diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Pluggable.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Pluggable.pm
index 709d6bf77..7fb0c2400 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Pluggable.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Pluggable.pm
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ These functions are available from this package:
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-=head2 instanciate ( module, method, params )
+=head2 instanciate ( module, sub, params )
 
 Dynamically ensures that a plugin module is loaded into memory. Then instanciates a new object from the module. Croaks on failure.
 
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ Dynamically ensures that a plugin module is loaded into memory. Then instanciate
 
 The name of the module you'd like to load like "WebGUI::Asset::Snippet";
 
+=head3 sub
+
+The name of the constructor you would like to invoke from the module.  Usually "new", or sometimes "create".
+
+=head3 params
+
+An array ref of params to send to the constructor.  In WebGUI, the first param should be a WebGUI::Session
+object.
+
 =cut
 
 sub instanciate {
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
index 325828deb..d590ef728 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/Ship.pm
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use WebGUI::International;
 use WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver;
 use WebGUI::Pluggable;
 use WebGUI::Utility;
+use WebGUI::Exception;
 
 =head1 NAME
 
@@ -41,7 +42,8 @@ sub _loadDriver {
 
 =head2 create ( $session, $class, $options )
 
-The interface method for creating new, configured instances of ShipDriver.
+The interface method for creating new, configured instances of ShipDriver.  If the ShipperDriver throws an exception,  it is propagated
+back up to the top.
 
 =head3 $session
 
@@ -60,17 +62,18 @@ A list of properties to assign to this ShipperDriver.  See C<definition> for det
 sub create {
     my $class   = shift;
     my $session = shift;
-    croak "create requires a session object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a session variable})
         unless ref $session eq 'WebGUI::Session';
     my $requestedClass = shift;
-    croak "create requires the name of a class to create an object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a class to create an object})
         unless defined $requestedClass;
-    croak "The requested class $class is not enabled in your WebGUI configuration file"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => qq{The requested class $requestedClass is not enabled in your WebGUI configuration file})
         unless isIn($requestedClass, @{ WebGUI::Shop::Ship->getDrivers($session) } );
     my $options = shift;
-    croak "You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object})
         unless defined($options) and ref $options eq 'HASH' and scalar keys %{ $options };
-
+    my $driver = eval { WebGUI::Pluggable::instanciate($requestedClass, 'create', [ $session, $options ]) };
+    return $driver;
 }
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -82,14 +85,14 @@ from the WebGUI config file.
 
 =head3 $session
 
-A WebGUI::Session object.
+A WebGUI::Session object.  A WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam exception will be thrown if it doesn't get one.
 
 =cut
 
 sub getDrivers {
     my $class      = shift;
     my $session    = shift;
-    croak "getDrivers requires a session object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a session variable})
         unless ref $session eq 'WebGUI::Session';
     return $session->config->get('shippingDrivers');
 }
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ with the key of the primary hash being the shipperId of the driver, and sub keys
 
 =head3 $session
 
-A WebGUI::Session object.
+A WebGUI::Session object.  A WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam exception will be thrown if it doesn't get one.
 
 =head3
 
@@ -121,7 +124,8 @@ sub getOptions {
 =head2 new ( $session, $shipperId )
 
 Looks up an existing ShipperDriver in the db by shipperId and returns
-that object.
+that object.  If the ShipperDriver throws an exception,  it is propagated
+back up to the top.
 
 =head3 $session
 
@@ -136,11 +140,16 @@ The ID of a shipper to look up and instanciate.
 sub new {
     my $class     = shift;
     my $session   = shift;
-    croak "new requires a session object"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a session variable})
         unless ref $session eq 'WebGUI::Session';
     my $shipperId = shift;
-    croak "new requires a shipperId"
+    WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam->throw(error => q{Must provide a shipperId})
         unless defined $shipperId;
+    my $requestedClass = $session->db->quickScalar('select className from shipper where shipperId=?',[$shipperId]);
+    WebGUI::Error::ObjectNotFound->throw(error => q{shipperId not found in db}, id => $shipperId)
+        unless $requestedClass;
+    my $driver = eval { WebGUI::Pluggable::instanciate($requestedClass, 'new', [ $session, $shipperId ]) };
+    return $driver;
 }
 
 1;
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver/FlatRate.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver/FlatRate.pm
index 3d7dd0213..8e692e0bf 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver/FlatRate.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Shop/ShipDriver/FlatRate.pm
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ Returns a shipping price. Calculates the shipping price using the following form
 =head3 $cart
 
 A WebGUI::Shop::Cart object.  The contents of the cart are analyzed to calculate
-the shipping costs.
+the shipping costs.  If no items in the cart require shipping, then no shipping
+costs are assessed.
 
