As in our new drivers guide to CitizenShipper, at the end of each lesson, we present the drivers with some Pro Tips that can help them win their shipments with more ease or simply suggest steps that will help them in regards to their profile settings, verifications and best practices. 

• Pro Tip #1: How to find active customers
• Pro Tip #2: How to verify your insurance
• Pro Tip #3: How to talk to customers

Pro Tip 1: How to find active customers

Each shipment listing comes with 3 important pieces of information that are relevant for your bidding decision:

• Preferred shipping date (OCT 2 in the example below)
• How long ago the customer posted the listing (3h ago in the example below)
• When was the customer last seen on the website (23m ago in the example below)
  

To distinguish customers who are just gathering quotes from those ready to book, pay attention to when they were last active on the site. If the “last seen” time is more recent than the time the shipment was posted, the customer is likely still online and ready to respond.

For example:

• Posted: 3 hours ago
• Last seen: 10 minutes ago
  

➡️ This means the customer has returned to the listing and is actively looking for a transporter.

Pro Tip 2: Verify Your Insurance for a Competitive Edge

Your driver profile can display up to two verification badges:

• Background check
  
• Insurance verification
  

Insurance verification shows customers their shipments are financially protected -helping you stand out immediately. Other badges already prove their value: background-verified drivers win 84% more shipments, If you carry commercial motor truck or cargo liability, you can submit your policy for verification.

Note: Personal auto insurance is not eligible - only commercial or business transport coverage qualifies.

Pro Tip 3: How to talk to customers

On CitizenShipper, communication is the #1 factor that influences which driver a customer chooses. Your introduction message is your first impression - so make it count! The key is to stay genuine, friendly, and relatable when you reach out.

There’s nothing wrong with that… but it doesn’t help you stand out. Instead, try something more personalized and value-driven, like:

"Hi Derrick - that’s a gorgeous bike you’ve got there! I’d love to help you get it ready to ride by this weekend. Based on what I can see, it looks like the bike has a windshield and rubber/chrome fork covers, so I’d recommend enclosed transport with minimal strap contact on the forks and wheel areas for maximum protection. I’ll be using a rear stand and a front wheel chock that will keep everything perfectly secure during the trip. I noticed the pickup is at a residential address - are you moving your own bike or having it brought to you after a sale? I always perform a detailed inspection at pickup, so it helps to know who I’ll be meeting when I arrive in Missouri. Timing-wise, I can even be there a day earlier if that makes things easier on your end - just let me know!"

The key difference between these two introductions is that the first one is generic, while the second is fully tailored to the customer’s motorcycle, your equipment, and how you plan to secure it during transport. Just as importantly, it ends with a question, which is one of the most effective ways to encourage a customer to reply.

So before you send your next intro message, take a moment to learn a few quick details about the motorcycle and reference them in your message. This simple extra step instantly grabs their attention and helps you stand out from the crowd!

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