For a freight carrier to succeed, it needs to work with a wide range of quality shippers. However, this doesn’t magically happen, and as a carrier, you need to build up a shipping list you can rely on. While some shippers might come to you, you need to find them yourself most of the time, and the thought of doing so might seem a little daunting.
However, you don’t have to worry because there are many strategies out there that you can implement that will help you attract shippers and grow your company. We have put together a guide with the top ten approaches you can use to find new freight shippers, providing useful tips for each one. After trying a few of them, you should have a fully packed client base before you know it.
Make the most of online freight marketplaces
As an experienced carrier, you’ve probably heard of online freight marketplaces before. They’re platforms on the internet that allow shippers to find freight carriers to move their goods. They act a bit like a freight broker, as they are a middleman between the two parties, minus the additional services. A shipper posts a freight load, and a carrier will bid to book these loads.
If this is your first time going on an online freight marketplace and you’re looking to find new shippers to work with, it’s definitely something you should consider visiting. It provides you with increased visibility to shippers you may have never crossed paths with before, and you can also find shippers who align better with your industry and skills.
Here are some tips for effectively using online freight marketplaces:
- Set up an attractive profile that includes all relevant details, including what sets you apart from your competition.
- Turn on notifications so you can receive alerts whenever a shipment that matches your skills pops up.
- Build a positive reputation by encouraging shippers to leave you five-star reviews.
- Place your bids strategically, ensuring never to bid so low that it will affect your profitability.
Attend networking and industry events
Networking plays a vital role in any industry, and it is particularly useful in the freight industry when carriers are looking to connect with new shipping clients. No matter where you are, whether in North America or elsewhere, you can no doubt find a good number of quality networking events that will hook you up with like-minded individuals in the industry and help make your presence known among shippers.
These networking events have many direct shippers to interact with, and you can also meet other individuals and companies throughout the supply chain, such as freight brokers and freight forwarders. They may not be the connections you’re looking for, but they can potentially help refer you to shippers if you develop a good working relationship with them.
If you’ve never attended a networking event before and want to know how you can succeed, follow these tips:
- Prepare for each event beforehand, including who will be speaking, the shippers who will be there, and your agenda.
- Develop a smooth elevator pitch you can use on any potential customers you’re looking to work with.
- Get on social media and make your presence known by interacting with forums and event hashtags.
Build relationships with freight brokers
We mentioned that talking to freight brokers at networking events is just as important as interacting with shippers, and there’s a reason for that. A freight broker acts as an intermediary between carriers and shippers, which means they have connections that could benefit you. Often, one of their services is matching carriers with suitable freight loads, so you can use one to help you pick up more freight shipping to transport.
Not only do freight brokers help you find more shippers, but they can also take away a lot of the administrative burden you face as a carrier. This is because they handle all the paperwork and billing, meaning you can focus on what you do best.
Here are a couple of tips you can follow to build strong relationships with freight brokers:
- Conduct market research on reputable and reliable brokers who work with well-established shipping companies.
- Keep all of your communication professional, but remember to communicate your strengths and values effectively.
- Build a level of trust with the freight broker to show that you’re a reliable carrier that they’d be lucky to work with.
- Be open to making negotiations with freight brokers, ensuring the deal is fair for both parties.
Utilize your social media presence
For any company to be successful and generate leads, they need to utilize their social media platforms. Not only does frequently posting on your various accounts help keep your current shipping list informed on your carrier services, but it can also showcase your competitive advantage to shippers who are looking to work with a new carrier.
There are various ways you can create a strong online presence for your carrier business via social media. One is by putting together a content strategy. You can create things such as blog posts, articles, or videos with useful information that addresses shipper pain points and link them to each of your social media platforms. It is also always a good idea to make carousel posts where you can display a number of client testimonials and case studies to display how effective your services are.
Some additional tips for attracting shippers through social media include the following:
- Tailor each of your posts to address the specific needs and pain points of the shippers you’re trying to target.
- Introduce various forms of interactive content such as polls, Q&A sessions, and live videos.
- Reply to every comment and message on your social media accounts.
- Offer value to your audience by sharing industry tips and insights that could benefit them.
Try some direct outreach methods
If you don’t want to wait for the shippers to come to you, you can always go directly to them through various outreach methods. Some of these include cold calling, warm calling, and direct mail. Cold calls involve putting together a list of leads that haven’t shown interest in your carrier service and calling them up to try to bring them on. Warm calls are similar; however, the shippers have shown previous interest. Direct mail includes sending emails or postal mail directly to the shipper with detailed information about your services.
The best ways to craft your outreach strategy and messages, regardless of whether they’re a form of calling or direct mail, are pretty much the same. You need to ensure you are tailoring your approach to the individual shipper and offering a clear and concise message that highlights the benefits and solutions you can offer as a reliable carrier. Always ensure you end your direct customer outreach method with a call to action.
Here are some do’s of direct communication with freight shippers:
- Maintain a level of professionalism at all times.
- Listen actively and pay attention to the shipper’s needs.
- Follow up with the shipper after initial interest.
- Provide solutions for their pain points rather than just selling.
Engage in industry publications and forums
A strategy that many freight carriers overlook is staying updated on the industry using various publications and forums. It might not seem like an obvious method to pick up new customers, but knowledge is power, and you can gain valuable knowledge from these sources. Not only do they offer access to industry insights, but they also provide you with information on emerging technologies that can provide you with a competitive advantage.
There are various ways you can engage in the right publications and forums, but you need to stay by identifying the ones that will benefit you. Of course, you can look for freight-related content, but you should also look into the industry that your shippers work in.
