I know it’s a very busy and challenging time of year, with rising fuel prices, staffing difficulties and road & rail disruptions. So I just wanted to shoot a quick video to say thanks for the good work and give a quick update on the platform.

Fantastic Reviews

Although I know most customers are delighted with the service, its still great to hear it again. Here is one that really stood out to me;

On time with pick-up and delivery. They kept in contact with me, informing me where vehicle was after pick-up and when in transit.


Called me when 15 minutes away from drop off point.

Excellent service.

And here is another:

Need an engine shipped from Bundaberg to Melbourne. Tried quite a few of the big name companies and obviously were not interested.

Found a great company on Truck it who completed the job inside 5 days door to door with no issues at all.

The first shows how much customers appreciate communication. It sounds like that provider made things by using the app to enable tracking. In my opinion the highlight in the second review is all about the customer recognising that our providers are often more flexible with greater service standards. Great work!

Platform Updates

On the Horizon

While we haven't specifically been looking for more business to business jobs, a lot more manufacturers, wholesalers and civil projects have been reaching out to us to find good quality providers. It means an greater need for pantechs, skels, flat tops, curtainsiders, low loaders and more. These businesses generally have terms and conditions that go above what most consumers would expect, but the pay off is the chance of longer-term work, easier loading & unloading and pickup and deliveries to the same locations while dealing with the same people.

To give yourself the best chance of landing a slice of this work, make use of the insurance uploader for your certificates of currency, and keep your Truckit rating high.

Lastly I just want to say thanks to all of the transport providers who have kept Australia moving through the year!

Stay safe on the road and have great Christmas,

Rob

Have you ever wondered why your freight and shipping costs cost you so much? Now you don’t have to. We researched some of the most common reasons as to why your freight shipping is costing you an arm and a leg. Keep in mind that these costs also fluctuate depending on dynamic costs associated with freight delivery.

Fuel

Regardless of the type of delivery service a retailer chooses for their operation, all modes of transportation rely on fuel. As the price of fuel fluctuates, it is common for shipping costs to fluctuate alongside this. Therefore, if fuel prices fall, trucks become cheaper to operate and the price of transport goes down. These savings or losses are passed on to consumers either indirectly or through a fuel cost component that is built into a carrier’s pricing model or invoice.

Fuel costs will be based on the distance that must be covered from the sender of the consignment or the package to the person receiving it at the end. Unfortunately, just like the rest of the markets around the world, retailers can’t do much to keep fuel prices down.

Demand of Freight

Some freight shipping will depend on the demand for products. This depends on the volume of products being shipped by operators and if capacity is limited, operators may be induced to sell limited space at a premium.

Giant retailers like Amazon, for example, offer 2-day shipping. As Amazon is an eCommerce giant, they can easily handle these delivery costs and timeframes, however, this isn’t the case for all retailers. Same-day or overnight shipping options are possible, but come at a higher cost to the consumer.

Labour Market

As the demand for freight recently reached a new high, increasing wages and competition among carriers for truck drivers has had an upward impact on transportation costs. As the trucking industry is typically an older demographic with older drivers retiring, carriers may struggle to find operators for their vehicles. Recruiting new drivers is not easy; it is a tough gig and typically requires a different class of driver license. Additionally, some of the courses to certify new drivers can take anywhere between weeks or months to complete!

Vehicle Capacity

Some trucking companies operate an older, smaller fleet. While these trucks are entirely adequate, newer trucks are designed to maximise storage space, allowing a truck to split space even further. To determine the weight class of your delivery, the service provider will ask for the weight of your shipment, the size of the package and then come to a conclusion on the difficulty of shipping your item. With this comes considerations to see whether or not loading equipment or additional loaders are needed to load or unload the cargo, and also if the products that are being shipped are labelled as fragile. If your package falls under any of these considerations, the freight cost may increase.

All of this is significant as the weight and size are fundamental to knowing how much space is required in the vehicle that is transporting your goods. In the case that your shipment is larger in scale and requires a fleet of trucks, the charges will obviously increase for more drivers and the more space you need. 

To combat the high pricing, retailers can be smart with their packaging and branding, which can cut significant costs. Perfectly fitted packaging materials are not only cost-effective, but can also keep your product more safe!

Government Regulation

Some governments may regulate the amount of emissions that their drivers emit every day by reducing their driving hours. For example, New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme has been estimated to increase freight costs by several dollars for every thousand kilometers travelled.

Weather

Contrary to popular belief, the weather does affect shipping costs and logistics. Either at the pick-up or drop-off location, incoming weather can cause significant delays and other unforeseen issues with orders. This is because ports and transportation hubs will still charge the retailer regardless of the delay due to unforeseen weather circumstances. This is the same for airlines, container ships, and trucking services.

Distance

Distance is one of the most important factors affecting a retailer’s shipping costs. The farther away the product’s origin is from the destination, the more expensive it is to ship a package.

Delivery Surcharges

The most challenging costs to account for are miscellaneous delivery surcharges. These surcharges come in many forms with the most common being:

- Area specific charges for rural, hard-to-access, or remote locations not included in your carrier’s range

- Handling fees for shipments above a set weight, size, or dimensions

- Residential surcharges for any businesses using a home address

- Fuel surcharges

- Weekend or Saturday surcharges for overtime shipping

Consumer Product Insurance

Merchants are not required to purchase shipping insurance, however, offering insurance is a great way to entice consumers to purchase their products. Insurance costs are typically used for items that are of high-value and one-of-a-kind. This is so it provides a level of security to the customers.

