Feedback shows that speed of payment is important to Truckit Providers. Based on this research, Truckit has made some improvements to help speed up the process regarding release of funds held in Truckit Pay.
What's new?
To help make the process faster, more transparent and easier to use, Truckit has added an SMS notification to the release payment process. Research shows that SMS has an open rate almost 5 times higher than email.
Once you mark a job as delivered, your customer will instantly receive an SMS asking them to confirm delivery and release payment. With just a few clicks your customer can release the payment and it will released to your bank account instantly, subject to normal bank processing times. Some Providers have reported the money being in their account within minutes.
How to make the most of Truckit Pay?
By following similar processes to cash on delivery (i.e. ensuring your customer opens the SMS and confirms delivery whilst you are at the delivery point), you can make sure that you receive your funds in the shortest possible time.
Learn more about Profile Videos and how to upload your own here: About Profile Videos
Learn more about Profile Videos and how to upload your own here: About Profile Videos
Helping build trust between users of the marketplaces is always on the mind of the Truckit team when we are planning and prioritising features. Increased trust means reduced friction which leads to better outcomes for both sides of the marketplace.
To help build trust, Truckit Providers can now add a short Profile Video to help show off your business. The video will be displayed on your profile page to help potential customers find out about your business before accepting a quote. If a picture says a thousand words, then imagine what a profile video can do!
Truckit Provider Funkool was a part of the pilot of the Profile Video feature.
It's fast, easy and you can do it on your phone.
Got a feature idea or feedback? Get in touch at support@truckit.net, we're always open to new ideas.
The Truckit team recently had a chat with Darren, also known by his username Funkool, who joined as a transport provider on the Truckit network almost 4 years ago.
We chatted through Darren's beginnings, the growth of his business and his thoughts on the pilot of our new Profile Video feature.
When did you first start working in the transport industry?
I started working for some of the bigger national carriers when I was 16 and have worked in a variety of roles throughout my time.
And how did you come across Truckit?
I came about Truckit by chance in late 2017. I was making regular trips from Adelaide to Melbourne to deliver goods for my family's Aquarium Products business and we were looking for return freight to help subsidise the trips. After a simple Google search I came across Truckit and decided to join the network as a transport provider.
How has your business been able to grow?
Since joining Truckit our business has grown well beyond its previous levels to a team of 3 drivers attending to Truckit listed opportunities. In fact, we are working now to capacity with the ever increasing number of Truckit opportunities coming through to us and we love servicing this work.
What's the owner driver experience like on Truckit?
When working on Truckit jobs, we feel we are being very well treated and appreciated as dependable owner/drivers, rather than getting that ugly feeling that we are being treated just like a number, which can happen in the industry generally speaking.
"I just love getting out on the road and the Truckit related activity is genuinely my favourite work, it’s been that good for us”."
I think what gives us the most satisfaction as drivers is the really positive feedback we get everyday from the Truckit customers themselves. I think this goes to highlight, not only how we are answering their expectations of a good reliable service, but it also reflects on the Truckit platform itself, which is, in my view, the most streamlined online platform for assisting people to source freight deals.
You were selected as part of the pilot for the new Profile Video feature, what has the feedback been like so far on your Profile Video?
Yes, the video is getting attention out there, and it’s already been mentioned to me by a couple of new customers, so it definitely seems to be doing the trick in terms of building trust with potential customers and putting a face to the name.
You can watch Darren's profile video here on his Truckit profile.
Help boost your own Truckit profile by uploading a short profile video.
Digital marketplaces, including online auctions, are sprouting in almost every category of goods and services that you can think of these days.
This is no different when it comes to procuring transport for the online auction space as online freight marketplaces provide an easy facility for online bidders and customers to conveniently list their items for transport and choose their providers, all within one platform.
Gone are the days where the auctioneer would provide a piece of paper with suggested locally based transport companies to the customer and expect them to do the very inconvenient ring around.
These days, in our new normal, the way of organising transport by auction customers has taken a decidedly digital twist, not surprisingly so, in line with so many other recently acquired shopping behaviours, accelerated, of course, by the ongoing pandemic.
As Loren Padelford, Vice President at Shopify Inc says:”Covid has acted like a time machine: it brought 2030 to 2020,”
For the auction customer, being provided with a simple online facility to organise their transport is required, now more than ever.
Auction customers tend to be located further afield too, particularly for those high consideration larger items, so having access to a wider choice of transport providers who can deliver the items anywhere nationwide is preferable.
The actual process of carrying out a transport booking via an online freight marketplace is also so much easier, and more streamlined too. Secure and contact-less transactions, transit insurance and more add to their reliability too.
