• On or off the road, proper communication is an essential part of being a successful driver. When bidding on a shipment or exchanging messages, try to come off as both competent and personable; let them know that they're dealing with a regular person, not some faceless automaton. And once you're out there, customers will appreciate a quick text or phone call letting them know how things are going.
• After winning a bid, call the shipper to discuss any further details ASAP, and let them know that you're looking forward to working with them. Being prompt and professional boosts their confidence in having made the right decision picking you for the job, and improves your chances of getting a positive review.
• We strongly encourage everyone in our community to fill out their profile pages in full. Drivers who leave their profile information blank almost never get booked. Think of your profile as a store-front: whenever you bid on a shipment, potential customers click your name to see if you are right for the job. They often make this decision in mere seconds, so make sure that your profile sends the right message!
• Do not overlook the Experience field on your profile page. Tell people how long you've been driving, what licenses you have, how serious you are about the business... list any upsides you have. If running a company of your own, also fill out the DBA (Doing Business As) field and provide your EIN number. If you are just a casual driver, let people know of your qualities - you might be reliable, punctual, passionate about animal care... Really try to sell yourself there.
• Upload photos to the profile, preferably showing both you and your vehicle. This helps give people an idea who to expect at the door and provides confidence in your vehicle being able to get the job done.
• Be flexible with the method of payment. Set up and link your accounts ahead of time so payment is quick and hassle-free. If a shipper prefers one service over another, respond quickly to their requests.
• If you're just starting out on CitizenShipper and need some feedback, try bidding low on your first few jobs in order to win them. You can ask for feedback directly when speaking with your shipper.
• Pace yourself. Start slow, and don’t let things get overwhelming. As you make your first few shipments, you'll get the hang of things such as payment conversation or email communication. Once you have your service up and running, you'll have time to go into greater details; you might decide to optimize creatively to delight your shippers, design beautiful emails, trigger texts with location-based apps, and more.
Comments
3 comments
Hhmmm? Should i b a driver? I can't decide whether this is actually worth it or not. Is it a money maker? It would cost me $300 in gasoline to drive from New York City to Miami. If my bid is $400 to $450 that's not much of a profit is it? Especially for a journey that may take close to a week. What am I missing?
Jan, I would bid $1.70 per mile, plus expenses for an animal or other related excess. The mileage is a write off for your business. 1,278 miles is a long drive, you will also have to figure in food & lodging. (provided where you stay accept animals). Then you have a long drive back home, unless you plan to stay in Miami. Then lower price is OK. At least it gets you there. Good luck, safe travels.
Hello,
While our marketplace can be very competitive, all drivers still set their own price--meaning you can choose how much money you would like to make:)
Many drivers also make use of our Rideshare Tool, allowing them to complete multiple shipments along the same route, which lets them charge a little less since they are already head in the same direction. You can learn more about the tool here: https://citizenshipper.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038482651
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