When it comes to freight shipping, securing a consistent line of business through owner-operator contracts can be a challenge. There’s plenty to be said about one-off jobs, but these don’t always drive the consistency and reliability that’s needed for owner-operators.
To avoid any confusion on the topic, a shipper encompasses the transportation of physical goods by a variety of means. Ground shipping continues to be one of the most widely used methods of goods transportation, and this can be broken down into many forms as well. A profession that has easily helped usher the world into the modern age, freight shipping is another common example here.
While landing these contracts is a primary concern regarding cash flow and reputation, providing stellar customer service is a must in this industry as well.1 This article will highlight several strategies on how to get trucking contracts, how to find them, and more tips and tricks.
Researching Potential Contracts
There’s no argument that sourcing truck driver contracts can come with a few hurdles. However, with the right research and approach to potential contracts, you can find business that’s in line with your objectives and personal preferences.
It’s important to keep in mind that there are critical factors involved. Some of these include:
- Networking within profitable sectors
- Making use of online freight load boards and contract platforms
- Using dispatch services and their leverage in sourcing contracts
You’ll find there are several ways to go about it, but finding hauling contracts that are worth your time and effort comes with a strategy. It’s equally crucial to consider the type of contracts you’re dealing with as well.
For example, government trucking contracts can come with nuanced details and requirements you may not find elsewhere. How to get government contracts for trucking has its nuanced details and caveats as well.
However, it still follows many of the same processes, such as dealing with load boards, dispatchers, and consistent networking. Through a combination of staying informed on industry trends and best practices, you can secure contracts that deliver for the long term.
Networking and Building Relationships
It may come as a surprise to some, but networking is a pillar in the world of freight shipping. People on every side need owner-operators they can rely on, and you want truck driver contracts that consistently deliver. One of the best ways to facilitate this is to network and build trusting relationships through a variety of means.
The quality of your work may speak for itself, but it’ll take more than that to get your next haul off the ground and down the road. Consider the following avenues to help build professional relationships toward owner-operator contracts:
- Diversify your connections by speaking with shippers, freight brokers, and other owner-operators
- Visit relevant trade shows and industry events
- Connect with potential contracts through reliable online platforms and load boards
Overall, it’s about making your presence and services known while expanding on that reputation at every turn. Securing ongoing business means building trust with shippers, and this is only made possible through delivering consistent results. Customer service should be thorough across the board, as reliability goes a long way in the world of shipping.
It’s important to focus heavily on the use of technology in this pursuit. Shippers worldwide continue to put significant effort into technology integrations for the industry and their own operations.2 This segues into the popular use of freight load boards and other services that can help streamline the connection to potential contracts.
Utilizing Freight Load Boards
Part of the owner-operator shift we’re seeing in the freight shipping industry can be linked to the growth of freight load boards. Offering a seamless and efficient point of contact between owner operators, shippers, as well as freight brokers, you can generally find a long list of contracts to bid on.
Then again, standing out from the crowd is a part of the equation, and this considers more than the financials. Other angles to keep in mind when navigating freight load boards include:
- Creating a detailed profile for yourself and your equipment
- Adapting bidding strategies to current market trends
- Focus on building relationships rather than just another paycheck
Aside from your business relationships, where you source these potential contracts is vital. Not all load boards and contract resources are helpful, and the whole process can be extremely time-consuming.
You can definitely find some popular options online, such as DirectFreight, 123LoadBoard, or TruckStop. However, bouncing from one load board to the next can become so time-demanding that you end up either missing out on certain opportunities or actually making money.
That’s part of why we exist here at CloudTrucks, as our system pulls available loads from numerous load boards, as well as our own exclusive contracts with shippers. This gives everything owner-operators need in one place, streamlining the steps it takes to get the truck en route.
While many traditional, long-standing load boards have been the top choice for quite some time, they don’t have everything you need. Many people in trucking or the shipping space in general are used to scouring contracts from as many sources and contacts as possible.
In today's world, thanks to technology, you can have everything you need under a single hub, with CloudTrucks being a great example of this. Having all of these resources under one roof brings several unique benefits, such as more cohesive administrative support and dynamic relationships with shippers.
However, load boards aren’t the only main source for finding potential contracts. Working alongside and building relationships with dispatching services can be quite helpful as well.
Utilize Dispatching Services
A very common component of the freight shipping industry includes dispatching services. Between locating available loads to negotiating with brokers and more, dispatchers tend to stay pretty busy.
Other supportive services dispatchers can provide include:
- Handling delays in communication
- Staying up to date with compliance management
- Help facilitate positive relationships between owner-operators and shippers
- Ensuring owner-operators and drivers remain on schedule
Although this is a position much of the freight shipping industry relies on, it can come with a few caveats. For example, communication challenges with the dispatcher or navigating sheer dependency can lead to delays or shifting business relationships.
It’s merely another line of communication owner-operators have to deal with, inherently taking time away from securing contracts. This is another example of how CloudTrucks solves numerous issues regarding logistics in freight shipping. Not only does our system act as the only load board you need, but it’s also your dispatcher at the same time.
Here are a few other notable benefits of having an “in-house” dispatcher like CloudTrucks by your side:
- Helps to reduce owner-operator costs associated with typical dispatchers
- More comprehensive administrative support from every angle
- Creating connections with new shippers
- Managing operational logistics from timelines to routes and more
All of these points highlight the importance of technology when it comes to innovating traditional industries. Trucking is still very much relevant today, but the modern owner-operator needs to remember that time is money, especially in the realm of shipping.
Another way to look at this is the growing prevalence of products being shipped directly to people’s homes.3 Local shipping hubs are needed due to this demand, which only leads to more truck driver contracts.
It isn’t hard to learn more about some of the top dispatching companies on the market. The reality is that many of these services are limited or simply aren’t caught up with what technology integrations can offer. When you’re able to find the service offerings of every dispatcher all in one, it only makes sense to manage it all in one lane.
Although some aspects of dispatch work are changing with each passing year, a lot of this is merely due to technological integrations. This similar take can be found in almost any industry nowadays, as more business owners transition the old into the new.
Nevertheless, freight shipping is long overdue for new-found efficiencies, and our comprehensive system at CloudTrucks is a leading example. Not just because we can help facilitate new contracts, but we also offer the support you need before, during, and after.
Owner-operators can’t take the direction of their business into their own hands without reliable operational support. You can easily avoid many of the traditional issues surrounding load boards and dispatching by working with intuitive technologies and interfaces that help reduce risk, increase business, and streamline operations.
Final thoughts
Taking your freight shipping operations into your own hands can seem daunting, but it’s a lot easier than you think with the right strategy and support. Utilizing the various strategies in shipper relationships, dispatching, load boards, and more can help get your business on track and continue to grow.
Competition and shifting industry norms aside, using technology and more comprehensive lines of support like CloudTrucks can offer the assistance you need at any stage of your career. Applying this forward-thinking strategy is one of the best ways you can ensure you stand out as an owner-operator in a competitive industry.
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