Here are some tips you can follow that help you use these resources to connect with potential shippers and new clients:
- Identify potential shippers you can contact or interact with via various discussion boards or newsletters.
- Contribute value by offering to give advice to a specific publication or actively sharing insights in relevant forums.
- Use all the resources you can to build a reputation and establish your credibility within the industry.
- Convert your online relationships into offline relationships by exchanging contact details for more private discussions.
Partner with third-party logistics (3PL) companies
Within the freight industry, you’ll also come across various third-party (also known as 3PL) companies. These businesses help freight forwarders, brokers, agents, carriers, and shippers with various logistics operations to help streamline the supply chain. They also often act as brokers themselves, which means they have access to a wide range of shippers that you could potentially work with.
It is ideal to partner with 3PL companies, such as SPI Logistics, because they not only help you increase your shipping list but also make the whole process of communicating with the shippers much easier. They implement a wide range of advanced technology to optimize the logistics of the freight and track each shipment using real-time visibility.
Here are some of the other main benefits of partnering with 3PL companies such as SPI Logistics:
- You have more access to a list of shippers you can work with, ensuring you have more work throughout the year.
- There are consistent freight opportunities that will increase your annual income and help your carrier company grow.
- 3PL companies handle all the administrative tasks for carriers and shippers, including paperwork and negotiation of costs.
- They have a strong level of expertise in various forms of technology that can enhance operational efficiency.
Offer additional services
As a freight carrier, there is a main service you offer your clients, and that’s the transportation of their goods. However, that doesn’t have to be all you can offer them. In fact, many carrier companies are starting to offer additional services that complement transportation, giving them a competitive edge that sets them apart and attracts shippers to choose them over others.
Before you consider adding more services to your roster, you need to evaluate if you have the capacity to do so. You need to ensure that all the additional services you’re offering will maintain the same standard of quality as your transportation; if not, you might actually end up losing the interest of shippers.
Here are some of the additional services that might attract new shippers:
- Introduce an advanced tracking system that will track all your freight transportations in real time.
- Offer to warehouse the shipper’s goods for a temporary amount of time.
- Provide customized packaging and handling solutions for freight that meets specific requirements.
- Introduce various forms of technology that will optimize the supply chain and help your shippers save costs.
- Offer a form of insurance or risk mitigation solutions that will further protect the shipper’s cargo.
Rely on referrals from current shippers
One of the best ways to pick up new clients is by relying on referrals from your current clients. When you do a good job and build strong relationships with the shippers you’re already working with, they are much more likely to recommend you to other shippers in their industry. Therefore, to acquire these referrals, you need to strike up and maintain a strong relationship with the customers you already have.
You can also push for referrals even further by implementing a referral program. This encourages your current client base to refer you to others, and when another shipper signs up to work with you, they’re rewarded with special rewards such as discounts, credit, and exclusive services. The new shipper will need to mention who referred them, so ensure you include these in your terms and conditions.
Here are some top tips for setting up a referral program to attract new shippers:
- Specify the rewards you’ll be providing your clients for each referral.
- Provide clear and concise guidelines on how the program works so there is no confusion.
- Put together a way you can track the referrals whether it’s through automated tracking or manually in your system.
- Promote the referral program to your shipping list and on social media platforms.
Track and evaluate your success
This strategy might not involve approaching or interacting with shippers directly, but it definitely helps with signing on new shippers in the future. If you’ve been using any of the methods mentioned above, but you still don’t seem to be picking up any new customers, you might want to see where you are going wrong. You can do this by tracking and evaluating your success and then adjusting your strategy, so it is more productive.
Before you start any method to attract freight shippers, whether it’s boosting your social media presence or putting together a referral program, you should implement a tracking method that will help you evaluate your efforts. This can be anything from an analytic tool to call and email tracking. You should then frequently use these methods to analyze your success.
If you find the method you’ve been using isn’t working, you might need to regroup and readjust. Here are some of the ways you can do that:
- Look at which methods are the most successful and see what is making them come out on top.
- Put more time and resources into the channels that are helping you generate the highest-quality leads.
- Take some of the strategies used in the successful methods and start implementing them in the less successful methods.
- Perform regular evaluations to see how your adjustments are going, and make more changes if needed.
Conclusion
It’s not the easiest job finding new shippers as a freight carrier, especially since the industry is so competitive. However, when you try the various methods mentioned above and track your success, you’re no doubt going to see an increase in your shipping list.
As mentioned, one of the ways you can connect with shippers is by partnering with a 3PL company, like SPI Logistics. SPI Logistics is a reliable organization that offers some of the best services in the industry, from seamless payment systems to innovative tracking tools.
If you want to get started with enhancing your customer base, all you need to do is contact one of the experts at SPI Logistics. We are always happy to help you and can set you up with a free demo of our services to get you started.
FAQs
How can I find the best online freight marketplaces to use?
Some of the factors you should consider when looking for an online freight marketplace are ease of use, transparent pricing, reliability, and reputation.
How can a carrier make themselves stand out among the competition?
Freight carriers can stand out among the competition when attracting new shippers by offering value-added services, addressing customer pain points, and offering tailored services.
What are the benefits of carriers attending networking events?
Some of the benefits of attending networking events as a carrier include building relationships with shippers and other big names in the industry, learning more about industry trends, and developing collaborations with other carriers.
How can I measure the success of my referral program?
You can measure the success of your referral program by using a tracking tool that will track how many referrals you’re receiving and the conversion rate of referred leads.
