gcaptain.com/us-ocean-shipping-antitrust-enforcement-act-takes-aim-at-container-carriers/

FMC to Hold Hearing on Red Sea Impacts on Shipping
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-to-hold-hearing-on-red-sea-impacts-on-shipping/

FMC Launches Investigation Into Ocean Carriers’ Grip on U.S. Chassis Market
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-launches-investigation-into-ocean-carriers-grip-on-u-s-chassis-market/

FMC Commissioners Confirm Trump Administration Is Closing Longstanding Harbor Maintenance Tax Loophole
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-commissioners-confirm-trump-administration-is-closing-longstanding-harbor-maintenance-tax-loophole/

U.S. FMC Launches Investigation into Flags of Convenience Amid Growing Safety Concerns
https://gcaptain.com/u-s-fmc-launches-investigation-into-flags-of-convenience-amid-growing-safety-concerns/

FMC Launches Investigation into Global Maritime Chokepoints Amid Rising Shipping Disruptions
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-launches-investigation-into-global-maritime-chokepoints-amid-rising-shipping-disruptions/

FMC Closes Great Lakes Ballast Water Investigation as Canadian Exemptions Ease Concerns
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-closes-great-lakes-ballast-water-investigation-as-canadian-exemptions-ease-concerns/

FMC Investigating Spain’s Alleged Port Access Denial of U.S.-Flagged Vessels
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-investigating-spains-alleged-port-access-denial-of-u-s-flagged-vessels/

FMC Secures $1.35 Million in Shipping Act Penalties from Two Carriers
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-secures-1-35-million-in-shipping-act-penalties-from-two-carriers/

FMC Adds Chinese Shipping Company to Controlled Carrier List
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-adds-chinese-shipping-company-to-controlled-carrier-list/

FMC Issues Final Rule on Detention and Demurrage Billing
https://gcaptain.com/fmc-issues-final-rule-on-detention-and-demurrage-billing/

Who Is In Charge of America’s Maritime/Shipping Crisis in Our Ports? | Whats Going on With Shipping?

Video

Video Description

September 30, 2021

In this episode of What's Going on With Shipping, Sal Mercogliano – Chair of the Department of History, Criminal Justice, and Political Science at Campbell University, former merchant mariner, and instructor in Maritime Industry Policy at the US Merchant Marine Academy – discusses the continuing maritime crisis in our ports and examines who is in charge of dealing with this issue. In the video, he examines the roles of the Federal Maritime Commission, the Maritime Administration, the recently appointed Port Liaison, and commercial entities like the World Shipping Council who represent all the containership carriers.

Help support and grow What's Going on With Shipping by contributing to:
https://www.patreon.com/WGOWShipping

Maersk Says Port Congestion and Supply Chain Bottlenecks to Persist Through Year-End
https://gcaptain.com/maersk-says-port-congestion-and-supply-chain-bottlenecks-to-persist-through-year-end/

Los Angeles Port Chief Calls for More Federal Funding for Congested West Coast Ports
https://gcaptain.com/los-angeles-port-chief-calls-for-more-federal-funding-for-congested-west-coast-ports/

Marine Traffic
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-118.1/centery:33.7/zoom:10

Freightos Baltic Index
https://fbx.freightos.com/

Federal Maritime Commission: Our History
https://www.fmc.gov/about-the-fmc/our-history/

Shipping Act of 1984
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_Act_of_1984

Maritime Administration: Who We Are
https://cms.marad.dot.gov/about-us/office-administrator/office-administrator

US appoints port envoy to address supply chain disruptions
https://splash247.com/us-appoints-port-envoy-to-address-supply-chain-disruptions/

World Shipping Council: Who We Are
https://www.worldshipping.org/who-we-are-1

Lloyd's List Podcast
https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1138302/The-Lloyds-List-Podcast-The-regulators-view-of-container-chaos

Top 10 Worlds Largest Container Shipping Companies
https://www.alcottglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Top-10-Worlds-Largest-Container-Shipping-Companies_Featured-Size.jpg

How a Side Hustle Made Him R500,000 in 2 Months | Winning on AirBNB, Bolt, Uber, Drop Shipping 2026

Video

Video Description

Sir Gabriel Mapasa overcame extreme poverty and the trauma of being orphaned — a journey that once saw him living on the streets of one of South Africa’s poorest townships — to become one of the country’s most prolific entrepreneurial coaches.
Widely known as “The Side Hustle Coach,” Sir Gabriel through Drop 12 Academy, empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to drop the idea of being paid 12 times a year through a salary and instead learn how to get paid 12 times a day through side hustles.
Beyond coaching, Sir Gabriel is a practitioner. He runs multiple thriving business ventures of his own and lives the principles he teaches.
In this powerful episode, Sir Gabriel joins us to share:
* How he made R500 000 in just two months from a single side hustle
* His top 6 side hustles for 2026
* How he developed an abundance mindset in the midst of poverty
This is not theory. This is lived experience, practical strategy, and a mindset shift for anyone serious about building income beyond a paycheck.

Are US Ports Empty and What Impact Does the Tariff Have on Global Shipping?

Video

Video Description

Are US Ports Empty?
April 24, 2025

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the impact of the tariffs set by the Trump Administration on global shipping and in US ports, with a focus on Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey.

#supplychain #containers #tariffs #sailings #containerships

Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0B9AHrs2P9OPA8ulM3EJ2u

Marine Traffic
www.marinetraffic.com

Chinese Exporters Retreat From US as Tariffs Erode Profitability
https://gcaptain.com/chinese-exporters-retreat-from-us-as-tariffs-erode-profitability/

Hapag-Lloyd Says 30% of China’s U.S. Bound Shipments Have Been Canceled
https://gcaptain.com/hapag-lloyd-says-30-of-chinas-u-s-bound-shipments-have-been-canceled/

Chinese freight ship traffic to busiest U.S. ports, Los Angeles, Long Beach, sees steep drop
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/22/busiest-us-ports-see-big-drop-in-chinese-freight-vessel-traffic.html

Industry Leaders Warn of Supply Chain Crisis as Trump Tariffs Hit US-China Trade
https://gcaptain.com/industry-leaders-warn-of-supply-chain-crisis-as-trump-tariffs-hit-us-china-trade/

Cancelled Sailings Tracker – 18 Apr
https://www.drewry.co.uk/supply-chain-advisors/supply-chain-expertise/cancelled-sailings-tracker

Trump Floats ‘Substantial’ China Tariff Cuts in Trade Deal
https://gcaptain.com/trump-floats-substantial-china-tariff-cuts-in-trade-deal/

Port of LA: Cargo Operations Dashboard
https://www.portoflosangeles.org/business/operations

Port of NY/NJ: Facts and Figures
https://www.panynj.gov/port/en/our-port/facts-and-figures.html