CitizenShipper FAQs

If your driver fails to make delivery as agreed, you might want to requesta refund of the CitizenShipper booking fee. Here are several examples of circumstances under which you could claim a refund.

You're eligible for a full refund of your CitizenShipper Booking Fee if...

You book a driver and pay the fee, but they contact you later and claim they're having engine trouble.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but they have a family emergency and cannot complete a shipment.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but the driver fails to contact you.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but they fail to show up.

You're not eligible for a full refund of your CitizenShipper Booking Fee if...

You book a driver and pay the fee, but change your mind the next day.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but decide to ship the item yourself.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but then your friend offers to ship the item for you.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but the item doesn'tmatch your shipment listing, affecting the driver's ability to pick up or deliver it as agreed.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but fail to provide the necessary information or documents for the delivery to take place.

You book a driver and pay the fee, but then decide to change the agreed-upon pickup or delivery dates, and your driver cannot accommodate this modified schedule.

If your shipment is not delivered for any reason, please contact [email protected] to request a refund of the booking fee. Upon receiving your canceled contract/refund request, we will contact the other party and seek their confirmation of the cancellation. Refunds will be processed only after our investigation of the cancellation has been completed. Any refund request must be made within 90 days of the initial payment. Any refund request made after 90 days will be automatically considered null and void.

Welcome to CitizenShipper and thanks for listing a shipment with us!

So what's next?

After listing a shipment on our site, you'll start to receive messages and quotes from interested drivers. You'll be able to control the entire flow of this process from your dashboard.

Conversations and Offers

The first thing you'll see upon logging in is the Conversations & offers section which should look something like this:

Legal section

This shows you the names of all the drivers bidding on your shipment, as well as the ones you're having an active conversation with. Drivers often have questions about a shipment, so exchanging a few messages is typical before booking one.

Click on any of the tabs to bring up the full driver conversation thread.

Suggested Matches

Directly underneath, you should see the Suggested matches section. These are drivers who we think may be available to send you a quote. We compile this list based on the previous experience certain drivers have with similar shipments, and who we think may currently be close to your location.

You can click on any one of the suggested matches and shoot them over a quick message. Just ask if they've seen your listing and if they're interested. We aim to connect you with professional, certified transporters only, in the easiest way possible :)

Messages

The messages section is a way for you to easily communicate back and forth with drivers and will look something like this:

The messaging platform allows you to chat with drivers in real-time.If either side of the conversation isn't available in real-time, we send out notifications by email or text, letting them know they have a message waiting.

Please note that CitizenShipper does not allow the exchange of contact informationvia its messaging platform. We strongly advise you to conduct all business on-site, where everything is kept on the record. This not only protects you from scammers but also helps us mediate any disputes that may arise.

Driver Profiles

When you select a conversation, you'll see a snapshot of the driver's profile which should look something like this:

Here you can see the company name of the transportation provider, their rating from previous customers, and a brief description of the company.

Clicking View profilewill bring up the full driver profile:

Here you'll see a wide range of information, including how long they've been active on the site, how many shipments they've completed so far, and what their cancelation rate is.

We also show you customer feedback, as well as a summary of the safety screenings they've passed.

In addition, drivers accumulate achievements over time, which you can see in the panel to the right. Mouse over any award (or click if you're on a mobile device) to see a description of the achievement in question.

All this information on the driver's profile page should provide enough background information on a driver for you to make an informed decision on hiring them.

Driver Offers

Going back to the main messaging platform, here's what you'll see when a driver submits a quote on your shipment:

In this example, the driver is offering to deliver your shipment for $420. Keep in mind that this sum does not include the CitizenShipper service fee - that will be added to your total later, if and when you choose to accept the bid.

Once you're ready to book your driver, hit the Book now button which will take you to the booking page. There you can review the total expenses and input your credit card information.

Once that's done, we'll notify the driver that they've won the shipment. At that point, you'll both be given each other's contact information so you can arrange any further details directly.

Reviews

Lastly, when a driver sends you a quote,you'll see a snapshot of their feedback history. It should look something like this:

This shows you how previous customers have rated the driver. This one is doing pretty well, with a total of 29 five-star ratings!

You can click eitherView Allor View Profile to read through the reviews and seewhat the customer had to say about their experience with the driver.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

What to read next

For more advice on making the most of your CitizenShipper experience, see the articles on listing a shipment (1-min read) or adjusting your notification settings (2-min read).

For a comprehensive overview of CitizenShipper policies, check out the of our Help Center.

The Animal Welfare Act ( AWA ) setsthe federal standard for the care and treatment of animals in research, exhibition, and transport. Enforced by the USDA and APHIS, the act requires animal transporters to register so that their customers are guaranteed the mandatory quality of service.

If you intend to transport pets but have not yet registered with the USDA, this article will walk you through the steps you should take.The process is free of charge and fairly straightforward, bringing tangible benefits. Just as a recent example, USDA-registered transporters on CitizenShipper are shown to win their bids 13% more frequently than unregistered ones.

If you're interested in building trust and inspiring confidence in customers, here's what you should do to register with the USDA.

Step One: Choose the registration that applies to you

On the APHIS website, you can see the six types of licensing/registration available. If uncertain which category your business falls under, you can run their assistant tool which helps you choose.

For most transporters operating on CitizenShipper, either a class T (carrier) or class H (handler) registration will suffice. There's no charge associated with either of them.

Knowledge base

Step Two: Download the required documentation

Once you've selected the type of registration you're after, simply download the application kit from the same webpage. It comes in the form of a PDF document, which you can download to your device.

Most pet transporters will need the file titled CLASS R, H, AND T REGISTRATION, so click that one to download and print it out.

Step Three: Fill out the forms and mail them in

Once you've printed out the document, all you need to do is fill it out. It's a pretty standard form if you've filled out a credit application or tax certificate before, you should be able to handle it.

After filling out the form, just mail it in. The address currently used by the USDA to accept applications is 2150 Centre Avenue Building B,Mailstop 3W11,Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117. If you need to get in touch with them, the email address is [email protected], and the phone number is (970) 494-7478.

Step Four: Add USDA info to your CitizenShipper profile

Your official USDA certificate of registration should arrive in the mail within a few weeks. Once it does, you can upload it here for CitizenShipper to instantly verify. This will add a USDA-certified checkmark to your driver profile, informing potential customers of your officially recognized status.

As mentioned above, our data shows that registered transporters have a clear bidding advantage over their competition. Inspiring trust in a customer can makeall the difference between winning or losing a shipment.

For more detailed information on the Animal Welfare Act, see USDA's Blue Book collection.If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our support team.

And if you're already registered with the USDA but aren't showing it on your CitizenShipper profile, don't forget to submit your certificate for verification.

What to read next

For more advice on improving your standing as a transporter, see our articles on profile settings (2-min read) and subscriptions (3-min read).

For broader guidelines, see thesection of our Help Center.

On the CitizenShipper website, simply click one of the buttons titledList Shipment or Get Quotes Now. That will take you to our shipment form, where you can fill in all the relevant details about your shipment.

Select the category of shipment, give us a brief description of it, enter the pick-up and drop-off points, and, optionally, share a photo of the shipment. It should take about 2 minutes to complete the form.

Once you're finished, you'll be able to review your listed shipment. Here's an example of what a finalized shipment listing might look like:

How It Works

As soon as you list your shipment, the transporters can start bidding on it. Whenever a new bid is sent in, you'llreceive an email notification. You can review all offers on your CitizenShipper dashboard.

If you have any further questions, you can always contact us directly at [email protected].

What to read next

For more advice on making the most of your CitizenShipper experience, see the articles about booking a driver (2-min read) or navigating the customer interface (4-min read)

For more details on the shipment form, check out ourpage.

So you've received bids from a driver or two, and now you're wondering how payments are handled? That's great!

First off, CitizenShipper does not mediate the transaction between you and your driver.You'll discuss payment with them on your own terms, using our internal messaging system.

Drivers will often requirepayment on deliveryby way of cash, check, or credit card; some may also accept other payment providers (see below).

However,drivers occasionally request payment upfront, in whole or in part. This is typically done so they can cover their travel expenses, which can be substantial on longer routes.

If the driver does request an upfront payment, we recommend the following precautions:

If you haven't already, check if the driver has good feedback from previous customers.

Also on the driver's profile, see if they show the CitizenShipper-verified badge.

Choose a payment method that can be disputed, just in case things don't go according to plan. This includes PayPal, ApplePay, Square, Venmo, and credit card providers. These have safeguards in place that will allow you to dispute a payment. Avoid irreversible payment methods, such as direct money transfers via Western Union orMoneygram.

In the unlikely event that there's any trouble with payment, shippers and drivers alike can contact us at [email protected] at any time.Our support staff is there to assist you and advise you on best practices when it comes to payments!

What to read next

For more advice onmaking the most of your CitizenShipper experience, see the articles about ensuring a smooth transaction (3-min read) and staying on the-platform (2-min read).

Also check out our blog for advice on choosing the right driver.

Starting today, our Shipment search tool operates with additional functionalities, allowing drivers to browse through the shipments listed on the site much more efficiently.

Previously, the only search parameter available was the pick-up address. We're doing away with this limitation - drivers can nowset multiple criteria and search with more precision for only those shipments they're interested in.

How it works

When you access your Dashboard on the CitizenShipper site, you should see the search bar in the upper left area of your screen:

Bidding-and payments

Clicking "Search shipments" will open the new Shipment Search Tool, which allows you to set the parameters of your search by pick-up address, delivery address, date, and category:

Simply click the "Pickup address" or "Delivery address" fields to narrow down your search.Enter the names of cities or states you wish to ship to or from.In the example above, the tool is already showing 15 shipments available based on Los Angeles being specified as the pick-up address.

