The dedicated trucking industry is a highly competitive field, and finding new business opportunities can be challenging. However, with the right strategies, you can increase your chances of success.
How many times have you driven by a manufacturing plant or distribution center and contacted the shipping department trying to get to the “right” person; to get your foot in the door? If your calls aren’t getting through, consider walking in the door, business card in your left hand, and your right hand extended to begin a relationship.
That’s what Landis Express sales rep Rick Henrick did years ago with a Reading PA-area manufacturer. By providing excellent customer service, being responsive to customer inquiries and concerns, and going above and beyond to meet their needs, over time the friendship he built with that manufacturer resulted in profitable regional LTL hauling. Eventually, that manufacturer expanded to several locations and required a logistics company for service, causing load frequency to dwindle.
Rick’s relationship didn’t end there though. Several years later, over lunch, Rick learned that the customer had a shipping problem. A product they wanted to ship needed unusual cargo control. The logistics company couldn’t find a carrier willing to install E-Track in 53’ trailers in an unusual way and at an affordable price. Landis Express, the manufacturer’s in-house engineer, and our professional trailer mechanics teamed up to solve that problem.
If you want to find opportunities in dedicated trucking, networking is an important part of being successful. Attend industry events and conferences, join industry organizations, and most importantly stay connected with other professionals in the field. This will help you build relationships with shippers, brokers, and other industry professionals who can provide you with new business opportunities. Rick’s conversation over lunch resulted in multiple weekly dedicated shipping runs for Landis Express drivers and safe transportation of awkward products for a customer. You may call our relationship-based customer service old-school. We call it providing great customer care, and that’s what dedicated trucking and LTL trucking is all about.
