How Do I Find Shipments to Bid on?

Finding the right fit for your schedule is not always easy. Luckily, there are a number of ways to find shipments to bid on using CitizenShipper. 

From Your Notifications

When you originally signed up, you were prompted to choose your preferred shipping categories. In case you want to make any changes to this setting, you can start by clicking the settings wheel in the top right corner of the app.

 Once you're in the settings panel choose Notifications and scroll to the categories section. Then, start typing your preferred ones to add and select the categories you would like to complete transports in: 

 

As a driver, you automatically receive email or text notifications each time a new shipment that matches your routes/categories is listed.  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.

Before placing a bid however, ask yourself the following:
1. Will your vehicle be able to carry whatever needs shipping?
2. Are you free on the days that the customer needs the package picked up and delivered?
3. Are you able to meet all the other requirements listed?

If you determine that you have what it takes to be the transporter picked for the job, you can submit a bid right away. If you're not sure, you can message the customer directly and ask for clarification.

You can always navigate to My messages in 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!

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. 

You can also click the other tabs (Active, Booked, Delivered, Cancelled, and Open) to see just your active shipments, the shipments you've won, or all the shipments listed on CitizenShipper. 

Using the Shipment Search Tool

You can also manually search for shipments. To access the Shipment Search Tool, simply click the search bar in the upper left corner of your screen (If using a mobile device, you should see the search bar at the top of your screen). From there, you can specify multiple search query filters, including pick up and delivery location, dates, weight and distance in order to narrow down you search results: 

Our team is currently working on a feature that would allow drivers to search shipments based on a mile radius and save them for future browsing and receiving notifications. Stay tuned to our product updates and subscribe to the driver newsletter to be informed about the release date! 

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 Transporters section of our Help Center.