Of course, you don't have to narrow your search down to a specific city - you could also search for shipments to be delivered from one state to another. Here's a different example, showing 16 shipments to be delivered from California to Florida:

Next, click the "Pickup date " field and choose a specific date or a range of dates for the pick-up:

Finally, click the "Categories" field to choose which shipment category/subcategory you wish to search.

As shown below, each category contains a number of subcategories that you can check or uncheck, searching only for the types of shipments you're interested in:

Once you click "Apply", the search will commence and you will be shown a list of shipments that meet your stated criteria:

From here, you can click"Refine search results" to reopen the tool to set different parameters for your shipment search.

Clicking the bar icon () will sort the search results shown, either by the listing date or by the number of bids made:

And that's all there is to it! Our goal with this update was to increase the functionality of the Shipment search tool, while at the same time keeping it simple and accessible.

We would appreciate your feedback, of course. Feel free to contact our support team with any questions, or simply to let us know how useful these new features really are.

What to read next

For more information about finding and winning shipments, see our articles on setting up routes (2-min read) and talking to customers (2-min read).

We also recommend thesection of our Help Center.

On CitizenShipper, we encourage open and transparent communication between shippers and drivers. We want you to be able to iron out every last detail before deciding whether or not to book a particular transporter.

Our messaging platform keeps a record of all the messages you exchange with drivers. Should any issue arise, we refer to this record as part of our dispute mediation process, to guarantee fair and honest dealing in all transactions.

Thats why its vital to keep all communication onsite. If you exchange contact information with a driver before booking them, youre discussing terms of transport away from the CitizenShipper platform. This prevents us from protecting your interests and mediating any potential dispute, which is why contact exchange before the booking is against our Terms of Service.

We strongly encourage you to stay on the platform and enjoy the security it provides. For further details, please address all questions to [email protected].

What to read next

For more advice on communicating with drivers, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and listing shipments (1-min read).

We also recommend the Dealing with drivers section and the Quick-start guide.

Most transportation jobs are completed with no issues at all, but there are a few things that you can do to make sure that the transaction goes through smoothly.

The first step would be to familiarize yourself with the shipping process, so you'd know what to expect. But if you already have a general idea of how these things work, read on for tips on specific issues!

Agree on payment details before booking a driver

Before you hire a driver, be sure that you are both clear on the specifics of the payment. This includes not only the amount but also answers to the following questions:

Will the driver be paid in cash, check, credit card, PayPal or some other method?

Will the payment be made on delivery, on pickup, or half-and-half?

CitizenShipper does not recommend paying via Moneygram, Western Union, or other forms of direct money transfer. These are fundamentally untraceable transactions which prevent you from claiming a refund if anything goes wrong. Instead, it's safer to rely oncredit card vendors, PayPal, and other payment processors with built-in disputation tools.

Provide the contact information of everyone involved

As the shipping customer, you might be present at both the pick-up and drop-off locations. But more often than not, there is a third party involved too. For example, you might want your shipment delivered to a friend or family member at the destination.

Once you've booked a driver, be sure to provide them with the contact information of anyone else involved in the transportation process. The transporter will need to coordinate with them too, and ensuring they are in contact maximizes the chances that the transportation will go hiccup-free.

Be very clear on dates and times

When you list a transportation job on CitizenShipper, we ask that you input your preferred date for pick-up and delivery. Drivers are informed of your stated time frame and plan their jobs around them.

We understand that some customers are more flexible than others, but please be very clear when talking to drivers. The dates of pickup and delivery should be stated as clearly as possible.

Ideally, you would have this conversation with the driver on the CitizenShipper messaging platform, before booking them. This makes sure that there's a digital record on hand, which is always a good idea.

Communicate with your driver

After you book a driver, you'll both receive each other's contact information. Drivers often take the initiative to get in touch with you after being hired for a job. If you don't hear from the driver soon, they may be in the middle of another job.

Feel free to reach out to them by text message, or email them and introduce yourself. For a transportation job to run smoothly requires both parties to communicate well with each other.

What to read next

For related information, check out our articles on safety in communication, payment refunds and canceling shipments.

You can also contact [email protected] with any further questions or comments.

CitizenShipper is an eBay-Certified Compatible Application, an Authorize.net Verified Merchant, and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Your information is safe and secure with us, every step of the way.

We are thoroughly invested in creating a safe community for customers and transporters alike. Before bidding on any shipment, drivers must be CitizenShipper-certified. We require them to submit their personal information to comprehensive background checks, as well as address and phone verifications.

What to read next

For more information about the safeguards that CitizenShipper employs to secure our community, and the full list of verification steps required of our drivers, see our Service and Safeguards page.

We also recommend the Dealing with drivers section and the Quick-start guide.

Drivers are certified by CitizenShipper once they've completed 100% of their profile page, including all five of our screening and security checks.We acknowledge this accomplishment by adding a CitizenShipper Certified stamp to their profile. When bidding on shipments, drivers with this stamp are more likely to be chosen by customers.

In addition to confirming drivers' contact information (email, phone number, and physical address), we also run a comprehensive background check using Checkr, screening for a variety of criminal offenses and driving incidents.

What to read next

For a full list of criteria that drivers must satisfy to pass their background screening, see this article.

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.

So you joined CitizenShipper as a driver - what now?

In this article, we'll try to guide you through the first steps you take on the CitizenShipper site andprovide all the details you'll need to win your first shipment. Lets start with the basics.

Editing your profile

In the top right corner, click the little gearicon (), then selectEdit profile fromthe dropdown menu. minimizing expenses

While editing the profile, enter as much useful information about yourself and your business as you can.Make sure to include details about your vehicle. Shippers need to know as much as possible about their drivers. It gives them peace of mind when entrusting you with their precious cargo.

The Experience section may be the most important one when building confidence with shippers. List any previous experience in transportation that you have, going into specifics if possible. The more extensive your listed experience is, the easier it will be for you to win a shipment.

Even if you are just starting out, emphasize every strength that you have. If you love animals, for example, and know a thing or two about pet transportation, don't forget to point that out.

Sample experience entry: Ive been driving for ten years now, and I am a dog owner. I've always loved animals, and I know how frustrated pets can get during transport. I stop for breaks every two hours when driving my dog long-distance.

Once you have entered all the info you want to share with customers, click Update Profile. This will redirect you to theMy Profilepage.

Make sure you add some photos to your profile:

Nice job!

Setting up routes

Next, click the Routes button at the top of your Dashboard. This will allow you toadd or remove the routes, cities, and states in which you prefer to do business. Simply enter the locations you're interested in shipping to or from, and those will be the shipments that we send you.

For example, let's say you live in New York State and want to explore Ohio or North Carolina. Just click to add these as your preferred routes, and we'll start showing you shipments in those areas.

If your preferences change at any point, you can add or remove states, cities, or routes by clickingEdit state/Province list. Feel free to experiment - this is your chance to explore as many states as you want while getting paid to travel!

Once you're finished setting up routes, lets get back to yourDashboard.

Shipment listings

When just starting out, you'll want to focus on the shipments that pop up in yourRecommended tab. After you've made a bid or two, they'll be in yourActivetab. Once you've won a bid, you'll find it in yourWon tab.

But we want the shipment listings that appear in these tabs to be of interest to you.In order to do that, lets make sure that your notificationsare properly configured. For a full walkthrough on this, see the Change your notification settings article.

Also, double-check the Categories settings that you've chosen when opening your account.These also affect the notifications you receive, and the shipments you see on the Recommended tab.With all that said and done, your profile should have almost all the information a shipping customer could ask for.When you navigate to the Recommended shipments tab, you should see a list of shipments that match the criteria you've just set.

But before you click a shipment you're interested in and message the customer, you will need to initiate your security screening.

Security check

We ask all of our new drivers to go through a quick background check before they can submit quotes on any shipments. Once you've completed our screening, your profile is marked "CitizenShipper-certified". For more information on the process, see this article.

Having drivers verified by a third party gives our customers confidence that their precious possessions and beloved pets will be safe and well provided for during the journey. Remember, trust is an essential component of the customers-transporter relationship.

With that out of the way, youre ready for your first bid!

Placing bids

In your dashboard, you should see shipments listed, each with its own unique details. By clicking on one,you'll see the current bids and price insights. Youdon'thave to stick to that price range, but you should use it as a point of reference when placing yourbid.

We also encourage drivers to contact a potential customer before sending a bid. Message them if you need any clarifications regarding their shipment listing. By establishing this first-person point of contact, you can greatly improve the odds of any bid you decide to place later.

Below this section, youll see the shipment-stackingoption.

Stacked shipments

The shipment-stacking tool lets you quickly locate shipments with pick-up and drop-off locations near the shipment route you are currently looking at.

The purpose of this tool is to help you stack multiple shipments along your route, allowing you to generate more profit and/or offer the customer a more competitive bid.

Included in the shipment-stacking tool is an estimate of how much extra cash you can earn from these jobs, together with the additional miles you'll be driving.

Try this tool out, and learn to use it wisely. Lower bids help you win more shipments; completed shipments lead to positive feedback; good reviews are crucial in building a reputation and earning serious money as a transporter.

Talking to customers

Analyzing driver performance, one thing we've noticed is thatthe most successful ones are GREAT at communicating with customers. Some, for example,introduce themselves to a potential customer prior to submitting their first quote. (Others submit a quote but then follow up with a message or two.)

The content of your first message to a customer is essential to winning a shipment.

Imagine, for example, you're a pet owner in need of transportation. You're probably a little nervous as you've never shipped your puppy before, and you want to make sure it is in good hands. So you get twomessages from two different drivers. They read as follows:

Message #1:I'll be in the area next week. I could do this for 500.

Message #2:Hey there! My name is Candace and I'm an experienced transportation provider with a perfect safety record, clean license and full coverage insurance. I've been transporting dogs for three years now and LOVE animals. We stay in pet-friendly motels for the trip, and they will be safely secured during the transport in a carrier. I'll make regular rest stops and I'll also send you regular pictures so you can see that your baby is happy and safe. Before I place a quote may I ask if you have a budget in mind?

