Give me an education about this "PIRATE SHIP" method that has been discussed here.

For those of you that have used this PIRATE SHIP method to send out your packages, how exactly does this work, if you don't mind me asking?
I have been giving a quote to get a 29 pound package to an east coast state and both the USPS, and FEDEX, want anywhere from $85.00 to $92.00 to send it out.
Checking out the Pirate Ship site, they will do it UPS, for $45.00.
That's quite a bit of a difference.
But they pretty much give me the same quote that USPS, and FEDEX gives me.
So they must have a contract with UPS.
So what do you do, after signing up with them?
Do you bring the package to a UPS terminal, or can you bring it to a UPS Store?
UPS stores are independently owned, and not by the parent corporation.
You print out a shipping label, on your printer, and bring everything to the store?
Do you get a "tracking" number for the package, when you do it this way?
Any insight any of you can give me, will be appreciated.
Thank's a lot.
Jim V.
hemi71x