A Guide to Fast Track your Shipping Success

Our New Driver’s Guide , and the FREE educational training that accompanies it, provides insight and easy-to-understand lessons on how to use key CitizenShipper tools and resources to quickly build your shipping business. These best practices, presented online in quick, engaging video modules, deliver a focused approach that is utilized by the most prolific and profitable shippers on our site. And while this guide was created for our new drivers, it’s also a great refresh for experienced drivers who want to push their business to the next level. 

Here is a quick sneak peek: 

Register here to gain access to our New Driver’s Guide and the FREE educational training videos that support it. View the information at your own pace. You can do it all at once or one module at a time. It’s up to you!

Here’s a quick overview of the valuable expertise and knowledge you will gain:

Lesson #1 - Creating a profile that attracts business

Your CitizenShipper profile is how you make a “first impression” with potential shippers. That’s why it’s extremely important that you take your time when creating your profile to make sure it is as professional as possible and includes relevant content that will help you stand out from the competition. This lesson provides all the basic elements you should include in a CitizenShipper profile, as well as some suggestions on ways to highlight your unique qualities to capture shipper attention. By the end of this lesson, you’ll have all the information you need to develop a powerful profile that goes to work for you. We’ll also walk you through the easy account verification to ensure you are ready to roll!

Lesson #2 - Using Settings to Find Shipments
You’re now ready to start looking for shipments. But where do you find them? Putting in the right account settings is key. This lesson supplies the ins-and-outs needed to set up your account to receive notifications about potential shipments that meet your specific requirements. You control how far you’ll go to pick up and drop-off shipments. You determine which kinds of shipments you want. You even choose the method by which you’ll be notified of shipments. Customized accounts settings simplify the shipment discovery process and keep you in the driver’s seat as you build your business.

Lesson #3 - Making Winning Customer Contact
After finding a shipment you want to bid on, it’s time to connect with the customer. This lesson will first explain in detail how that contact is initiated and the parameters in which it should occur. Then, there will be a deeper dive into several nuances of communication that can make the difference between submitting a bid and submitting the winning bid. Aspects such as message tone, content, and frequency are discussed. In addition, strategies for putting together a winning bid are reviewed. Here’s an interesting insight - the lowest bid is usually not the one that wins. 

Lesson #4 - Completing the First Shipment
Congratulations! You’re the winning bidder. Now what? This lesson explains what winning your first shipment sets in motion - specifically the background screen process and how you can expedite it to your advantage. You’ll also receive tips for continuing communication with the customer throughout the transport. Suggestions for getting yourself and your vehicle ready for the journey are provided. And perhaps most importantly, instructions on how to best complete a transport and secure a customer review are discussed. Obtaining a customer review is one of the most effective ways of generating future business, so you’ll want to pay special attention when this information is covered.

Lesson #5 - Going from 1 Shipment to 10+
Here comes the fun part! Now that you’ve got one shipment under your belt, it’s time to accelerate your success. This lesson helps you understand how to use CitizenShipper’s advanced tools to optimize routes and capitalize on multi-shipment transports. You’ll learn how to make the most of every transport trip through planning and other efficiencies. We also make it easy for you to become USDA registered and reward you for completing Red Cross First Aid training for cats and dogs. Plus, you’ll receive proactive suggestions for protecting your business such as insurance. 

Bonus - Building your Business Opportunities
As your business grows, CitizenShipper offers several ways for you to expand your staff and generate revenue from referrals. This bonus lesson will help you add new drivers to your account and explain how referring friends and family to become a CitizenShipper driver can earn you site credit and cash!

Sign-up for CitizenShipper Success!

This is your chance to jump-start your shipping business with proven techniques utilized by our top drivers. Register here today and see how the New Driver’s Guide and FREE educational training videos can help you reap the benefits of working with CitizenShipper - faster!

What to read next

For more advice on getting your bearings, see the articles on Talking to customers (2-min read) and Tips, tricks, & perseverance (2-min read).

For advice on managing your CitizenShipper profile, see Setting up your account.

For advice on winning shipments, see Bidding and payments.