1. The customer lists their item details that needs delivering for FREE
2. They receive competitive Quotes through the Truckit platform
3. The customer then compares and chooses a Provider
They can also compare ratings and feedback of providers to choose the best fit for your job
They then simply need to click 'accept' to confirm their preferred quote and that's it, job booked!
4. Manage, Receive and Rate
The customer can then keep in touch with their chosen provider through the booking and delivery process using the different status changes and private messaging.
Once the item is delivered the customer is required to rate the provider's performance based on their level of service. This is another big reason for the emergence of online freight marketplaces, as per many other digital marketplaces such as eBay, Airbnb hosts etc., ratings and reviews.
Remember those locally based transport providers mentioned earlier? Well, these Local transport Providers can also still deliver goods within the local community for locally based auction customers, via an online freight marketplace. In this way, today's online freight marketplaces can assist local customers, and satisfy the needs of those distant online auction customers too, making them a natural fit for online auctioneers’ needs.
At market or below market prices
Online freight marketplaces also tend to generate competitive transport prices, by virtue of the fact that transport providers can compete to secure the customer’s listing. This can result in transport rates at market or below market rates, often comparable or even better than those ongoing contractual freight arrangements negotiated by businesses.
For the online auctioneer, by making it so much easier for auction bidders to organise their transport needs via an online freight marketplace, this improved overall experience will logically lead to fewer abandoned carts and more repeat business.
There are operational benefits too, such as faster clearing of items offsite, in line with a more efficient transport procurement process as provided via the online platform.
Bottom line, just as auctions are trending online to answer customers’ needs and buying behaviours, the procurement of transport via online freight marketplaces is taking a very similar route, and they are a natural fit for the online auction environment.
_________________________
Truckit currently enjoys a Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 and making an easy listing on the platform is FREE.
Where did you grow up? A cattle station between Charters Towers and Clermont
Favourite sport/team/athlete? Scottish Rugby team
What does a typical day look like for you? Coffee, work, coffee, work, exercise
Favourite quote? "Manners maketh man" and "Nobody ever drowned in their own sweat"
What do you like to do in your spare time? Have my kids entertain me with stories
Best career lesson you've learned so far? Teamwork is everything
Favourite food? T-bone steak
Favourite travel spot? Charlotte Plains Hot Artesian Springs
Fun fact people may not know? Played rugby for Scotland and scored a try against Australia in the Quarter-finals of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne may have stopped millions of people from moving around, but they have done nothing to stop Australians moving their cars, boats and caravans with Brisbane-based freight marketplace TruckIt.net reporting a 60% increase in demand for spot freight.
In September, Truckit users posted more than 17,000 freight jobs on the marketplace, a 65% increase on June this year and 60% on the same month last year. Many freight categories - cars, motorcycles, caravans and boats - have more than doubled in the three months to the end of September.
Truckit’s digital marketplace matches people wishing to freight large items with transport operators. The operators range from sole operators with one vehicle up to large multi-vehicle businesses.
Established by Queensland-born, Scottish rugby international Robbie Russell, Truckit.net is at the forefront of Australia’s rapidly-growing on-demand freight industry that is becoming an increasingly important part of the overall $100 billion a year freight industry.
Mr Russell said demand for freight had grown exponentially over recent months as people were unable to move items themselves and had to rely on the country’s army of truck drivers.
“With large trucking companies operating at full capacity, the spot market is often the only way they can get larger items moved around,” he said. “Despite the lockdowns, people are still buying and selling cars and boats and caravans and need to be able to get them from one place to another.”
“These are tough times for everybody in lockdown but it is essential we keep the goods moving around the country.”
While multiple states and territories have announced the closure of their borders, the freight and logistics industry has been deemed an essential service and are therefore exempt from border closures.
Truckit works by letting customers simply list their item on Truckit.net for free and receive competitive quotes from interested vehicle operators. The booking, transaction and delivery process is managed directly between the freight owner and the operator.
Since it was first established 2012, Truckit has taken nearly 750,000 listings with deliveries covering more than 100,000,000 kilometres. At any one time there is about $3 million worth of freight jobs posted on the site and available for truckers to quote on.
The idea for the business had its origins in Mr Russell’s return home from international rugby career and moving goods around the world and the country to set-up a new home in Brisbane.
“At the time there were a few freight marketplaces in the UK but it was very difficult to organise freight in Australia,” he said. “Getting a car moved from one city to another or some furniture across town shouldn’t require dozens of phone calls.”
