Resources for Marketers to Get Started in the Transportation & Logistics Industry

Entering a new industry is difficult and the transportation and logistics industry is no exception to this. It’s an industry with layers of complexity that many don’t realize until they experience it firsthand. It’s one thing to enter the industry at a company level where you specialize, but for us marketers, it gets a bit more complex when you work with clients across sectors. 

Specializing in one area of business is great, for example, marketing or sales, but to be successful, you also need to specialize in the industry you operate in. This is an enormous task when first starting, but with the right team and resources, you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn.

I have just started my career path as a Digital Marketing Coordinator in the Trucking and Logistics industry, but along the way I’ve come across resources and gathered some insights I would like to share with anybody else just getting started in this industry. 

The Basics: Working With a New Team

With the information overload that comes with starting a new role, it’s hard to remember that you are also working with new teammates. These are people who have experience in what you’re trying to learn, so leverage their knowledge. I’ve found that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions! They’re here to help you and want to see you succeed.

This means when you run into a problem, you don’t need to be afraid to ask for help. Your new teammates have been in the industry for longer than you, so chances are they have faced the same challenges. Instead of struggling through the problem, ask for help!

Although asking for help can be tough, remember that even though you haven’t known them for long, your coworkers are human too. It’s hard to do this when they hold so much knowledge that you aspire to have, but just remember, they started at the beginning, too.

It goes to say that this is pretty standard for every industry, but it’s easy to forget these simple things when entering such a complex industry.

The Trucking & Logistics Industry Resources You Need

Although your team is a great source of information, it’s also important to have industry resources to rely on when you need a quick answer or just want to continue learning, but don’t know where to start. The trucking and logistics industry has an overwhelming number of resources you can utilize when learning and staying current on news and events. On my first day working in the industry, I was sent a list of recommended industry newsletters to subscribe to and these have been lifesaving in my industry education process. Here are the ones I’ve found most useful:

• Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA): TMSA is a great resource for anybody involved in the marketing and sales of the transportation industry. On their site, you will find helpful resources, networking opportunities, and upcoming events to expand as a marketer and learn more about the transportation industry.
• FreightWaves: FreightWaves is a great resource no matter what sector of the industry you’re in or what format you prefer for consuming content. Their newsletter, articles, podcasts, videos, and events cover topics across the entire logistics industry. Pertaining to newsletters alone, they have over 20 for you to choose from, so I’m sure you will find helpful educational content here. If newsletters aren’t your style, don’t worry, there’s something for everyone here!
• Overdrive: If you’re working specifically in the trucking industry, Overdrive is a great resource for you. They focus specifically on content for owner-operators, so this is a great place to learn all the industry lingo and what’s going on while it's still happening. As a bonus, when you sign up for their newsletter you’ll see some of the coolest big rigs on the road!
• Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ): CCJ is like Overdrive in the sense that it focuses on the trucking industry, but instead of owner-operators, they create content directed towards anybody in the freight transport business. They have over 96,500 subscribers and many are in the C-Suite and Executive side of the industry, so it’s a great place to get an overview of what’s going on in the business side of things.
• FleetOwner: FleetOwner focuses on commercial truck fleets and their maintenance and management. This is a great resource for staying up-to-date on new regulations, safety standards, and technology entering the industry.
• American Journal of Transportation (AJOT): AJOT covers all things transportation with a focus on intermodal, air, and maritime transport. This is a great resource for statistics, press releases, and the latest news in the transportation industry.

Marketing Specific Resources for Transportation Marketing Professionals

Staying up-to-date is important, and just because you already have a full book of marketing knowledge doesn’t mean you know everything about marketing in your new industry. Luckily for those of us getting started in marketing in trucking and logistics, we have the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association as a great resource. 

TMSA offers members almost unlimited resources pertaining to marketing in the transportation industry. Content offerings range from eBooks, whitepapers, and blog posts to webinars and networking events.

In fact, this upcoming June 5-7 TMSA is hosting their annual Logistics Marketing & Sales Conference in Orlando, Florida! This is a great event for all marketers in the transportation and logistics industry whether they are just getting started or have been working in the industry for their entire career. 

Drop & Hook’s founder, Michelle LeBlanc will be attending the conference this year and hopes to see you there! Stop by our booth to say hi to Michelle, find out what we do, and ask her questions about her experience in marketing in the trucking and logistics industry. 

Next Steps: Learning the Industry

This is a long list of resources and it can be overwhelming to have so many sources when trying to learn a new industry. From my experience, the best way to consume the most helpful content and learn from it is to subscribe to their newsletters. The daily newsletters provided by the organizations mentioned above highlight the most important things going on in the industry and break them down in a way that is easy to understand. 

The time you take to learn about your new industry is vital. You’re already an expert at what you do, so take this time to become an expert in your new industry. I encourage you to ask questions, attend webinars, read, and jump into situations that will push you to learn more. 

If you want to learn more about marketing and social media in the Transportation & Logistics industry, sign up for Drop & Hook’s monthly newsletter.