If you were a customer, which message would you be more likely to respond to?

Above all, the customer wants to know that their shipment will be in safe hands. While talking to them, describing your experience is often the first step in building that all-important trust.

If they seem anxious, you might want to assuage them by offering to send regular picture updates from the road, letting them know everything is going well and their pet is enjoying the ride. This can be agreat way to increase customer confidence and improve your chances of winning the bid.

Closing words

If you've read through all that, we're pretty sure you're good to go :)Just remember: not winning your first bid is completely normal. Some of our most successful drivers only won one after placing dozens of bids! Once you get that first shipment under your belt, more will follow. If you need any further assistance, please contact us directly at [email protected], or via the CitizenShipper Facebook page. Our dedicated teams will be there as soon as possible to help you out!

What to read next

Check out the other sections of our Help Center for advice on setting up your CitizenShipper account, making your first steps on the platform, or bidding on shipments.

If you're looking for guidelines on managing your cash flow as a driver, consult these articles on maximizing earnings and .

Whenever you message a customer or place a bid on their shipment, their first step is typically to take a look at your profile. Here's an example of how customers see your profile:

Bidding and payments

Customers can get a quick summary of your performance in the top left area, just under your profile pic:

This shows your overall star rating, the number of shipments you have completed so far, your cancellation rate (for the past 4 weeks), and your total time spent on the site.

In addition to this summary, customers can also see all the reviews left by your past customers. Here's an example of one such review:

We've found that most shippers appreciate a driver's friendliness, honesty, and communication skills. That's often reflected in the feedback they leave on your profile.

Right next to the Reviews tab, customers can also click Photos to see any additional pics you may have uploaded:

In this example, the driver just has a couple of personal photos. Anything that shows your face would be a good choice for your main profile pic.We recommenduploading pictures of your vehicle too, interior as well as exterior, and any special equipment that you may be using.Pet transporters also upload pictures of their furry travelers enjoying the ride.

In the top right area of the screen, customers are shown yourExperience entry. These are typically just a few short paragraphs written by you, outlining how long you've been in the business, what your selling points are, whatvehicles you use, etc.

Customers can also see the checkmarks next to the four stages of safety screening that you've cleared. If you're registered with the USDA, a checkmark will also notify customers of that in the same section of the profile (not shown below):

Finally, the bottom right area shows all the Achievements you've collected. These are special badges that we award drivers when they pass certain milestones.

As you can see, your profile is meant to instill confidence in potential customers, motivating them to book you forthe job. We strongly recommend taking the time to add those photos and descriptions - it's much easier to win a shipment if you have a completed, full-featured profile.

What to read next

For more advice on getting your bearings, see the articles on Shipment details (2-min read) and Navigating your dashboard (3-min read).

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

For advice on winning shipments, see .

Great news for anyone who needs to ship large, high-value items: CitizenShipper is doing away with flat-rate booking fees!

CitizenShipper will apply fees based on a sliding scale. If youre interested, you can see how we apply the sliding scale fee below, but all fees will be calculated for you automatically when you click "Book Driver", based on the amount of the drivers bid. At that time, you'll also be presented with your fee rate, so you can tell exactly how muchyou'vesaved.

You will not see any fees untilyou'vefully configured your entire shipment and selected your driver. Once ready to get your stuff on the road, you will be prompted to pay the fee allocated to your payment amount.

Table 1 below summarizes our fee structure:

Recent releases

If you have any questions about this new enhancement or our service, leave a comment below or contact us directly at [email protected].

What to read next

For examples and detailed calculations, take a look at our Service fee article (3-min read).

For more up-to-date announcements, see oursection.

The shipment stacking tool lets you quickly locate shipments that have pick-up and drop-off locations close to those of the shipment you are currently looking at.

The purpose of this tool is to help you stack multiple shipments,allowing you to generate more profit and/or offer the customer a more competitive bid.

When looking over new shipping jobs, you'll see the shipment stacking tool just to the right of the map:

Shipment pricing

The suggested shipment will have pick-up and drop-off locations close to the shipment you're currently viewing.

Included in the stack shipments tool is an estimate of how much extra cash you can earn from the job, together with the additional miles you'll be driving.

You'll see a maximum of six suggested shipments with the stack shipments tool, depending on whether we find shipments that match the pickup and drop-off locations.

Using the Tool

If you're on a computer and you mouse-over a suggested stacked shipment, you'll see the route information show up on the main map.

If you're not interested in the suggested stacked shipment, click the small 'x' in the top right of the box, to dismiss the shipment from your feed.

You can contact us at [email protected] if you need any further assistance.

What to read next

For more up-to-date announcements, see our Recent releases section.

We also recommend the articles on USDA registrations (3-min read) and (2-min read).

CitizenShipper has released a Shipment Listing Form that makes the process of listing a shipment on CitizenShipper a snap.

The new CitizenShipper Shipment Listing Formis more clear and allows you to post your shipment in just a few moments.

Here are some of thefeatures of the new form:

Basicinfo

First things first. Create a title for your shipment that will grab the attention of drivers.Examples:

One Small Terrier Puppy

Grandma's Antique Tea Set

A Yamaha ATV and Two Extra Tires

Five Room Apartment Across Town

In the description box that follows, you can add any details you think are relevant for drivers to submit an accurate quote. You'll have the opportunity to add your pick-up and drop-off locations a bit later, but if there are any non-standard details about your shipment, this is the perfect place to add them.

Do your boxes need to go down the back stairwell?

Does Spot need to go for a quick walk every couple of hours?

Does your vehicle weigh over a standard amount?

Do those photos absolutely need to arrive before a certain time?

making payments

Choose a category

Choose the main category for your shipment. If your particular shipment could possibly be in more than one of the following categories, choose the one that is most fitting or most important for your shipment.

Once you choose your primary category, a shortlist of more specific options will appear for you to choose from. These options help drivers quickly assess the scope of your shipment.

Choose yourroute

Here you can add the pick-up and drop-off locations for your shipment. If you know the exact addresses, it's best to add them here. The map will display the route and mileage of your shipment. You can zoom into the map by clicking on the '+' button on the left-hand side of the map. You can also drag the pins on the map to specific locations to configure the endpoints of your shipment.

Adding photos

Here you can add photos of your shipment. The more you add the better the drivers will understand what you want to ship.

Finishing up

On this page, we ask about a few more details about your shipment. These questions are pretty self-explanatory. The second one, about packing, allows you to choose one or more of the options presented.

Use the calendar controls to configure your pick-up and drop-off times. If you are flexible, you can choose "Anytime" and discuss the specifics with your driver directly after you select a winning quote.

Adding in an amount that you are willing to pay for your shipment might help drivers meet that amount. If you are unsure of all the logistics required for your shipment to be successful, or you are open to receiving a wider range of quotes, you can leave this field blank.

Contact info and email notifications

When you add your name and email address and click on the "Submit" button, CitizenShipper automatically creates a customer account for you and sends you an email to let you know the shipment is live. This email contains information about how drivers will submit quotes on your shipment, and instructions on what to do next. It also contains links to your listed shipment, should you need to edit any of the details.

Once your post is live, drivers will be able to see your shipment information and can submit quotes. You can review any submitted quotes from your Dashboard, which you will receive a link to via email or text.

If you have any questions or need any assistance at all, please feel free to contact our support team.

What to read next

For more up-to-date announcements, see our Recent releases section.

We also recommend the articles on booking drivers (1-min read) and (2-min read).

At CitizenShipper, safety has always been our highest priority. We are thoroughly invested in creating a safe community for customers and transporters alike.

All drivers must be CitizenShipper-certified before they can bid on a shipment. We perform comprehensive background screenings, including physical address and phone number verifications. Picture ID confirmation is required for drivers and their vehicles. All who join the CitizenShipper community are screened for a variety of criminal offenses and driving incidents.

To perform these comprehensive background checks, we rely on Checkr, a reputable screening service accredited byBSCC and NAPBS.

The process assures that all the drivers have:

Zero felonies in the past five years

Zero felonies in the last ten years involving theft or violence

Zero DUI arrests within the last five years

No outstanding arrest warrants

No pattern of misdemeanors

In addition, our screening includes:

SSN validation

Sex offender registry check

Global watchlist check

State criminal records check

National criminal records check

Whenever a new transporter joins CitizenShipper, we collect all the information required to perform a criminal background check before they start bidding on shipments. The investigation itself is performed as soon as they have won the first shipment. (The information collected from drivers that join the site but don't actively engage in bidding is not processed.) After we submit the information to Checkr, we expect the results back within three business days.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on safety in communication (1-min read)and driver profiles (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.

Email

You can email us at [email protected], or just hit "reply" to any email you've received from CitizenShipper.

Phone

You can reach out to us directly ateither 903-213-5321 (9 AM to 5 PM) or903-202-0991 (5 PM to 12 PM); all times are CST.

Social Media

You can also get ahold of us on Facebook or Twitter.

Way to go! You delivered a shipment. What know? We are changing the way how completed shipments are calculated. In the past, you had to deliver at least 5 shipments with a rating of 3 and higher for shipments to be shown on your profile.

This meant that new drivers had 0 shipments delivered on their profile for quite a while.

We realized how frustrating that must be for our new drivers and we decided to change the way how CitizenShipper calculates completed shipments.

Starting today, once you deliver a shipment youll simply mark it as Delivered and this will trigger a message to the shipper, asking them to leave a review for you! Every single shipment marked as delivered will be counted on your profile. This, together with a great review from a shipper, will help you a lot in winning future shipments.

How to change the shipment status from Won to Delivered?

When you navigate to your dashboard, youll see the Won shipments section:

Announcement section

Enter this section and locate the shipment that has been delivered. Youll see three dots menu icon in the top right corner:

Click on it and mark your shipment as Delivered:

Once you hit the Delivered button, your shipment will change from Won to Delivered, as shown in the screenshot below:

This changes not only the number of delivered shipments on your profile but also triggers a message to a shipper, asking to leave a review for you!Why is it so important to mark your shipment as Delivered?