The site now has more than 400,000 customers who have posted a listing on the site and more than 4,500 vetted truckers ready to quote on individual jobs.
Where did you grow up? Central Coast NSW
Favourite sports team? GWS Giants and Liverpool Football Club
What's your favourite part about working at Truckit?
No two days are the same. Its exciting to hear what users want from the platform and helping to get those things built and implemented.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Cycling, watching and playing sports.
Best career lesson you've learned so far? Don't be afraid to take on challenges outside of your comfort zone.
Favourite holiday destination? Whitsundays
To help our network of Providers continue the important job of keeping the country moving Truckit has now made an 'Essential Work Letter' available for you to download.
The letter includes your name, ABN and business name as per your Truckit profile. We believe this letter may be a helpful supporting document for you when applying for border passes, essential worker permits and when crossing state borders.
You can download a copy of the letter by going to My Jobs then clicking and opening any of your jobs in progress (i.e. Jobs that have not yet been marked as delivered). On the job page you will find the button "Print Covid Letter" as pictured. We recommend saving the letter to your phone or computer.
While we have no doubt that transport providers take their health and safety responsibilities very seriously, it is important to not get complacent with COVID-Safe practices as they ensure the transport industry can continue its vital work. If you would like a refresher on COVID Safe practices, or to read the latest COVID updates please visit our COVID19 page: truckit.net/coronavirus
Disclaimer: The letter should be used in conjuction with your own documents and does not guarantee you will be approved for any pass, permit or border crossing.
From 1am Friday 23 July 2021, mandatory COVID-19 testing for freight and logistics operators will come into effect, along with changed requirements under the QLD Freight Protocol.
Mandatory testing will help to keep our essential drivers, their families, and the community safe from the spread of COVID-19.
The QLD Freight Protocol has been updated in response to changes in the Border Restrictions Direction (No. 28) and Queensland Border Declaration pass requirements (Freight and logistics). These updates will also come into effect from 1am Friday 23 July 2021.
Mandatory COVID-19 testing
Mandatory testing regimes will be in place for freight and logistics operators entering Queensland from QLD declared COVID-19 hotspots.
If you are asymptomatic and undertaking mandatory COVID-19 testing as a freight and logistics operator, you are not required to isolate while awaiting a test result.
If you are symptomatic or tested for any reason other than as a freight and logistics operator, you must continue to follow all relevant public health advice, including isolating until a negative test result is received and you are symptom-free.
*New* COVID-19 Affected Areas and testing
As defined in the updated QLD Freight Protocol, an Affected Area means the local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown in New South Wales.
Evidence must be made available in order to enter Queensland.
COVID-19 hotspots and testing
Evidence of testing
COVID-19 testing locations
To support industry in maintaining mandatory testing the NHVR COVID-19 Support Map provides details of dedicated heavy vehicle driver testing sites across states and territories.
Queensland Government will continue to look at options that might be suitable for heavy vehicles and will provide further updates as necessary.
Freight and logistics operators can be tested at Queensland Health fever testing clinics.
Find a Queensland COVID-19 testing location.
Operators can show their ID card and valid Queensland Border Declaration Pass (FPass) to health workers when they arrive to be prioritised for testing. Costs may be incurred if operators go to a private testing facility.
Border declarations and passes
Travelling in and around Queensland without the necessary documentation will cost you $4,135. Queensland Police and TMR Transport Inspectors are actively monitoring Queensland border crossing locations.
The Queensland Border Declaration system is being updated, further information will be provided in the coming days.
Queensland Border Declaration Pass (FPass)
Example: A freight and logistics operator who will be travelling between an affected area and Queensland several times within a 14 day period will have to complete a new Queensland Border Declaration Pass (FPass) every time they plan to enter Queensland after being in an affected area.
Queensland Travel Declaration
Freight and logistics operators must adhere to the requirements of the QLD Freight Protocol when entering QLD, remaining vigilant and make every effort to limit your exposure.
Always keep records of close contacts, check in and out wherever you can, get a COVID-19 vaccination when it is available to you and wear a face mask.
Thank you for your continued efforts to keep freight moving safely and we will continue to keep you updated on the latest advice on Queensland Health requirements as they are released.
Importantly, support continues for those in the transport, freight and logistics industry as these are considered essential activities.
Further information
Whilst TMR is happy to assist with industry questions,134 COVID (134 268) has been set up to assist with fast responses to queries.
Further information about the Queensland border restrictions, including questions and answers, can be found on the border restrictions webpage.
For more information see Department of Transport and Main Roads Mandatory COVID-19 testing for freight and logistics operators.
