How to Find Boat Shipments on CitizenShipper

Now that you’re ready to start transporting boats, the next step is making sure you’re set up to receive the right shipment notifications.

Follow the steps below to ensure you don’t miss boat shipments in your area.

Step 1: Enable Boat Shipments in Your Account

Go to your Account Settings and update your shipment categories.

• Locate the “Boats and Water Vehicles” category
  
  
• Check the box to add boats to your active shipment types
  
  

Once enabled, you’ll begin receiving notifications for boat listings.

Step 2: Optimize Your Location Notifications

Next, review your city and state notification settings.

To increase your chances of finding boat shipments, consider expanding your service area. A good rule of thumb is to include all states within a 150-mile radius of your home city. This helps you cover more ground and see more opportunities.

For someone living in Newark, NJ, the situation is slightly different. New Jersey may not be large enough to rely solely on shipments originating within the state.

By following the 150-mile radius rule, drivers based in New Jersey should also consider expanding their preferred job search locations to include Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. This broader search area will significantly increase the number of available opportunities and help keep your routes consistently full.

Example: Why This Matters

If your settings show that you’re based in Chicago, IL, you’ll receive notifications for:

• Pickups in Chicago
  
• Any shipment listed anywhere within Illinois
  
  

However, this also means:

• You may receive notifications for pickups over 200 miles away (such as Springfield, IL)
  
• You may miss closer jobs just across state lines in Wisconsin or Indiana
  
  

By expanding your selected states, you can receive alerts for closer and more practical shipments.

Key Takeaway

📍 Optimizing your location settings ensures you see the best boat shipments near you — not just those within your home state.

➡️ Next up: Tips for bidding and winning boat shipments on CitizenShipper

Simply click “Search Shipments” to open the Shipment Search Tool. This tool allows you to customize your search by setting key parameters such as:

• Pick-up location
  
• Delivery location
  
• Date range
  
• Category (especially important for boat shipments)
  
• Filters for weight and distance
  
  

Using these filters helps you quickly find boat shipments that match your equipment, availability, and preferred routes.

At this point, we recommend exploring the Shipment Search Tool to see what boat shipments are available in and around your state.

As shown in the example above, you can:

• Enter a pickup location and leave the delivery location blank to view all shipments originating from that area
  
  
• Do the opposite by entering a delivery location and leaving the pickup field empty to see shipments headed into a specific area
  
  

This flexibility allows you to quickly identify opportunities that fit your routes.

You can also use the search tool for regional searches by selecting multiple states for pickup and/or delivery. This is especially useful if you operate across state lines or want to focus on a specific region rather than a single city or state.

Now that you’ve learned how to transport boats and how to find customer requests on CitizenShipper, the final step is setting your rate and managing expectations.

How much can I earn shipping boats on CitizenShipper?

For new boat transporters, this is usually the most important question. Your earning potential depends on four key factors:

Distance – How far the boat needs to be transported

Boat size – Larger boats usually weigh more, place greater strain on your vehicle, and may restrict you to specific routes or roads

Permits – Oversized or overweight boats may require special permits, which affect both cost and planning

Equipment – Will the customer provide a trailer, or will you need to supply your own?

As a general rule, you can charge more for larger boats traveling longer distances. A good starting point is to multiply the total mileage by your desired per-mile rate to arrive at a ballpark quote.

When preparing your bid, be sure to factor in insurance costs. Even if the customer has boating insurance, long-distance transport is often excluded from standard policies. You should carry a base transportation insurance policy, and adding cargo insurance is strongly recommended to protect both you and the customer.

Setting your rates thoughtfully helps ensure profitability while delivering a professional and reliable experience.

Example Boat Transport Rate Ranges (Estimates)

Rates vary by region, equipment, and boat size. These are general guidelines.

• Small boats (up to ~20 ft):
  💲 $1.25 – $2.00 per mile
  
  
• Mid-size boats (20–30 ft):
  💲 $2.00 – $3.50 per mile
  
  
• Large boats (30+ ft / oversized):
  💲 $3.50+ per mile
  (Permits, escorts, and route restrictions may apply)
  
  
• Short hauls / local moves:
  💲 Consider a minimum flat rate (e.g., $300–$600)

Quick Boat Transport Pricing Checklist

Before placing a bid, confirm the following:

 ✅ Distance – Total pickup-to-delivery mileage
✅ Boat size & weight – Length, beam, and estimated wet weight
✅ Permits required – Oversize or overweight permits by state
✅ Equipment – Customer-provided trailer or your own
✅ Route limitations – Bridge heights, road width, restricted areas
✅ Insurance – Transport and cargo insurance included in your price
✅ Loading & unloading – Marina, ramp, crane, or forklift needed
✅ Timeline – Fixed dates vs flexible scheduling

Pricing Tip

Start with your per-mile rate × total miles, then adjust for size, permits, equipment, and complexity. Always make sure your final price covers fuel, insurance, wear and tear, and your time.

With these examples, we conclude the lesson on how to find shipments to bid on. We strongly encourage you to review the final lesson of this guide, where you’ll find valuable Pro Tips designed to help you win more shipments and build a successful, long-term career as a carrier on CitizenShipper.

Happy Shipping! 🚚✨