The more shipments you successfully deliver the more reviews youll get. Shipping customers like to know as much as possible about the driver who is transporting their belongings. If they can see that you already delivered someone elses precious cargo, theyll feel more confident in leaving their belongings in your hands.

Got any questions? Contact us directly at [email protected], or shoot us a message via Facebook or Twitter.

Keep on drivin, anddon'tforget to share some pictures from the road!

What to read next

For moretips and tricks, check out our article about the benefits of staying on-site (2-min read) and our comprehensive New drivers' guide (6-min read).

For more on our recent updates and releases, see theHelp Center's.

CitizenShipper is an online marketplace connecting people who have something to ship with qualified transporters in their area.

If you have an item to transport, list your shipping requirements for free and wait for registered drivers to send you their quotes.

If looking for work in transportation, create your driver profile and start bidding on shipments listed on the site.

Acting as a go-between, the CitizenShipper platform matches a customers' shipping requirements with a transporter's ability to satisfy them. We bring people together, building a community of shippers and drivers.

How it works

When customers list their shipments, they instantly access ournationwide network of transporters. We send the shipment listing out to all the transporters able to satisfy the stated requirements.

Once transporters are notified of a shipment, they review it and message the customer who listed it. They quote their price, bidding against each other for the opportunity to do business.

The shipping customer considers these offers and decides who to book. They go through transporters' profiles, looking at their ratings, reviews, and achievements. Once the choice is made, the best bid is accepted and booking is made.

It's at this point that CitizenShipper connects the customer with their chosen transporter, exchanging their contact information. Through direct communication, the two sides arrange for the shipment to be picked up, transported, and delivered. Payment is typically made on delivery, though some transporters require a part of it to be made upfront.

CitizenShipper operates based on the twin principles of transparency and accountability - we encourage all shipping customers to rate and review their transporters' performance. These are taken into account going forward, affecting each transporter's odds of being matched to future shipments.

What to read next

For more information on transporters and expenses, see our articles on background screenings and service fees.

For further details, read up on the benefits of using CitizenShipper or visit our website where the process is outlined in greater detail.

If you have any questions, you can always contact us directly by emailing [email protected].

It's easy

You can list your shipment on CitizenShipper in under a minute, and drivers will soon start bidding on it.

It's personal

You can communicate directly with your driver - the only person allowed to handle your shipment while delivering it door-to-door.

It's cost-effective

Save 6070% on average as compared to traditional shipping companies. No hidden fees. Charge based specifically on your item by drivers who are already traveling to your shipments destination.

It's safe

CitizenShipper screens drivers comprehensively and allows you to choose a driver from your community. Should any issues arise, the CitizenShipper team is there to support customers, transporters, and partners alike. Email us at [email protected], or calleither 903-213-5321 (9 AM to 5 PM) or903-202-0991 (5 pm to midnight); all times are CST.

It's sustainable

We match shipments with drivers who are already headed in the same direction. This allows for more efficient use of extra space in the car and helps remove extra delivery trucks from the roads.

It's flexible, adaptive, and responsive to your needs

CitizenShipper allows deliveries to be made in a flexible manner, which benefits both customers and transporters. Drivers enjoy earning opportunities in a merit-based system, while customers gain access to a feedback-ratedpersonal service with extra care.Empower your community by shipping with CitizenShipper.

The drivers pay a monthly subscription for using the platform (beyond the free trial period of 3 months).

The customers pay a service fee when they book a driver, typically about 15% of their total expense.

We use the proceeds tofund the continued development of the CitizenShipper platform, as well as the continued service and safeguards provided by our support staff.

The CitizenShipper service fee is based on a sliding scalethe higher the bid, the lower our percentage.For more details, consult the following articles:

Introducing sliding scale fees

How much does it cost to use CitizenShipper?

It's easy

You can register as a driver in under a minute. As soon as you complete your profile and get certified, you can start bidding on shipments.

It's personal

Be your own boss, bidding on jobs whenever and wherever you choose. Communicate directly with your customers, negotiating payment and other shipping details. Meet your neighbors while exploring your community.

It's flexible, adaptive, and responsive to your needs

CitizenShipper allows deliveries to be made in a flexible manner, which benefits both customers and transporters. Drivers enjoy earning opportunities in a merit-based system, while shippers gain access to a feedback-ratedpersonal service with extra care.Go the extra mile with CitizenShipper.

Most shipments go smoothly on CitizenShipper.Sometimes, though, disputes can arise, often due to miscommunication between the drivers and the shippers.

Please take the time to go over the following and ensure a smooth experience for you and your customers.

Payment

Most drivers and shippers discuss payment prior to the actual booking. If you've not yet discussed this, make sure that both you and the customer are absolutely clear on the payment arrangements. Will you be paid on delivery or upfront? Do you accept credit cards or are you cash-only? What about checks? Making sure that there areno surprisesdecreases the odds of the transaction falling through.

Still, unforeseen circumstances might force a customer to cancel on you at the last minute. To mitigate this risk, you might want to ask for a small downpayment. This could be as much as half of your quote, or it could be a fixed amount of $100 or so. Since most customers are wary of paying strangers upfront, make sure to accept retrievable payment methods (credit cards, PayPal) instead of asking for direct and irreversible money transfers (Western Union, MoneyGram).

We strongly recommend that these negotiations are kept on-site, using the CitizenShipper message platform, so that there'll always be a record of anything you and the shipper have agreed to.It's always a good idea to be polite and understanding of your customer's concerns, especially when requesting money upfront. Make sure they see where you're coming from and understand that you're both taking a risk. If necessary, remind them that CitizenShipper is there to mediate any dispute between you, should one arise.

Dates

When initially listing a shipment, some customers set an approximatedate of delivery, instead of specific ones.Be sure to discuss their exact expectations on pick-up and drop-off dates.

When placing a bid, simply check with the shipper if the delivery dates they've listed are set in stone, or simply their preferred time frame for the shipment.

Third parties

The customer you're communicating with via the CitizenShipper platform may or may not be the person you'll be meeting at the pick-up or drop-off location. Almost always, there will be a third party involved on one side or the other.

Be sure to obtain the third party's contact information, and get in touch with them when necessary. If they're a part of the transaction, they need to be kept in the loop as well.

What to read next

For more customer interaction advice, see our articles on driver rewards (1-min read) and stalking to customers (2-min read).

For broader guidelines, see the Knowledge base section of our Help Center.

Starting today, CitizenShipper will verify each driver's USDA registration status and display it in the Screening & Safety section of their profile.This way we will be able to provide official recognition to those transporters who have registered with USDA, offering it as additional proof of their reliability and professionalism.

Here's what your Verifications settings screen should look like. You shouldsee the USDA registration section near the bottom of the page:

Bidding-and payments

Once you click Start verification, you'll be taken to a form shown in the screenshot below. Here's how you fill it:

Enteryour certificate number as shown on your registration document.

Enter the name under which you're registered with the USDA.

Finally, upload a photo or a scanned image of your certificate by clicking Choose a fileand locating the image on your device.

Then simply click the Submit for verification button, and your USDA registration information will be processed.

Once this is complete, your profile will be automatically updated and your USDA license will now be officially recognized with a checkmark that customers will easily see in the Screening & Safety section.

To help you maintain this competitive advantage,we'll be sending notifications 8 weeks before your registration expires, so that you can update it in time and avoid any potential licensing issues with USDA inspectors.

Verified USDA registrations provide peace of mind to customers searching for that perfect transporter. For more information on the advantage that this brings when bidding on shipments, please contactour support team at [email protected].

Verify Your USDA Licence Now

Still not USDA-certified? Get a step closer to your certification - start by learning more here !

What to read next

For more information about improving your reputation as a driver, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and writing intro messages (4-min read).

We also recommend thesection of our Help Center.

Announcement section

One of the most crucial aspects of winning shipments on CitizenShipper is reaching out to customers with a good intro message. Successful transporters keep a pre-written, battle-tested template they send to all prospects. However, this is highly repetitive work: Find a shipment, open messages, copy the template, paste, go back, rinse and repeat. On a mobile, it's even more of a drag.

That's why we are excited to announce a new feature called Intro. It allows you to save your template message and send it to prospects with just a single click, right from the feed or shipment page.

Feel your productivity go up already? Follow along, theres more!

How quick messages win more customers

Did you know that 56% of all shipments that are booked receive an intro message from the driver within the first hour of the shipment being listed?

This is huge.

Sending an intro message even trumps sending a bid by itself.

Why?

Because when customers list their shipment, they have a problem that they need to solve. So if you engage with them quickly, you're helping them solve this problem.

Remember, many customers are also looking at other sources to find drivers for their move. If you approach them a few hours too late, chances arethey'realready speaking to multiple drivers elsewhere.

More importantly, if you only place a bid (without sending a message), theyll be comparing you with others solely based on the price and youdon'twant that. You want them to consider your experience, communication style, trustworthiness, and other unique skills.

Not only that, but many customers need to connect with, and develop trust with their potential transportation provider, which is why a message is much more powerful than just sending a bid by itself.

Get personal with a dynamic customer name tag

A simple, yet effective trick to get more responses from customers is to use their name in your opening. Theres a cool way to do just that right with your intro message! Heres how it works:

In the text input, press @ and a menu will show up. Select "first name" from it. When you do so, it will add @first_name to your text. Just leave it like that. The magic happens when you send the intro message - it will convert the tag into the customers name. Check it out:

How do I edit my Intro message?

In the top right corner, click the Settings icon and select Intro from the drop-down menu.

On the Intro screen, youll see the form to compose your message. Make sure to enter at least 200 characters, but we suggest at least several sentences. Dont forget to hit Save when youre done.

Sending Intro messages

There are two places from which you can fire off your intro message to a potential customer.

