5 Ways You Can Improve Your Shipping Career
Shipping has been a great career choice for many people. It allows you to make your own hours, work independently, get paid big bucks, and travel the world. That being said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and some hurdles must be overcome if you want your shipping career to thrive. Here are five ways that you can improve your shipping career in 2018:
1. Put in Overtime Hours
If you want to make your own hours, you must work hard. This can involve calling customers and checking up on their daily needs, but it also means signing up for overtime shifts that allow you to get paid for working during the hours that would typically be empty. Of course, you may have to work a few extra days or weeks here and there for this to turn into a career opportunity, but overtime is exactly what it sounds like – extra time that you get paid for.
2. Use Load Boards to Find Shipping Work
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, but load boards are an excellent way to find shipping work and shipping jobs, such as can be found at shipping jobs. Load boards are essentially forums where shipping companies can post jobs that need to be filled, and you can then bid on them. The amount you will bid depends on how keen you are for work and what other bids there are for the job. If no one wants the job, it’s most likely a great time to get more business from it.
3. Moving Companies Are Looking for Full-Time Employees
Moving companies are not necessarily looking for long-term client commitments, so they hire independent contractors to avoid paying benefits and other financial rewards. However, permanent positions are opening, and if you want a full-time job as opposed to a few hours here and there, then moving companies may be able to help right now.
4. Get to Know Your Customers
The key to doing more business is getting to know your customers and doing a little extra work to gain their trust. If you want them to use your services more often, and if you want them to trust that you will get their shipments done properly, then take some time out of each day or each week and contact as many of your customers as possible. This does not mean asking for business or calling for the sake of it but contacting new and old clients to say hello and ensure everything is going well with their shipments.
5. Get Qualified
Shipping is a specialized field. If you want to progress, you must get qualified. Truckers are required to have a commercial driver’s license or CDL. If you want to become a manager or supervisor, you will need some previous management experience. The more specialized you are in shipping, the more requirements.
If you want to get paid for shipping, you will need to put in the hard work. There are plenty of opportunities, but if your main goal is to make a few extra bucks while traveling the world, then this may not be the right career choice for you. Only invest what you can afford into it and make sure that you are putting in enough hours at work so that it is an excellent regular income source.
