All Posts

First Impressions Last: Why Your uShip Profile Matters

What do you think your potential customers trust more?

a. Newspaper articles
b. Online customer reviews
c. Ads in a magazine
d. Online banner ads

If you chose b. online customer reviews then you made the right call. Nielsen research says 70% of people trust online consumer opinions, second only to recommendations from friends and relatives (92%). Newspaper articles (58%), magazine ads (47%) and online banner ads (33%) rank lower.

Why This Matters

As a business owner – like many owner-operators and truckers on uShip – your service reputation is critical, but unfortunately, spending nearly 300 days a year on the road tends to push marketing to the bottom of the list.

uShip = Marketing Gold for Truckers

This is where uShip can help. It can serve as your primary customer acquisition channel for new business, thanks to this enormous reputation vehicle: your uShip carrier profile and customer reviews it contains. If marketing had a Class 8, this is it. It works much same way restaurant owners rely on Yelp and Google reviews to bring in new business. Think of your uShip profile as your online business listing.

So, how your uShip profile appears – experience description, equipment photos, grammar and spelling, response to customer issues – along with your service history formed through customer feedback over time – says a truck ton about how serious you take your business, and more importantly, how you treat the stuff you haul.

Since we still see plenty of incomplete transporter profiles full of typos, missing information and void of photos, here are 6 tips for improving yours:

1. Ask for feedback after each shipment – and follow-up if necessary
Most people who receive great service are happy to give it.

2. Encourage friends, family and customers to “Like” your uShip profile
When someone gives you a Facebook “Like,” it posts to their wall for all their friends to see. They don’t even have to be registered on uShip.

3. Update your DOT, MC, Insurance, Equipment and Experience details
Provide as much information on your licensing, authorities and insurance as possible to build a potential customer’s confidence.

4. Make sure your profile includes a short, personal description of you and your services
Refine your description so it’s clear, personable and informative. Have someone read it before you post it on uShip, checking for grammar and typos.

5. Update photos on your profile to reflect your recent work
Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words so make sure people can see you, your equipment and past shipments. These build your credibility and give you a competitive advantage.

6. Get SaferWatch Verified

uShip offers SaferWatch Verification for all transporters, giving customers another way to verify the identity and operating authority and insurance of carriers. And uShip covers the cost of verification. The only action required on your part is ensuring you have up-to-date DOT/MC licensing and a credit card on file. Get started here!

Here’s an example of a strong carrier profile from Snortn Boar Transport:

Update Your Profile Today!

uShip is reinventing shipping and logistics through tools, trust and transparency. Through uShip’s transport marketplace, it’s now faster, easier and cheaper for consumers and businesses to connect with thousands of customer-reviewed transporters that often have empty truck space offered at a discounted rate.
Find shipments for free, connecting you directly with shippers.