The first is in the Recommended shipments feed, where you see the summaries of the shipments listed:

Just clicking the Send Intro button will send off your message.

Need more details on a shipment before introducing yourself? You can also send off the intro message on the shipment page:

Again, just click the Send Intro button to fire off your message to the customer.

Bids + Intro combo

If you bid on a shipment without messaging the customer first, we send the intro message automatically. Of course, you could also send a message first and then bid later, but if you want to do both at the same time, this is a handy shortcut.

Sometimes, youll want to tailor the message specifically to a shipment. In these cases, use the standard Message button to compose it.Note: The intro will be sent only once! You can update, retract and place a bid multiple times on a single shipment, but the message will only go out the first time.

Best intros are both art and science

Crafting a good intro message takes time and experience. To help you make the best of it, we composed a guide on Writing intros that sell. Once youre ready, head on over to the Intro page and set up your intro message.

If you have any additional questions, you can always contact us directly at [email protected].

What to read next

For more communication advice, see our articles on talking to customers (2-min read) and the benefits of staying on-site (1-min read).

For more on our recent updates and releases, see theHelp Center's.

We're excited to announce the release of a major upgrade to our messaging and chat platform.

This new upgrade makes it easier than ever before for drivers and customers to communicate with each other.

Benefits

A faster, mobile-optimized messaging experience keeps your conversations flowing smoothly no matter which device you're on.

No-surprise price overview tells you exactly what you pay and when, right on the messaging screen.

Understand driver ratings better with new rating distribution widget.

Here's a screenshot of the new chat screen. We'll explain each of the sections right below.

Dealing with drivers

Driver Reviews

Because drivers are rated by previous customers, the new driver reviews section lets you quickly see their rating distributions.

In the example shown above, this driver has received forty '5-star' ratings, ten '4-star' ratings, and one '1-star' rating. This section helps you quickly find the drivers who have overall great ratings from their past customers.

Driver Summary

At the top right of the new messages page, you'll see a picture of the driver you're speaking with, their company name, and their average star rating, as well as a brief summary of the experience section of their profile.

Offer

One convenient new feature of the chat section is the Offer section.This illustrates what the driver's quote is (in this case $700), what the CitizenShipper booking fee is, and what the total amount is for the shipment.

When you're ready to book the driver, just hit the 'Book now' button.

Active Conversations

As your shipment attracts more bids, you may have several conversations with drivers going on at the same time. You can easily switch between conversations by clicking on the message tab for each driver.

As well as their profile pic, and name, you'll also see a summary of their most recent message.

Main Conversation Screen

As you switch between driver conversations, the main conversation will appear centered on the screen. Conversations update in real-time so there's no need to refresh the screen during the conversation.

Other Features

You'll notice two other features on the page. If you have more than one shipment listed on CitizenShipper, the following drop-down menu lets you quickly switch to your active conversations for each unique shipment.

Also, if there are details of your current shipment that you need to modify (like the pickup date for example) just click the Edit Shipment button.

We're excited to bring you this new upgrade and we believe that this will make finding the perfect driver quicker and easier than ever before!

What to read next

For advice on staying safe while messaging transporters, see our articles on Background screenings (2-min read) and Secure communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the section of our Help Center.

A lot of activity occurs in the messaging platform, which is where most shipments are negotiated and won. Following the recent updates, messages pop up in real-time allowing you to close contracts and make deals faster than ever before.Make more money by quickly finding shipments along the same route, right from the messaging screen!

Here's a screenshot of the new messaging interface. We'll explain all the features in more detail below.

Bidding and payments

We'll go over each of the messaging platform's features one by one.

Shipment Overview

This section provides drivers with a quick review of the shipment details. Let's zoom in:

Here, we see that the customer wants to transport a small dog from Chicago to Dallas between April 3rd and April 5th. The text just below the date is a snapshot of the customer's description of their job.

Stacks

This new section allows drivers to quickly and easily located active shipments that are along the same route of the shipment they are currently discussing with the customer.

In this example, we see from the 'Shipment Overview' section that this customer wants to ship a small dog from Chicago to Dallas. The stacks section shows two similar shipments (both dogs) that are along that same route from Chicago to Dallas (assuming the driver was driving directly).

Other information contained in this section include:

How many extra miles will need to be driven to pick up and deliver the shipment

The similarity in the requested pick-up and drop off dates

The additional revenue that could potentially make (based on historic data) from this shipment

The Main Message Panel

The central panel is where the customer and driver exchange messages:

The improvements we've made with the last update include the following:

Messages now appearin real-time, with no need to refresh the screen.

Messages are underlined with time tags, showing clearly when each was sent.

Active Conversations

This section shows your ongoing conversations with customers, letting you quickly and easily switch between them. Conversations are arranged in order of when the most recent message was received:

Our team has been working on this exciting new release for some time now. Our hope is that the upgraded messaging platform provides you the tools you need to make your CitizenShipper experience easier and more profitable!

What to read next

For more advice on communicating with customers, see our article on the benefits of staying on-site (2-min read) and our comprehensive guide on writing intros that sell (7-min read).

We also recommend thesection of our Help Center.

Well! That's not something we hear every day!

We encourage all drivers to bid reasonably low, in line with what our price estimator tool suggests based on similar shipments previously completed.

Fortunately, CitizenShipper's online marketplace allows you to negotiate with drivers as you see fit. Message each bidder to see if any would be willing to lower their asking price. Keep in mind that most drivers make these decisions depending on their existing routes and other business available in your area.

Finally, when listing a shipment, you have the option of setting a maximum price you'd be willing to pay. This might dissuade some potential bidders, but it makes sure that those that do contact you will be within your price range.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

Check out our blog as well for advice on choosing the right driver while making sure it's one that you can afford.

If you have listed a shipment to the CitizenShipper platform, and later realize that you need to make changes to any of the details, you're free to do so at any time.

However, if your shipment has already received quotes from one or more drivers, any modifications you make will nullify all previously submitted quotes. Drivers will receive a notification informing them of the changes you've made, and be given the opportunity to submit new quotes.

Drivers often assess each shipment for a number of details which may raise or lower the cost. In order for their quotes to be accurate and reflect the true cost of delivering your shipment safely and on time, we give them the option of reviewing any changes you've made and then resubmit a quote. Any messages you've exchanged with the drivers are preserved in your dashboard - it's just their quotes that are rescinded.

Modifying shipment details

Simply click the gear icon in the top right of the page, then select Edit shipment.

Safety and security

Need to delete your shipment? Simply hit the Delete button on the Edit shipment page.

Again, modifying any details of a shipment listing will cancel all existing quotes on that job. If you're currently negotiating with a driver, shoot them over a quick message to let them know that you had to change some details, and invite them to send in another quote.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and thesection.

It shouldn't be.While we encourage all our customers to provide feedback after their shipment is delivered, not everyone has the time to leave a detailed review.

If a driver doesn't have much feedback, they may be new to CitizenShipper. You can always check out the other details provided on their profile page to assure that they're the best person for your shipment.

Since many customers hesitate to book a driver that doesn't have much experience, beginners are often motivated to offer their services at a reduced cost, bidding lower than anyone else. Whether or not you choose to take advantage of this is entirely up to you.

Once the driver delivers your shipment safely and swiftly, please try to find the time to thank them through positive feedback.Rating and reviewing a driver is the easiest way to show your appreciation of the amazing service they provide.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.

When you list a shipment on the site, all the drivers that match your listed requirements are notified immediately and can start placing bids on your shipment.Each bid - sometimes referred to as a quote - represents the amount that they would like to get paid for completing your shipment.

Sometimes the bids start coming in almost immediately, sometimes it can take a few minutes or hours. Occasionally, if you're in a remote location, it can take several days.As soon as a bid on your shipment comes in, we'll notify you instantly by sending out an email and a text message.

Clicking on the link enclosed in the notification will take you to your dashboard page, where you'll be able to respond to the drivers, negotiate with them, and ultimately decide whether or not you want to book them.

All the messages you exchange with the drivers via the CitizenShipper platform are kept on record - you can review them at any time, comparing the details of their offers and their ability to meet any special requirements you might have regarding the shipment.

Also, we strongly encourage you to click the links to the drivers' profile pages, where you can look through the feedback left by their previous customers. If their ratings and reviews are to your satisfaction, and if you find their bid acceptable, simply click Book now to see a review of the offer. You'll be shown a breakdown of the fees before you make the final decision and confirm the booking.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.

You can learn quite a bit about a driver from their profile. To reach a driver's profile page, simply click their name anywhere on the CitizenShipper platform.

All the feedback left by a driver's previous customers is available for to you to review: their star rating, their number of completed shipments and cancelation rates, as well as detailed reviews.

Additionally, profile information typically includesinformation such as a driver's location, photos, driving licenses, USDOT numbers, available vehicles, and more.Using CitizenShipper's messaging system, you can contact any driver and discuss your shipment or their credentials directly.

Before bidding on your shipment, each driver is required to submit information for an extensive background check, making sure they have not been involved in criminal offenses or driving incidents.

What to read next

For more on dealing with drivers on the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on background screenings (2-min read) and safety in communication (1-min read).

We also recommend the Quick-start guide and the Safety and security section.

One of the many security features CitizenShipper has implemented to create a secure and trustworthy community is our Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) service. Anyone who's dissatisfied with their transactionfor any reason can use this service to initiate a dispute.If you are unhappy with your transaction, please contact the CitizenShipper support team first. We will do our level best to come to a successful resolution.

If we're unable to resolve the issue this way, you can go through our Online Dispute Resolution process. This includes monitored discussion and mediation of differences through an online forum.

If you'd like to know more about the ODR process or have any questions about how it works, please visit the Dispute resolution section of our Help Center.

What to read next

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on upfront payments (3-min read) and pricing shipments (2-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

Trust is at the core of the transportation business no trust, no business.

It's critical that you do all you can to ensure that your profile appears trustworthy to potential customers.

