Unishippers Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $17K – $233K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.8M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- on 28 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Unishippers is a B2B franchise reselling discounted shipping and freight to small and mid-size businesses using national carrier contracts. Franchisees run a sales operation acquiring shippers and managing logistics, typically without warehousing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Unishippers franchise requires a total initial investment of $17K – $233K, including a $2K – $30K franchise fee. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.8M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 28 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored3 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $17K – $233K
- 6th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.8M
- Outlet subset16th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- Not extracted
- Units
- 192
- 56th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $17K – $233K including a $2K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.8M/year (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 95/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 28 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -11 franchised outlets in the latest year (36 opened, 47 closed) (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 31.9% CAGR over 3 years with 192 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC
- Parent company
- Worldwide Express, LLC (WWE)
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- WWEX UNI Topco Holdings, LLC (Topco), owned by Accord JV Corp
- Predecessor
- WWEX UNI Topco Holdings, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Thomas Madine
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 2700 Commerce Street, Suite 1500, Dallas, TX 75226
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.5B
- vs $3.8B prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Thomas Madine
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 38
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a business services franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $2K | $2K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $9K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $7K | $82K |
| Total initial investment | $17K | $233K |
Source: Unishippers 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $17K – $233K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $9K – $150K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $2K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of (i) 18.5% of Gross Profit Margin (shipments <=…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 19.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Minimum royalty floor of $17.50 per 4-week month or $21.88 per 5-week month, increasing by that amount each subsequent month (applies only if greater than the percentage-based royalty) |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of profit |
| Technology fee | $65 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $250 – $1K |
| Total fee load | 19.5% of rev |
At 19.5% total fee load, roughly $355K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 166% above the business services norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Unishippers until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for royalty rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$205K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Unishippers unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for royalty rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for royalty rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $1.8M
- Per unit, per year
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 154 outlets
- vs category median 37 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $148→$17.7MNot cited — published from our reading of the franchisor's disclosure document; the page it is printed on has not been located.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2022
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2022
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · typical
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Revenue is 14.5x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.8M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 14.5x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 19.5% — above the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 3/10 — moderate disclosure depth. Average and range data are available but detailed cohort breakdowns may be limited.
Operator retention
System expanding at 31.9% CAGR over 3 years across 192 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Business Services medians
How Unishippers Compares
Category median of published Business Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 192
- Opened
- 36
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 47
- Terminated
- 4
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 24.5%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 74%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +31.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +31.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 4
- Not renewed
- 1
- Transferred
- 3
- Reacquired
- 26
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 31
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
24 current owners across 4 states.
- CA 14
- AZ 6
- AL 3
- NJ 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 28
- Loan volume
- $7.0M
- Median loan
- $216K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- on 28 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 19
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 6.5%
- brand is below its industry ↓
- Jobs supported
- 124
- 1.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 50% went to startups / new businesses, 50% to established operators
Top lenders financing Unishippers franchisees
Showing 3 of 19 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Unishippers from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 76%
- Avg interest rate
- 8.29%
- Lender concentration
- 14.3%
- Job velocity
- 1.8 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 6.5%
- NAICS 541614
- Jobs supported
- 124
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 14% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 4 | $517K | N/A |
| 2 | PNC Bank, National Association | 3 | $850K | 0.0% |
| 3 | First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company | 3 | $882K | 0.0% |
| 4 | Northwest Bank | 2 | $779K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Dime Community Bank | 2 | $475K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 1 | $257K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Wachovia SBA Lending, Inc. | 1 | $270K | 0.0% |
| 8 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 1 | $50K | 0.0% |
| 9 | KeyBank National Association | 1 | $450K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Truist Bank | 1 | $370K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IAIowa | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| WAWashington | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FLFlorida | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| KSKansas | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MAMassachusetts | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 28 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
No current litigation. Three concluded matters: (1) Jeff Kelley/JMK USA Enterprises v. Unishippers et al. (CA Superior Court) - breach of contract/fraud claim over a $660,000 transition agreement balance, dismissed for improper forum/lack of jurisdiction in 2018; (2) Morning Star Associates v. Unishippers (S.D. Georgia) - breach of contract/misrepresentation after franchise terminations, compelled to arbitration, settled 2017 for $125,000 paid by Unishippers; (3) Unishippers v. Mercari, Inc. (JAMS arbitration) - breach of contract/conversion over unpaid carrier fees after Mercari's franchise was terminated, settled 2015 for $200,000 paid to Mercari by defendants.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 financials are the audited CONSOLIDATED statements of Accord JV Corp and subsidiaries (the "Successor"; Accord is the ultimate parent that acquired Unishippers on 7/26/2021 and jointly/severally guarantees the franchisor's performance). Franchisor itself is Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC. Balance-sheet figures are as of December 31, 2022; statements are stated in thousands and converted to whole USD by x1000. Total assets 3,891,005K = total liabilities 2,004,242K + total stockholder's equity 1,886,763K (reconciles). Revenue yr1 = year ended 12/31/2022 (4,169,387K, matches Item 1's cited total revenue of $4,169,386,718). Revenue yr2 (1,883,395K) is a STUB/partial period, Successor June 9, 2021–December 31, 2021 (Accord not in business a full 3 years). Net income = 2022 Successor consolidated net loss (~-41,061K); OCR of the operations statement is degraded so this figure is approximate.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 95 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORParent-level net loss: -$41,061,000 (parent financials only)
- 02HIGHAll 3 litigation matters concluded, no current litigation
- 03MEDItem 19 disclosed, strong parent net worth $1.89B
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 19.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Marketing Area based on National Marketing Area Map (varies) |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No current litigation. Three concluded matters: (1) Jeff Kelley/JMK USA Enterprises v. Unishippers et al. (CA Superior Court) - breach of contract/fraud claim over a $660,000 transition agreement balance, dismissed for improper forum/lack of jurisdiction in 2018; (2) Morning Star Associates v. Unishippers (S.D. Georgia) - breach of contract/misrepresentation after franchise terminations, compelled to arbitration, settled 2017 for $125,000 paid by Unishippers; (3) Unishippers v. Mercari, Inc. (JAMS arbitration) - breach of contract/conversion over unpaid carrier fees after Mercari's franchise was terminated, settled 2015 for $200,000 paid to Mercari by defendants.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 63 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee (no franchisor approval required; may operate from home office)
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- myUnishippers
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: myUnishippers
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
24 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Unishippers franchise?
The total investment to open a Unishippers franchise ranges from $17K – $233K, with an initial franchise fee of $2K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Unishippers franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Unishippers FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.8M. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Unishippers?
Unishippers is franchised by Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC. Its parent company is Worldwide Express, LLC (WWE). The ultimate parent named in the FDD is WWEX UNI Topco Holdings, LLC (Topco), owned by Accord JV Corp. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Unishippers FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Unishippers FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Unishippers's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Unishippers has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 28 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Unishippers franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Unishippers has 192 total units in the United States, including 191 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 36 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Unishippers a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Unishippers as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 95 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.