Marketing Strategies for Trucking Companies

we’ll make sure you have No Trucks Parked – all rolling OTR

Firstly, let’s consider why companies opt for outsourcing. They often do this to fill skill gaps, find cost-effective staffing solutions, and to concentrate more on their core business functions. When we talk about marketing departments, there’s quite a bit to consider.

What Marketing Department Do

Moreover, the marketing department is tasked with a plethora of responsibilities. These include managing the website, social media channels, email marketing, advertising, event planning, graphic design, branding, and much more. The extensive list of tasks under the marketing umbrella continually grows, affecting both workload and budget.

Consequently, companies frequently place the burden of these diverse responsibilities on a single, multi-talented “unicorn” employee. However, this unrealistic expectation leads to employee burnout, poor lead generation, and ultimately, less revenue due to ineffective marketing efforts.

Internal Marketing for CDL-A Drivers

Opting for Outsourcing: A Strategic Move

Therefore, what’s the best move? The answer lies in outsourcing. Choosing to let an outside company handle a big part of your business, like marketing, takes a lot of thought. This article will guide you through the details of each choice.
  • In-House Marketing comprises employees who are an integral part of your company. This team could vary from a single individual to a group of experts, tailored to your specific needs and resources. 
  • Conversely, outsourced marketing means partnering with an external agency. Agencies like Truckers Flow provide a full suite of services, featuring experts in digital marketing, copywriting, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing Facebook & Instagram Ads, and much more.

The Real Cost of In-House Marketing for Transport Companies

Hiring in-house marketing professionals in the transport industry can be a significant investment. Beyond their base salary, you need to consider various employment benefits, which add to the overall cost.

Outsourcing recruitment to external agencies can save your business both time and money. These agencies use their expertise and resources to handle your driver hiring needs.

Let’s start with an example. Imagine you hire a marketing expert with 3-5 years of experience for a base salary of, let’s say, $75,000 (a bit higher than the general market due to the specialized nature of the transport industry).

Now, let’s add the extra costs:

 

  • Superannuation and Work Cover: These are mandatory benefits that can sum up to around $5,625 (based on a standard rate of 7.5% of the base salary). 
  • Leave Entitlements: Including vacation and sick leave, this can be estimated at $5,625 (another 7.5% of the salary). 
  • Equipment Costs: Essential items like a laptop or desktop. A decent setup can cost around $2,000. 
  • Training: To keep up with the latest in digital marketing and transport trends, a yearly training budget of $3,000 is reasonable. 
  • Software Tools: Necessary tools for the job include Photoshop, Premier, and SMS & Email marketing tools. Let’s allocate $3,000 per year for these subscriptions.

 

Adding these costs to the base salary, the total annual investment for one marketing employee would be approximately $94,250. This breaks down to a monthly cost of about $7,854.17.

Transport companies require a range of marketing skills: web design and maintenance, SEO services, graphic design, copywriting, data analysis, and advertising. It’s unlikely that one person can cover all these areas, so you might need to hire multiple specialists.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Cost Efficiency: External agencies typically offer a more cost-effective solution. The average annual or monthly fee for an agency is lower than the total cost of a single in-house marketing professional, especially when considering additional benefits and training costs.

  2. Access to Tools and Expertise: External agencies provide access to a range of specialized tools and expertise, including advanced Facebook advertising and analytics, which are included in their service fee. This offers a significant advantage over in-house teams, where such tools and expertise would require additional investment.

  3. Flexibility and Scalability: Agencies offer greater flexibility and scalability, adapting to your company’s changing needs without the overhead of managing additional employees.

  4. Time and Resource Management: With an external agency, the need for oversight and management of marketing activities is significantly reduced, allowing trucking companies to focus on core business activities.

In conclusion, while in-house marketing teams offer direct control and cultural immersion, external agencies provide cost efficiency, a wide range of expertise, advanced tools, and greater flexibility, making them an attractive option for trucking companies looking to generate leads of OTR Drivers. 

Adapting to Your Business's Unique Needs

It’s crucial for the marketing agency to understand your business and its culture deeply. This understanding helps them stay aligned with industry standards and technologies, particularly relevant in the fast-paced trucking sector. Agencies like ours consist of subject matter experts who are always up-to-date with the latest trends, a vital aspect for effective truck driver recruitment marketing and CDL-A driver targeting.

Cultural Integration and Fresh Perspectives

In-house teams can be deeply integrated with your brand’s culture and values, an aspect important for marketing for trucking fleets. However, external agencies can offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, often leading to more effective driver recruitment advertising and marketing strategies. They bring experiences from various industries, providing new insights that can enhance your marketing campaigns.

Client Experiences and Results

  1. Jerzy Trucking: Opted for an external marketing team to meet their need of recruiting approximately 10 Owner Operators per week. With a monthly budget of $30K, they achieved remarkable results – 37 leads in just one day at an impressive cost per lead (CPL) of $1.37.

  2. Nova Hires: A recruiting agency that leveraged our services for lead generation. Focusing on Owner Operators and lease purchases, they secured 247 leads in a month with a CPL of $7.82.

  3. LIV Enterprises: Utilized a hybrid marketing approach. They outsourced lead generation and web design while handling content creation internally. This strategy yielded 144 leads for company drivers in just half a month, with a CPL of $3.89.

Hybrid Marketing: The Best of Both Worlds for Trucking Companies

Hybrid marketing presents a strategic blend of in-house and external marketing methods, particularly effective in the trucking industry. Typically, this approach involves an in-house marketing manager or project manager to develop the strategy.

The advantage of this approach lies in its balance. It combines the flexibility and diverse perspectives of external agencies with the control and focused execution of an in-house team. Success in hybrid marketing hinges on recognizing your in-house strengths and strategically outsourcing the rest

The Strategic Choice for Trucking Companies

Whether it’s an external, internal, or hybrid approach, understanding the core competencies of your in-house team and effectively outsourcing the rest is key. Each method has its unique benefits, and the choice depends on your trucking company’s specific goals, resources, and marketing needs. An efficient workflow is essential, utilizing tools like a shared content calendar and open communication channels.

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