The Verification settings screen is a great place to start. It allows you to verify the details listed on you and your business. Currently, the only verification you can set is our Security check but more are on the way.

Bidding and payments

Security check

Before placing bids on shipments or communicating with prospects, we require all drivers to submit their information for a background check.For more details on this, please consult our Background Screening article.

USDA registration

This step is optional, but we strongly recommend that all drivers registered with the USDA click the Start verification button and verify their registration so it can be officially recognized by CitizenShipper. For more details on this, see our update on USDA registrations.

Coming soon...

We're in the process of offering additional verification settings thatll make your profile stand out from the crowd. Let us know if you have a certificate or license that you'd like customers to know about.

Don't forget that trust is built (or lost) at every stage of communication. Details matter! The photos you upload, the spelling and grammar you use, the way you treat people and handle issues all these can impact your review score and your reputation.

What to read next

For more advice on setting up your account, see the articles on account settings (2-min read) and verifications (1-min read).

For advice on making your first steps on the CitizenShipper platform, see Getting your bearings.

For advice on winning shipments, see .

In this article, we'll describe more of your profile settings that can be adjusted after clicking the gear icon at the top of the page. Bidding and payments

Using this menu, you can do any of the following:

Change your details (email address, phone number...)

Add new information (your DBA, type of vehicle...)

Add photos to the profile (see below)

See a summary of shipments that you've won in the past

Review the feedback left by your customers

Pause or cancel your subscription.

When you select Photos from the menu, you'll be able to add photos to your profile.

Photos are a great way to improve your profile. You can reduce customer anxiety by allowing them to see a picture of you and your vehicle.

Here are some tips on getting the best shots for your profile:

Get plenty of natural light. Go outside or stand by a big window.

Dont do hip shots or webcam shots in poor light. (These can look a bit eerie )

Try to appear positive and professional. Smiling is recommended.

For your main profile pic, choose one with your face in it. This is the first impression your customers will receive, and theyll want to see a person they can trust rather than some van.

Besides personal photos, you can also upload any of the following:

Pictures from the road. These help customers see what it'll be like working with you.

Your vehicle. If you're shipping animals, customers will imagine their pet in your vehicle. Make sure that they like the look of it, inside and out.

Special equipment. If transporting cargo that needs special gear, it's a good idea to show it.

What to read next

For more advice on setting up your account, see the articles on account settings (2-min read) and registrations (3-min read).

For advice on making your first steps on the CitizenShipper platform, see Getting your bearings.

For advice on winning shipments, see .

You can register as a driver in just a few easy steps.

On the home page of the CitizenShipper website, click the Become a driver link in the navigational panel.

On the signup page, check the boxes next to each category of item that you're interested in shipping.

Enter your name, your email, and your chosen password. This login information is subject to our privacy policy.

Before clicking "Sign Up Now!", please check the box below confirming that you've read and understood the terms of service.

And that's about it! We'll email you to confirm the registrationclicking the link in that email will take you to your Dashboard.From there, you'll be able to set up your routes, browse listed shipments, edit your profile, message potential customers, and much more.

Keep in mind, though, that before you start bidding on shipments, you'll have to submit the information required for our background screening.If you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team.

Registration requirements

The following requirements only apply if you are a delivery driver that operates in interstate commerce on a full-time basis and/or your vehicle's weight rating exceeds 10,000 pounds.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (DOT) regulates interstate motor carriers of property. The DOT has two registration requirements.

Delivery drivers (or carriers) operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 10,000 pounds are required to obtain a DOT safety registration when operating in interstate commerce (e.g. crossing state lines). No such DOT safety registration is required for smaller vehicles such as automobiles, pickup trucks, minivans, and most cargo vans.

Delivery drivers/carriers that make deliveries on a full-time basis in interstate commerce must have an MC registration in order to operate on an interstate basis. However, delivery drivers that only casually or occasionally make such deliveries are exempted from the MC registration under 49 U.S.C. 13907(2). Specifically, this federal law states that no MC registration is required for the casual, occasional or reciprocal transportation of property by motor vehicle in interstate or foreign commerce not engaged in transportation by motor vehicle as a regular occupation or business.

What to read next

For more advice on setting up your account, see the articles on profile settings (1-min read) and verifications (1-min read).

For advice on making your first steps on the CitizenShipper platform, see Getting your bearings.

For advice on winning shipments, see Bidding and payments.

On CitizenShipper, we encourage open and transparent communication between drivers and shippers. We want you to be able to iron out every last detail before deciding whether or not a shipping job is right for you.

By contacting shippers through our messaging platform, youre working within the system and benefitting from positive feedback. Every review left by a satisfied customer greatly improves your chances of attracting additional business.

Thats why its vital to keep all communication on-site. If you exchange contact information with a shipper before they book you, youre not only breaking our Terms of Service but also undermining your own future prospects. So, helping shippers avoid paying our service fee isntviable as a long-term strategy.

We strongly encourage you to stay on the platform and enjoy the benefits it provides. For further details, please address all questions to [email protected].

What to read next

For more advice on communicating with shipping customers, see the How to talk to customers article (two-minute read) or the Tips, tricks, and perseverance article (two-minute read).

For broader guidelines, see the Knowledge base section of our Help Center.

We understand that occasionally things don't go according to plan. We also understand that two parties may not completely agree on the details of the events.

If you receive a review that you believe is not an accurate reflection of what happened please contact us at [email protected]

We will temporarily remove a review while we investigate the situation and obtain both sides of the story. Depending on the outcome of the investigation we will either re-post the original review, remove the review entirely, or agree with the shipper on a modified review that is a more accurate reflection of events.

What to read next

For more information on the importance of positive feedback, see our driver rewards article (2-min read).

For broader guidelines, see the Knowledge base section of our Help Center.

Once you list a shipment on CitizenShipper, we keep you up to date with all the bids and messages as they come in through instant notifications.

Click the gear icon in the top right of your screen to get to your Notification settings :

Staying safe

By default, you will be notified of all new messages and bids on your listed shipments via email and text. Additionally, our marketing team will also send you the occasional promo email.

To change your settings and unsubscribe from any of these, simply uncheck some of the boxes. For example, heres what the screen would look if you only wanted to be notified of the messages you receive and nothing else:

Once you're done editing, simply click Save settings to leave the Notification settings screen.

What to read next

For more on how to find your way around the CitizenShipper platform, see our articles on listing shipments (1-min read) and making payments (2-min read).

We also recommend the sections on Dealing with drivers and .

Booking a driver is quick and easy with CitizenShipper. Whenever a driver messages you, you'll receive a notification containing a link to your Messages section. In the driver's conversation thread, you should be able to see the Book now button to the right.

Once you click the button, the next page will allow you to review your expenses and confirm the booking.Here's what that screen should look like:

How it Works

The amounts shown here are just examples, of course. Your driver fee will vary depending on which bid you've accepted, and your service fee is also calculated based on that.

Feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] if you have any other questions.

What to read next

For more advice on making the most of your CitizenShipper experience, see articles on shipment listings (1-min read)and service fees (3-min read).

You can also consult our blog for information on choosing the right driver, and thepage on the CitizenShipper website for more details on messaging and booking.

You start by listing your shipment which is completely free of charge. Theres no listing fee to connect with a driver and negotiate the details, including the cost of your shipment.

Once you accept a quote from a driver, CitizenShipper adds a modest service fee on top of that. This fee is based on the driver's quote and calculated according to a sliding scale structure, as shown in the table below:

Driver Quote

Fee as % of Quote

Fee as % of Total

First $500

18.70%

15.75%

$500 to $1,000

15.95%

13.76%

$1,000 to $2,000

13.20%

11.66%

$2,000 to $5,000

7.70%

7.15%

$5,000 +

0%

0%

As you can see, our service fee can be expressed as a percentage of the driver's quote, or a percentage of the total cost of shipment. Either way, the fee goes down as the driver's quote goes up - the more you pay the driver, the less you need to pay us.

Our goal here is to keep expenses affordable and shipping services accessible to all. Just remember, the fee does not come out of the driver's quote - it's a separate expense,calculated for you automatically as soon as you click "Book Driver. You'll be able to review the breakdown of your expenses before making the final decision.

Now, let's look at some examples.

Example 1

In this scenario, a driver quotes you $400. Heres what our service fee would be:

Driver Quote

Service Fee

Fee as % of Quote

Total Cost of Shipment

Fee as % of Total

$400

$74.80

18.70%

$474.80

15.75%

So the driver's quote is $400, to which 18.7% is added as a service fee ($74.8), leading to a total shipment cost of $474.8. The service fee ends up as 15.75% of that total.

Here's a graph that illustrates this:

Legal section

Example 2

In this example, a driver quotes you $900. Heres how that breaks down:

Quote Breakdown

Service Fee

Fee as % of Quote

Subtotals

Fee as % of Subtotal

First $500

$93.50

18.70%

$593.50

15.75%

From $500 to $900

$63.80

15.95%

$463.80

13.76%

The service fee of 18.70% is applied to the first $500 of the quote, adding $93.50 to the cost of shipment. Then, a reduced fee of 15.95% is applied to the remaining $400 of the quote, adding $63.80 to the cost.

Putting these subtotals together, the final payment is as follows:

Driver Quote

Service Fee

Fee as % of Quote

Total Cost of Shipment

Fee as % of Total

$900

$157.30

17.48%

$1,057.30

14.88%

So the fee ends up only %14.88 of the total cost of shipment.

Here's another graph, showing how CitizenShipper's percentage goes down as the total cost of the shipment goes up:

If you have any questions or concerns about our service fee, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer support team !

What to read next

For more on how to find your way around the CitizenShipper platform, see the articles on making payments (2-min read) and booking a driver (2-min read).

For a comprehensive overview of CitizenShipper policies, check out the of our Help Center.

CitizenShipper offers afree trial periodofthree months. It's in our best interest that you succeed, which is why we're giving you plenty of time to test-drive the site for free.You can cancel at any time during the trial period, with no subscription fees due.