 =cut
 
diff --git a/t/Shop/Ship.t b/t/Shop/Ship.t
index 61a149d78..954732286 100644
--- a/t/Shop/Ship.t
+++ b/t/Shop/Ship.t
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ my $session         = WebGUI::Test->session;
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Tests
 
-my $tests = 7;
+my $tests = 23;
 plan tests => 1 + $tests;
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -52,9 +52,19 @@ skip 'Unable to load module WebGUI::Shop::Ship', $tests unless $loaded;
 #######################################################################
 
 my $drivers;
+my $e;
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->getDrivers(); };
-like ($@, qr/getDrivers requires a session object/, 'getDrivers croaks without session');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'getDrivers takes an exception to not giving it a session variable');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a session variable',
+    ),
+    'getDrivers: requires a session variable',
+);
+
 
 $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->getDrivers($session);
 
@@ -71,19 +81,63 @@ cmp_deeply(
 #######################################################################
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create(); };
-like ($@, qr/create requires a session object/, 'create croaks without session');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'create takes an exception to not giving it a session variable');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a session variable',
+    ),
+    'create: requires a session variable',
+);
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create($session); };
-like ($@, qr/create requires the name of a class/, 'create croaks without a class');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'create croaks without a class');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a class to create an object',
+    ),
+    'create croaks without a class',
+);
+
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create($session, 'WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FreeShipping'); };
-like ($@, qr/The requested class \S+ is not enabled in your WebGUI configuration file/, 'create croaks without a configured class');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'create croaks without a configured class');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'The requested class WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FreeShipping is not enabled in your WebGUI configuration file',
+    ),
+    'create croaks without a configured class',
+);
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create($session, 'WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FlatRate'); };
-like ($@, qr/You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object/, 'create croaks without options to build a object with');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'create croaks without options to build a object with');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object',
+    ),
+    'create croaks without options to build a object with',
+);
 
 eval { $drivers = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create($session, 'WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FlatRate', {}); };
-like ($@, qr/You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object/, 'create croaks without options to build a object with');
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'create croaks without options to build a object with');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver object',
+    ),
+    'create croaks without options to build a object with',
+);
+
+my $driver = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->create($session, 'WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FlatRate', { enabled=>1, label=>q{Jake's Jailbird Airmail}});
+isa_ok($driver, 'WebGUI::Shop::ShipDriver::FlatRate', 'created a new, configured FlatRate driver');
 
 
 #######################################################################
@@ -92,6 +146,48 @@ like ($@, qr/You must pass a hashref of options to create a new ShipDriver objec
 #
 #######################################################################
 
+my $oldDriver;
+
+eval { $oldDriver = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->new(); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'new takes exception to not giving it a session object');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a session variable',
+    ),
+    'new takes exception to not giving it a session object',
+);
+
+eval { $oldDriver = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->new($session); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::InvalidParam', 'new takes exception to not giving it a shipperId');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'Must provide a shipperId',
+    ),
+    'new takes exception to not giving it a shipperId',
+);
+
+eval { $oldDriver = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->new($session, 'notEverAnId'); };
+$e = Exception::Class->caught();
+isa_ok($e, 'WebGUI::Error::ObjectNotFound', 'new croaks unless the requested shipperId object exists in the db');
+cmp_deeply(
+    $e,
+    methods(
+        error => 'shipperId not found in db',
+        id    => 'notEverAnId',
+    ),
+    'new croaks unless the requested shipperId object exists in the db',
+);
+
+my $driverCopy = WebGUI::Shop::Ship->new($session, $driver->shipperId);
+
+is($driverCopy->getId,     $driver->getId,           'same id');
+is($driverCopy->className, $driver->className,       'same className');
+cmp_deeply($driverCopy->options,   $driver->options, 'same options');
+
 }
 
 #----------------------------------------------------------------------------