Have you ever thought of these reasons behind why your shipping costs are so high? Let us know your thoughts below!

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a huge increase in requests for freight on Truckit over the last 12 months. A record number of individuals and businesses are turning to online freight marketplaces such as Truckit.net to find reliable transport operators.

The increased demand for freight means customers and transport operators need to be connected with each other faster than ever before. The Truckit team has identified these trends and released a new feature called 'Job Alerts' in response.

For transport providers registered with Truckit, Job Alerts will appear as a new interface on the marketplace, found in the menu in the top right hand corner of the platform. However, the real magic of Job Alerts is going on behind the scenes, using our smart freight matching algorithm.

Our freight matching algorithm analyses details of every freight request on the marketplace as well as the characteristics of each transport provider. Instant recommendations are then made as to which providers are best suited to carry out each job.

The Job Alerts interface will display a real time list of recommended jobs to every provider. The interface is designed in a way that is personalised, concise and digestible. No two providers will ever have the same list of Job Alerts. Truckit providers can also see when users are online, encouraging responsive communication and prompt acceptance of quotes.

The power of Job Alerts and the freight matching system relies on transport providers keeping their Truckit profile up to date. Critical information that providers should update in their profile includes their 'Categories Serviced', Address, Vehicle Types as well as creating Saved Searches for preferred routes. By keeping these as accurate as possible, transport providers can ensure they get more relevant Job Alerts. The freight matching algorithm then factors in providers' engagement and performance on the marketplace to come up with an overall ranking to decide who to target with what jobs.


Existing Providers:

OR

Become a transport provider on Truckit. It's completely FREE!

"The Australian Government’s new JobKeeper payments will support trucking businesses – including up to 28,900 owner drivers – that experience substantial falls in turnover" Australian Trucking Association Chair Geoff Crouch said today.

The Australian Trucking Association and its member associations collectively represent the businesses and people of the Australian trucking industry. Together, the ATA and its members are committed to safety, professionalism and viability. 

“Trucking businesses in the grocery, fuel and home delivery sectors are working flat out, but others face months of reduced work or, in some cases, financial devastation,” Mr Crouch said. 

“JobKeeper payments will be a lifeline for many businesses in our industry and their employees. 

“It will be a lifeline for hard pressed owner drivers who face months of little work, because the companies they support have closed down. 

“In our discussions with the Government, the ATA argued strongly that owner drivers needed to be supported. 

“We thank the Government for taking action and providing this support. 

“We also thank the Government for developing an Australian program tailored to the way we do things in Australia, and not just copying overseas programs,” he said. 

Read more about the JobKeeper payment here

Search jobs on Truckit.net

Over 10,000 jobs and millions of dollars of contracts will be up for grabs, as part of the $15.8 billion project that will carry up to 135,000 vehicles daily, slash travel times by up to 35 minutes and deliver the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network.

With builders getting ready to start early works for North East Link soon, there are opportunities for jobs now and for small and medium-sized businesses to get on board. Local businesses are encouraged to apply as the consortium chosen to design and build the project will be required to demonstrate how they will create local jobs and training opportunities.

Plumbers, electricians, building trades, roof services, landscapers, form workers, carpenters, bricklayers and concreters are just some of the businesses being encouraged to register their interest.

Other opportunities will be for traffic management services, training providers, safety gear suppliers, air-conditioning and heating services, surveying and mapping services, engineering design and consulting, architects, office administration and mechanics.

Manufacturing industries and producers of cement and lime, ready mixed concrete, asphalt, electric cables and switches, are also being sought as well as businesses who hire out construction-related machinery and equipment.

As the transport and construction industries are inextricably linked, there will no doubt be opportunities for small to medium transport businesses as well.

You can register your interest here: gateway.icn.org.au/project/4055/north-east-link

Find loads on Truckit.net

One of the most common answers Truckit gets asked by customers is "How much does it cost to transport a car?" The simple answer is, it depends... But thanks to our handy guide below you will be able to take a lot of the guess work out of comparing quotes and make an informed decision on which transport option is best for you.

Click to get FREE car transport quotes

What kind of vehicle are you moving?

Smaller cars like sedans or hatchbacks will obviously be less expensive to transport than larger vehicles like 4WDs or SUVs. This is important to consider when comparing quotes from different car transport companies.

Do you want a Depot to Depot or Door to Door service?

Choosing a 'Depot to Depot service, where you must drop off and collect your car from the transport company's depot facilities can save you money, however it may not be available in every location or with every transport provider. Some providers may offer a Door to Door car transport service for a cost that is similar or better than Depot to Depot.

Is your car empty or are there personal belongings inside?

Major car carrying companies will often not accept cars that have any personal belongings inside. Smaller car carriers may provide quotes for cars with goods inside, however most of the time the goods are transported at your own risk and not covered by insurance*.

Is your car drivable?

Drivable cars are much simpler for car carriers to transport as they can be driven onto the truck. However this does not mean non-drivable cars will not receive any quotes as Truckit.net has an extensive network of transport providers who can cater to almost all car transport needs.

Will my car be covered by insurance?

99% of car transport movements will go off without a hitch, but as with anything in life, it is good to know if you will be covered in the rare case that something goes wrong.

*This is general advice only, please check with your Transport Provider prior to accepting a quote to find out their policy around transporting goods in car.

Click to get FREE car transport quotes