The CitizenShipper customer interface

Welcome to CitizenShipper! Once you list a shipment on our platform, your customer dashboard becomes your central command center. From here, you can manage your posts, create new listings, update your notification settings, and ask for help if needed, chat with qualified drivers, compare quotes, and securely book your transport.

This guide walks you through the key sections of your dashboard to ensure a seamless experience.

Managing Your Dashboard Listings

The first screen you see after logging into CitizenShipper is your dashboard. It shows all of your available listings and allows you to access bids and messages received from drivers.

Editing or Duplicating a Listing: Locate your shipment card, and click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner. A dropdown menu will allow you to view, edit, or duplicate the post.

Upgrading Your Post: If you need transport quickly, you can select Upgrade from the three-dots menu to mark your shipment as Featured or Urgent. This bumps your post to the top of driver feeds for faster, more competitive quotes. You can learn more about our listing upgrade options in this article. 

Deleting a Listing: If your plans change, select Edit Shipment from the three-dots menu and scroll down to click Delete.

Important: Modifying or deleting a shipment automatically cancels all active, unaccepted quotes. Furthermore, you cannot delete a shipment if you have already officially booked a driver. Deleted shipments cannot be restored.

Reviewing Bids & Messages

Our internal messaging platform allows you to chat with drivers in real time and book the one who’s the best for your shipping needs. Drivers interested in your listing will typically send you a message or a formal price quote.

• Real-Time Chat: Click on your shipment to open your internal messaging inbox. Here you can text drivers in real time to ask about their vehicle setup, experience, and timelines.

• Offline Notifications: Don't worry about sitting on the website. If you are offline when a driver messages you, CitizenShipper instantly alerts you via email and text.

• Managing Alerts: If you find the volume of notifications too high, click the Settings Gear Icon on your dashboard, select Notifications, customize your alerts, and hit Save.

Keep communication on CitizenShipper prior to booking. Our platform strictly prohibits exchanging phone numbers, emails, or social media links prior to booking. Keeping all text logs and price negotiations on-site protects you from online scams and allows our support team to mediate in the rare event of a driver dispute.

Evaluating Driver Profiles

Before accepting a quote, we advise that you check out the driver’s profile page. Click their username to view their profile to view their bio, past experiences, verifications, reviews and ratings, offerings, and more. 

What to look for on a driver profile:

• The About Section: Details their personality, background, pet policies, and preferred payment terms.

• Trust Verification Stats: Displays their lifetime average star rating, total completed shipments, and platform cancellation rate.

• The Photo Gallery: Showcases real photos of their vehicle, trailer configurations, transit equipment, and previous happy animals they’ve transported.

• Verified Reviews: Scroll to the bottom to read unfiltered feedback left by past CitizenShipper customers.

Reviewing this valuable data should provide enough information for you to make an informed decision about hiring them.

Want to view expert tips on selecting the best driver? Check out this short video:

Understanding quotes and the booking process

When a driver submits a bid, it will appear prominently in your message thread with that specific driver.

• What the quote includes: The dollar amount displayed represents the driver’s personal fee for their transit services and labor.

• The Booking Fee: The quote does not include the standard CitizenShipper platform booking fee. This fee is calculated separately and is transparently added to your breakdown summary at the final step.

• Completing the Booking: When you find the perfect match, click Proceed to Booking. This takes you to our secure checkout page to review final expenses and input your credit card details to cover the booking fee.

• The Hand-off: The moment checkout is complete, the driver is officially assigned! You'll be given each other's contact information so you can arrange any further details directly.

Congratulations on matching with your driver!

In this example, the driver is offering to deliver your shipment for $420. Keep in mind that this sum does not include the CitizenShipper Booking Fee.

Rate and review your driver

Once your shipment is complete, we invite you to review your driver. Return to your dashboard, open the driver’s message thread, and click Review in the top right-hand corner. We'll also send you an email encouraging you to rate your driver on the site.

Please ensure your review is honest and fair. Focus on how the driver handled your items or pets, their communication style, and their professionalism.

Try to distinguish between poor driver performance versus external factors like extreme weather delays, highway closures, or mechanical emergencies.

Your feedback keeps the CitizenShipper community safe and helps future customers make informed choices!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What can I do from my CitizenShipper dashboard? 

Your dashboard is your central command center. From here, you can view all of your available listings, access bids and messages from drivers, create new listings, update your notification settings, and contact customer support for help.

How do I edit, duplicate, or upgrade my shipment listing? 

On your dashboard, locate your listing and click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner. This will open a menu allowing you to view, edit, duplicate, or upgrade your post.

How do I delete my shipment listing from the platform? 

If your plans change or you no longer need transport, you can remove your listing by navigating to your dashboard. Click the three dots in your listing's upper right corner or select the gear icon to find the Edit Shipment option. From the edit page, simply hit the Delete button. 

Note: Modifying the shipment's transportation date or deleting a shipment will automatically cancel any active quotes attached to that listing. You cannot delete a shipment that has a booked driver. Our platform is not able to restore deleted shipments.

What does "upgrading" my listing do? 

Upgrading your listing allows you to mark your post as "featured" or "urgent." This gives your listing higher visibility, helping you receive faster and more competitive quotes from drivers.

Can I share my phone number or email with a driver before booking? 

No. CitizenShipper does not allow the exchange of contact information via our messaging platform prior to booking. We strongly recommend conducting all communication on-site to keep your data secure and allow us to mediate if a dispute arises.

How will I know if a driver messages me when I am offline? 

If you or the driver are not active on the platform in real-time, CitizenShipper will automatically send out an email and text notification to ensure you never miss an important message or update.

Can I disable or adjust the notifications I receive from CitizenShipper? 

Yes. If you feel overwhelmed by the volume of emails or text messages, you can control your preferences directly from your account. Navigate to your dashboard, click the settings gear icon, and select Notifications. From there, you can customize exactly which alerts you receive or opt out of updates entirely. Don't forget to click Save after updating your preferences.

How do I view a driver’s full history and reviews? 

To learn more about a driver, click on their username within the messaging thread to open their profile summary. From there, click See full profile & reviews to see their background, qualifications, and past customer experiences.

What information can I find on a driver's profile? 

Driver profiles offer complete transparency. You can view their bio, average rating, total number of booked shipments, cancellation rate, a photo gallery of previous shipments/equipment, and verified reviews from past customers.

Does the driver's quote include the CitizenShipper Booking Fee? 

No. The driver's quote covers their specific transport services. The CitizenShipper Booking Fee is calculated separately and will be added to your total at checkout when you choose to accept the bid.

What happens after I click "Proceed to Booking"? 

Clicking Proceed to booking takes you to a secure booking page where you can review all expenses and enter your credit card information. Once completed, the driver is notified, and both parties will instantly receive each other’s direct contact information to finalize travel arrangements.

How do I leave a review for my driver after the shipment is complete? 

Once your shipment arrives, open your message thread with the driver and click the Review button in the top right corner. Please provide honest, fair feedback, keeping in mind the difference between poor driver performance and unpredictable circumstances (like weather delays).

If you have any further questions regarding the CitizenShipper customer interface, feel free to contact us at support@citizenshipper.com! We’re here for you, 7 days a week.

What to read next

For more advice on making the most of your CitizenShipper experience, see the articles on listing a shipment (1-min read) or adjusting your notification settings (2-min read).

For a comprehensive overview of CitizenShipper policies, check out this section of our Help Center.