What shippers work directly with carriers?

So you expect someone to give their customers up?

Get on the phone and start calling like everyone else.

 

If that was the case, then don’t you think they would be searching for you?

 

I can't think of any customer that doesn't have a phone

 

Start with the people who know you and your reputation, the shippers with whom you have a rapport.

 

Try the folllowing-

• Join your state trucking association and attend the meetings and network. Carriers that need help moving loads may call on you
• look up shippers and manufacturers in your domicile - knock on doors
• Look up Traffic Managers and Logistics providers in your preferred traffic lanes and make sales calls
• Google manufacturers and shippers
• Work for the top 50 brokerage and logistics firms who have offices in the USA

 

There are shippers and buyers of freight that don’t use direct carriers. But many, if not most, do. If you do not have your own customer, you do not know the right people. You should already have friends and relationships with people that align to your industry if you do not, you chose the the wrong friends along the way. The people you surrounded with did not align with your future goals. If you’re behind on that, there’s still is hope. Start aligning yourself with those people local businesses that create products, manufacturing or agriculture. Participate in trade shows, charity, and fairs. Rub elbows and after rapport is built, start making the phone calls and be persistent. You have to understand you are liability if they don’t know who you are. Most people are pretty much useless. Very few are the ones that succeeded and help other people succeed. You have to get to know your customers on a personal level. It doesn’t have to take much, but they have to trust you are an asset. Until then, your not gonna help anything, you’re just gonna make everything worse if they know who you are even if it’s a slight sense of knowing there may be a tiny bit of trust, that is your opening. If you don’t have that opening, you’re probably never gonna have your own customer. If you haven’t done your research on your potential customers, who they are what they do for fun where they hang out and who their friends are, You’re going to have a hard time getting to know them. There is a reason when I take my kids to the hockey ring local businesses have their sponsorships on the wall. Whoever sees it recognizes consciously or subconsciously the business and will talk about that business. If the potential customers advertisement is at the hockey ring, put yours next to them . They will want to see their company on the wall and they will see your shipping company and it will imprint in their mind. Recognition and report by being familiar and in their mind. Start with small businesses in your local area. Let them get to know you before you ask for the sale. If you need to buy a property and set up a drop yard across their operations, do it. I am in my 3rd year and have had 4 direct customers. Lost one, have one that I do little work with, one that occasionally has given me 6 months work than replaced me for someone cheaper, and one that I would give my left ntt for. That one I have invested the most networking with and let them know how much I appreciate them beyond using just words. They feel connected to me. That is where I failed with my first customer. I did not continue to build on the relationship. It never ends. Having a trucking business isn’t really just all about the trucks. It’s sales, Sales bring in paychecks. Sales through brokers is low income. I make about 1/3 more a mile with with my direct customer then what average highs on dat lanes are from broker freight on the spot market. Start feeding off people with the correct mindset. @Ruthless He is a single operator with a great customer base. One thing I noticed about him is he doesn’t take rejection. And he doesn’t pussyfoot. You surround yourself with people that got it together those habits will grow on you, little by little. Avoid weak individuals. You can take care of them later as they will always need someone to care for them. But now they are a liability.