After the three months are up, we start charging a monthly subscription fee of$24.99. This comes with amoney-back guaranteefor the first 30 days. So in effect,you get to test-drive CitizenShipper completelyrisk-free for four months.

Your subscription renews automatically each month.If planning an extended vacation, dealing with family matters, or just taking a break, you can pause your subscription for up to a month at a time. No charges will be made while your account is paused.

If, however, you want to completely cancel your account, you can do that by visiting the Account Settings screen. There are no cancellation fees involved.

The modest subscription fee that we charge pays for theupkeep of our site and allows us to continue to improve the platform, bringing you the quality jobs that you're looking for. It also pays for your initial background screening that provides the much-needed peace of mind to all your customers.

Trial period

By upgrading your account, you enter our 3-month free trial period. This grants you access to all the available features of the service, at no charge. The Billing Settings screen shows exactly when the trial will expire:

Knowledge Base section

Once your free trial period is at an end, the service will automatically enter a standard paid plan with monthly billing. Dont worry about missing the date you will be notified of the upcoming invoice.

Changing card details

To change the card which is billed each month, go to Billing Settings and click Change card. This allows you to either enter new credit card details or update the info for your existing card.

Onceyou'vesaved your changes, all future charges will be made against this credit card. At the moment, its not possible to use multiple cards on a single account.

Payment history

You can see the full history of charges made to your account at any time. Just go to Billing Settings screen and scroll down to the Payment history section:

Pausing your subscription

If planning an extended vacation, dealing with family matters, or just taking a break, you can pause your subscription for up to a month at a time. No charges will be made while your account is paused.

Heres what happens when you hit Pause on an active subscription:

You can still access all the features of the service until your current billing cycle has ended. For example, if its Apr 5 andyou'vepaid up until Apr 22, your subscription remains active until Apr 22, retaining all functionality until the scheduled pause starts.

Once your current billing cycle is at an end, your subscription automatically enters the Paused state. While paused, youwon'tbe able to communicate with customers. In the above example, your current billing cycle ends on Apr 22, and your subscription is automatically paused until May 22.

During the paused month, you can manually resume your subscription anytime. Note that as soon as you do, a new billing cycle is started and a new invoice is generated.

If youdon'tresume your subscription manually, it will automatically resume in a month. Going back to the example, the pause runs from Apr 22 to May 22. At the end of this period, the subscription is reactivated and a new invoice is posted to your account.

If you need any help, feel free to reach out to [email protected] and let us now.

What to read next

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on upfront payments (3-min read) and ensuring everything runs smoothly (2-min read).

For advice on managing your cash flow, see the New drivers' guide in the .

When bidding on shipping jobs, most drivers accept payment on delivery - you deliver the shipment, you get paid by the customer, as simple as that. Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan.

Sometimes shipmentcancellationsjust happen - the customers have changed their mind, or found an alternative. If you've already begun the trip and invested time or money, cancellations can be both frustrating and costly.These cases aren't really common, but when they do occur, they can be extremely discouraging.

To keep this from happening, you can always ask for an upfront payment to help offset any losses you may have incurred. If the customer cancels, you keep the money to cover your expenses. Not only that but once a customer has paid you a deposit, they will be far less likely to cancel on you.

But how do you raise this issue? How do you ask someone you've just met for money up-front? Here's what we advise:

Be professional

As an independent transporter, you're in charge of your own public relations. CitizenShipper will back you all the way, but we can't write those texts and emails for you.

When communicating with a customer, make every effort to sound like the reliable, reputable professional that you are. Refer them to your reviews as proof of your competence.If they sense that you're serious about the job, they will realize that you're not trying to scam them. That's the first step in getting them to agree to an upfront payment.

Be respectful

When asking for an upfront payment, politeness can be the deciding factor. Let the customer know how much you appreciate the opportunity to do business with them. Be firm but respectful in stating your payment requirements. Try to see their side of the issue and don't lose your cool, even if they sound unreasonable.

Be sure to politely bring up your travel expenses. Describe just how much of an investment each shipment is to you - you're taking a risk on the customer's behalf. Assuming you've developed a rapport, they should be willing to meetyou halfway and make the partial payment upfront.

Be flexible

Flexibility is a valuable trait in any negotiation. While a customer might not be comfortable with a full payment up-front, some may be comfortable paying as much as half in advance, or $50 to $100 as a gesture of good faith.

Try to also be flexible about the methods of payment. When negotiating a deposit, you'll need toaccept retrievable payment processors (credit cards, PayPal) instead of asking for direct, irreversible money transfers (Western Union, MoneyGram).

It's usually a good idea toset a time limit on the deposit. You might expect it within the next two weeks, or as late as 72 hours before the pickup date. Whatever time period you settle on, if the funds are not paid by then, you'll be able tocancel the trip with no adverse effects on your CitizenShipper account, or rating, provided there's written record of the agreement.

Be aware of your own worth

Finally, never sell yourself short. You know what you're bringing to the table, and quality of service comes at a certain cost. Let your customers know that, while there might be lower bids out there, the advantages you offer are well worth the expense. It's an old truism, but confidence really does sell.

For more information, our guide on ensuring everything goes smoothly might be of use. Feel free to also consult our documents on Cancelation policy, Dispute resolution, and Terms of Use.

What to read next

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on finding shipments (2-min read) and ensuring everything runs smoothly (2-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

Managing your expenses is a cornerstone of any new business venture. Even as an already established transporter, youll need to have a solid sense of your existing outlay before considering expansion and growth.

Analyzing this issue, weve been relying on the feedback collected from our most successful drivers. A huge thank you to all the community members who took the time to contribute to our research!

Breaking down the expenses

When estimating transporter expenses, the totals can vary widely depending on how large of an operation you're running. But for the sake of discussion, lets assume youre earning about $10,000 per month, delivering 15-20 shipments. (See this article for more on a driver's earning potential.)

According to our data, youd be spending 30% to 40% of what youre bringing in to cover the cost of doing business. Thats between $3,000 and $4,000, which leaves a net profit of $6,000 to $7,000. But how would these expenses break down?

Unsurprisingly, fuel is item number one on the list of expenses. In the example above, it might set you back as much as $2,500 per month. Combined with the variable costs of food and accommodation, this takes up most of your monthly expenses.

Maintenance is another variable expense, but about $500 should take care of regular oil and tire changes (~20% of total expenses). Drivers who perform minor repairs on their own often spend less on this. The remainder is typically spent on insurance premiums, cleaning supplies, and tolls.

Given this breakdown, how would you go about minimizing your expenses?

My commercial pet insurance is $1,200 a year Being a former tech, I do my own maintenance Fuel varies, I get 400-500 miles per 16-17 gallons a tank. I sleep in the vehicle often - I get a hotel if I feel like it and have two animals or less. Showers are $12 at truck stops. Steve

Cost-saving strategies

Since you spend so much on fuel, getting a cash-back credit card can make a lot of sense. Pick one that offers rewards on gas purchases, and youll easily make up 5% or more of that expense. Here are some online tools that can help you make the right choice.

There are also various fuel savings apps out there that help you find the nearest gas stop or search for the best deal available in a given area. Planning ahead, you can schedule your fuel breaks efficiently and get discounts based on the apps loyalty program.

Depending on your vehicle situation, fleet fuel cards and truck stop cards can also bring substantial savings. Their reward programs often apply not only to fuel costs but other roadside expenditures as well (food, drink, showers, etc.)

Finally, if operating in the Northeast or Midwest, consider getting an E-ZPass that lets you zip through toll lanes quickly and efficiently. In 17 different states, it saves considerable amounts of time and can halve your toll expenditure. (In the West and South, similar benefits are provided by TxTag, Fastrak, NationalPass, and others.)

Each month,I'mon the road for 20-25 days. $9,500 was my lowest revenue, $12,528 the highest, but the expenses vary. On average, I spend about $5,200 a month to cover fuel, food, maintenance, and tolls. Susan

Managing expenses is more of an art than a science but making these little tweaks can go a long way. We hope that youll find this breakdown of saving strategies useful. If you have a different take, please share your thoughts on social media. Our community of drivers appreciates a fresh perspective!

What to read next

For more on managing your cash flow, see our articles on maximizing revenue (5-min read) and upfront payments (3-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

Soon after dipping their toes in the business, drivers find themselves facing this question. The answer is, your income will vary depending on a number of factors.Independent transporter set their own hoursyoucould put in the hustle to earn every last dollar available, orchoose a more sedate lifestyle and modest revenues.

To examine these options closely, lets look at what veteran drivers have been telling us and analyze the strategies they implement. A huge thank you to all the community members who took the time to contribute to our research!

Earning averages

Our data shows that an average active driver, completing 15-20 shipments per month, has a monthly revenue somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000. Those who manage to keep the pace throughout the year gross well above $100,000.

Adjusting for expenses gets a little tricky (we have a whole article set aside just for that). As a rough estimate, you would shave 30% to 40% off the averages shown above, mostly to cover the cost of fuel. This leaves you with a net income of $6,000 to $8,000, give or take.

Experienced, established transporters operating multiple vehicles often outdo this by some distance. Their average monthly income often goes as high as $20,000, and thats after expenses.

Of course, not everyone can get to these kinds of numbers right from the off. Shipping customers favor experience, so beginners need to make highly competitive bids to get things running. Early on, before theyve built up a reputation, they might be barely breaking even. But as is so often the case in life, persistence pays out.

On average, newcomers submit well over 20 bids before they win their first shipment, but the chance of winning scales up sharply with the positive feedback they get. According to our data, the very first review they get doubles their odds!

In my Ford Transit, I drove 200,000 miles and made $137,000 the year before. In my RV, the same would only take 90-100k miles. Volume, baby, volume Randy

Bidding strategies

Analyzing the success rates of various approaches, we found that veteran drivers tend to start their bids at or around $0.50 per mile. This can seem pretty low for a single delivery, but route planning and shipment stacking can get you to an effective rate of$4 or $5 per mile.

