How to find Boat Transport Jobs?
Boating is big business. The US Recreational Boating Industry has seen eight years of continuous growth with no signs of slowing. With nearly twelve million registered boats in the US, drivers can turn a solid profit by catering to that demand.
Here’s how to capitalize on the boat boom as a hauler.
How to find Boat Transport Jobs
The easiest way to find boat hauling jobs is through an online shipping marketplace. Self-employed transporters use companies like CitizenShipper, which puts drivers in touch with more opportunities to find work and get paid.
Register yourself as a driver, tick the box for boat transport then build your profile. Now you can bid on every boat hauling job in real time.
That’s step one. You can run your business directly through CitizenShipper, so no hassle about moving for work: the jobs come to you, and you place bids for the ones you want. Set up alerts for the kind of job that suits you. The freedom is yours to pick and choose.
CitizenShipper has recruited nearly 200,000 drivers since its inception, so we know how much freedom matters in this line of work. Drivers are free to set their own schedule, offer their own quotes and choose their own routes. You can maximize your income by combining jobs to make double the profit, or more, per journey.
The role of CitizenShipper is to make suitable work easier to find, and there’s a growing need for boat haulage.
It works like this: The more boats you haul, the more trusted you are as a boat hauler. The more experience you have, the higher your quotes can be. Boat owners are passionate about the safety of their craft and are willing to pay top dollar for guaranteed safe delivery. Trusted haulers can increase their own income with every job — and demand isn’t going away.
Tips for boat transporters to get more work
- Your driver profile. It’s the first thing customers look at when they receive your bid. List your skills, equipment, and company information here, so the customer knows you mean business. Sound like common sense? You’d be surprised. An empty profile does not encourage customers to accept bids, so let them know what you can do. If you’re a new hauler, all the more reason to express your commitment to safe transit. Make it clear you care.
- A picture tells a thousand words. Customers tend to prefer drivers who can show they have the right equipment. And no need to be camera-shy — a picture of you makes a customer feel they’re connecting with a driver who cares. No need for Instagram filters either — honesty builds trust, so be honest with your uploaded images.
- Customer reviews. Customers will rate your delivery after drop-off, so your first job may be the most important. If your reviews are good, let customers know. If you’re already a self-employed transporter with written testimony from a happy customer, don’t think twice about including it in your profile, or on any platform where you advertise your services.
Trust is the key to gaining more work as a boat hauler. Boat owners want to be certain their pride and joy will arrive on time and in gleaming condition. That guarantee translates to a higher accepted quote for the driver who can make it.
It comes down to one question: How to let customers know they can trust you to transport their dinghy safely. First-time drivers especially will need to consider this. Luckily, you can maximize your chances with simple steps:
Another way to invite work is to expand your repertoire. Can your trailer handle motorcycles or furniture? Is your vehicle suitable for pets? The more things you can ship, the greater your chances of getting work and making money.
- If your trailer snakes while porting a boat, ease off the accelerator until the trailer stabilizes.
- If jack-knifing occurs, brake more slowly on corners. Smoothen the decrease in speed as you enter a curve. Your cargo will thank you — and your customer.
Boat trailer tips
One commercial vehicle can tow a boat of up to 30 feet and three tonnes displacement. To avoid snaking or jack-knifing, US authorities recommend drivers not tow a weight greater than 85% of the curb weight of their towing vehicles. But even within those limits, boat trailers can misbehave. Experts say:
This guide explains how boat owners should prepare their vessels for transport. But the condition of the trailer is a hauler’s first concern.
Saltwater can corrode brakes and wheel bearings, so make sure to check your trailer regularly. Tires should be maintained at the right pressure.
Another tip is to chock the wheels instead of trusting the handbrake. This will stop your trailer’s brakes from seizing on the road.
Manufacturers define the weight each trailer should impose on a tow bar. Unless the trailer is unusually light, this is between 50–100kg. A spring balance can be used to check nose weight, or you can rest the trailer coupling on bathroom scales, using wooden chocks to keep it level.
Rule one is: make sure your trailer can manage it. The worst-case scenario can spell the end of a profitable career. You can list your trailer stats in your CitizenShipper profile to gain business and leave no customer dismayed.
Why CitizenShipper?
The process is simple. That’s why it works. If you’re a self-employed transporter looking for more business, or wanting to become one and earn on the job, register as a driver today. Boat transport can be lucrative work, and with millions more dinghies, yachts, canoes, skiffs, and powerboats being sold in the US every year, now is the right time to benefit.
Once you’re in, it’s plain sailing.
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Originally published at https://citizenshipper.com on June 5, 2020, last updated on July 25, 2021.