One strategy is to try and hit your going rate with every bid you make. You quote roughly the same price per mile on each shipment, trying to make a bid competitive and profitable at the same time. Playing it safe, however, can result in fewer shipments won.

With an alternate approach, you would try to maintain your rate only as an average over a period of time. In a single month, for example, your bids could go much higher on profitable shipments and much lower on less profitable ones. This is a hazardous proposition, allowing you to pick up more jobs but potentially cutting deep into your profits.

Speaking of bids, its a popular misconception that undercutting people will always win you the job. In fact, only about 50-60% of accepted shipments go to the driver whos made the lowest bid!

I start with a per-mile cost based on known expenses. If stacking or return trip I adjust bids accordingly, often half or less than normal because my expenses are less. Kevin

Stacking shipments

As any independent transporter will tell you, the importance of volume cannot be overstated. The higher your vehicles carrying capacity, the more efficient your trips will be. But theres more to it than just buying a great big SUV and hoping youll be able to fill it each time.

CitizenShipper offers a shipment-stacking tool designed to help you find additional jobs in the area youll be traveling through. The process is automated, suggesting extra shipments that complement your existing bids.

You can also manually look for shipments to stack. Our recently upgraded search feature enables you to sort through the shipments on the site by multiple criteria (pick-up location, drop-off location, category, and delivery date).

Veteran drivers routinely stack shipments and save massively on fuel costs. This, in turn, allows them to offer more competitive bids. Its common practice to schedule extra shipments for every return trip, so you wouldnt be driving empty.

For those still finding their way, however, careful planning is in order. You might want to tinker with your notification settings first. Choose different cities and states while on the move, and youll be notified of all shipments listed along those routes.

One thing to consider while stacking shipments is maintaining the quality of service. As a guiding principle, you should handle each job with the attention it deserves. In the long run, building a solid reputation will be more valuable than trying to earn an extra few hundred.

My monthly revenue is about $30,000, at least half of which is from word of mouth. I have two full-time drivers; I hit the road maybe once every couple of months. Terri

We hope that this brief overview of a transporters earning potential will be of use to new drivers, and perhaps some of the veterans as well. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team or get in touch with us through social media.

What to read next

For more on managing your cash flow, see our articles on minimizing expenses (4-min read) and upfront payments (3-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

CitizenShipper allows you to take on almost any kind of shipment from pets to heavy equipment to household moves.

In most cases, however, you'll only be interested in shipping specific types of item. To change this setting, go to your Category settings page. Here's what you'll see:

Bidding and payments

Here's how these settings impact your experience on the CitizenShipper platform:

We filter shipments so that you're only notified of those belonging to the categories you tick here.

On the Recommended tab of your home page, only the ticked categories will be visible.

If you late decide you're interested in additional categories, just visit the Category Settings page, tick a new category, and you're all set.

Please make sure to also check out your Notification settings, choosing when and how you'll be notified of a shipment that appears within your selected categories (typically by email or text message).

What to read next

For more advice on setting up your account, see the articles on account settings (2-min read) and registrations (3-min read).

For advice on making your first steps on the CitizenShipper platform, see Getting your bearings.

For advice on winning shipments, see .

One of the most important things you'll need to understand as a driver is how the payment system works.

First and foremost - CitizenShipper does not mediate your transactions. We simply serve as the match-maker, connecting you with the client. Therefore, it's important that you agree on your payment expectations with the customer before pickup.

Many drivers simply request COD(Cash on Delivery), which sees the customer pay them upon successful delivery of the shipment. Some drivers negotiate a portion of the payment upfront, which helps them cover the gas costs en route and reduces the risk of cancelation.

We typically advise customers against paying upfront, to avoid scammers taking advantage of them and not delivering on their end of the bargain. In these rare cases, money upfront is requested in the form of non-retrievable transfers (Western Union or MoneyGram, for example).

If you do request cash upfront, we strongly recommend that you offer the customer a payment method that is retrievable, ie allows chargebacks. Examples include credit card payments or PayPal, both of which the customer can dispute if things do not go according to plan. We also require that you inform the customer of your payment requirements before they accept your bid and enter into a contract with you.

Payment methods

Cash or check is a common, easy way to get paid. However, if you offer the option of paying by Paypal or credit card, the process is made simpler and easier for the customer. This can be the difference between you winning the job vs the customer selecting somebody else.

There are a number of simple options out there for accepting credit card payments. Square.com, for example, will send you a small credit card reader that attaches to your smartphone. This allows you to quickly and easily process credit cards.

The service fee

CitizenShipper charges the customer a small fee, prior to them being able to accept you for the job. We do not take this fee out of your bid. What you bid, you get paid! Our fee works on a sliding scale - it's added to your bid and paid by the customer as soon as they book you for a job.For example, let's say you bid $500 on a shipment and win that shipment. The service fee would be $93.5, which the customer pays to CitizenShipper as soon as they click "Book driver". The customer would then owe you $500, as per your bid.

Late cancellations

A problem that many drivers have run into, late cancellations occur when a customer cancels on you once you're already on the road. Having invested time and money into the trip, you can end up taking a considerable hit because of their change of plans.

There are several possible ways of compensating for this setback. Some drivers ask for money upfront, a deposit providing partial coverage in case the shipment ends up canceled. Others choose to rely on our cancellation policy, which makes customers liable if they cancel within 72 hours of pick-up time.

If you need to contact the shipper and demand payment of the cancellation fee, feel free to use the letter template provided in the attachment below.

What to read next

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on finding shipments (3-min read) and payment disputes (1-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

There are a number of ways to find shipments to bid on CitizenShipper.

From your Dashboard

When you log in to CitizenShipper using your email and password, you will be taken to your Dashboard. There, you should see a list of shipments in the Recommended tab - recommendations that match your chosen categories and routes.

Transporters section

You can also click the other tabs (Active, Won, and All) to see just your active shipments, the shipments you've won, or all the shipments listed on CitizenShipper.You can also manually filter the shipments displayed by selecting Filters, in the top right corner of your dashboard.

From the CitizenShipper home page

If you are not logged into your account on CitizenShipper, you can still see the list of all the live shipments on the site. Click, Find shipments in the page footer, under Driver Resources, and you will see all the shipments currently listed. You can filter these by date, category, origin, destination, date, or number of active bids.

From your notifications

As a driver, you automatically receive email or text notification each time a new shipment that matches your routes/categories is listed. You can also opt to receive a daily or weekly digest of all matching shipments. To adjust your notification preferences, click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select Settings from the drop-down menu.

The notification you receive should provide links to the new shipments listed. If you are interested in any of them and wish to know more, simply click the link and examine the details of the shipment in question.

Will your vehicle be able to carry whatever needs shipping? Are you free on the days that the customer needs the package picked up and delivered? Are you able to meet all the other requirements listed?

If you decide that you're the man for the job, you can submit a bid right there. Ifyou're not sure, you can message the customer directly and ask for clarification.

You can always navigate toMy messagesin the top navigation bar to access customer responses and continue your conversations. Do not hesitate to ask questions and converse with customers - according to our data, transporters who start conversations before making bids stand a higher chance of winning!

What to read next

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on asking for money upfront (2-min read) and ensuring everything runs smoothly (2-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the of our Help Center.

Estimating whether or not your bid would be suitable for a particular shipment is more art than science. The basic idea is that you go as low as possible toimprove your chances of winning the shipment... but not too low to make a profit, of course.

When making this call, you might want to consider the following questions:

How much gas will the trip take, including pick-up and drop-off?

How much does the shipment weigh? Larger items can require more fuel.

Will you need extra time for loading or unloading? Will you need to hire an extra pair of hands?

Will there be any additional charges, such as road tolls?

The typical courier rate is between $.20 and $1.60 per mile can you afford to go lower than that?

Drivers who are just starting out and have not yet received any customer feedback might need to bid pretty low to win their first few shipments. Once they start getting positive feedback, with customers describing them as dependable and professional, they'll be able to increase their bids gradually.

Another thing for a beginner to consider is folding in the background check fee for their first bid. By paying Checkr to process your information instantly, you can complete the security screening before delivering your first shipment.This is by no means a requirement, but it does improve your odds of gaining customer trust early on.

Finally, if you're finding it difficult to turn a profit with lowballing bids, our shipment stacking tool should help you out with that.

If in need of more detailed assistance, contact our support team or check out the advice columns on our blog.

What to read next?

For more advice on bidding and payments, see the articles on finding shipments (2-min read) and upfront payments (2-min read).

For more general-purpose advice, see the Transporters section of our Help Center.

The Account settings screen lets you confirm your account details or cancel your account.

Bidding and payments

Email and phone settings

At this time, you cannot change your email and phone number directly after the initial set-up. Please contact our support team to make these changes.

If you haven't yet verified your contact information, USDA registration, and other details, you can do so from the Verifications tab of your Dashboard.

If looking to change the way you receive notifications via email and/or text, visit the Notification tab of your Dashboard instead.

Cancel account

To completely cancel your account on CitizenShipper, use the Cancel account button. You will be prompted to enter your password again for security reasons. Note that this action cannot be undone. Once canceled, the following will happen:

Your subscription, if any, will be canceled too and you won't be billed again.

You will no longer receive any further email or text notifications.

You will no longer be able to log back into CitizenShipper.

Important: If you only need to pause your subscription so that you're not billed while unable to pick up shipments (but are planning to come back at a later stage), visit the Billing settings page. Pausing saves all your data and settings, allowing youto come back at any time to resume using the platform. By contrast, canceling your account means that, if you ever decide to come back, you'll need to start over.

What to read next

For more advice on setting up your account, see the articles on profile settings (1-min read)and registrations (3-min read).

For advice on making your first steps on the CitizenShipper platform, see Getting your bearings.

For advice on winning shipments, see .