How to Get Delivery Contracts: A Comprehensive Guide for Business Owners

The delivery business is thriving and expected to grow by $ 26.66 million during 2022-2026. So there is no second guess that there’s a scope of opportunities to grow your delivery business. However, the challenge comes with getting delivery contracts for it.

And it is more challenging when larger courier companies such as FedEx and DHL dominate the industry. However, with dynamic tips, you can get long-term contracts and climb the success ladder.

So, how to get delivery contracts? What includes in a courier contract and how can you streamline your delivery process? We have unfolded all your answers in this blog. 

Let’s get started.

Understanding Delivery Contracts

A delivery contract is a mutual agreement of delivery of goods at a specific address and time. The number of orders is not precise, but the maximum and minimum quantity of orders are mentioned. Every delivery contract has a different purpose and is used for various reasons. 

There are two delivery-based contracts: an indefinite delivery contract and a definite contract.

Following are the factors that should be included in the delivery contracts:

• Maximum and minimum quantities
• Date of order
• Schedule delivery place
• Method of payments
• Breach of contract provisions

8 Proven Steps to Secure Delivery Contracts

To fulfill the basic same-day delivery services requirements and contractor eligibility requirements, you need to grab the delivery contracts. We have filtered the top tips analyzing all the information available on how you can get the best delivery contracts with delivery management seamlessly.

With efficient tips, you will make more money per delivery, manage daily delivery tasks, and would not lose any delivery contracts.

1. Define your niche 

You need to strengthen your basics to get a new delivery contract in the delivery business. The first step is to filter your niche.

How to do that?

Different industries require different types of deliveries; you need to find your strengths and weaknesses and decide which industry you serve the best depending on the type of business.

Choose whether you want to win a furniture store or a medical delivery contract. Deciding your niche will help you make well-informed and focused future steps, and it can help you streamline your delivery operations for a quality delivery experience.

You can finalize the type of vehicle and equipment required for your delivery business. If the industry demands a more extensive delivery fleet like the furniture industry to carry heavy loads, you need to include bigger trucks and specialized delivery drivers to handle the delivery movement with finesse.

Setting up a strong foundation can help you minimize future expenses and optimize the delivery cost for a tailored improved customer experience. You can channel your branding and marketing based on your specialization, the niche you have selected to attract different businesses, and independent courier contracts.

2. Bid for courier work

Once you know which industry you want to target and serve as a delivery partner, you need to search for different third-party courier sites that list delivery service requirements to find the proper courier contracts to kickstart your delivery service business.

Sites like Shiply and FindRFP are a few third-party listing websites where you can find suitable delivery contracts for your business. You can connect with potential target customers who want a professional delivery partner to handle their delivery process. 

Some of these online courier listing sites don’t charge any registration fees but can charge you once the quote is finalized between the two parties. You can also bid for different government contracts, apart from private delivery contracts.

You can get the delivery contract if your bid is at the lowest price. That is only possible if you can optimize your delivery workflow with the right strategies and tools available in the industry.

3. Strengthen your online presence

With advancements in the digital world, it has become more accessible and convenient for your courier business to get delivery contracts from leading businesses around the globe.

You need to create a robust digital presence with a solid website for your delivery service. You can hire the best developers to help you with the development process. Try to focus on delivering an intuitive experience to your prospective customers with a crisp and straightforward website UX/UI.

Ensure that you can get the delivery contract within a few clicks when the prospect lands on your website. But you need to keep in mind different ways to attract website traffic.

You need to focus on the keywords your target audience uses on the search engines to help you increase your online website’s visibility.

For example, if you have a flower delivery business in Manhattan, your website should rank when a user types “flower delivery services Manhattan.” 

Use advanced tools to perform robust keyword research, and create and add those keywords to your website for a better online presence.

If we dive deeper into driving traffic to your delivery website or through third-party websites to attract more delivery contracts, you need a holistic branding and marketing approach.

4. Market your delivery business

There are different ways you can ace your branding and marketing to get in touch with niche-oriented local businesses to assist them with their delivery requirements.

Try to maintain a unique brand and tone across multiple communication channels on the internet. 

From the web to social, try to get in touch with small businesses, and medium or large organizations in your specialized niche and prove why you can handle their major delivery service better than anyone in the business. 

Add customer reviews(happy customers), types of delivery services you provide, and courier jobs you have done. Use Google Ads or Facebook Ads to leverage a robust advertisement ecosystem to target your potential prospects and convert them into your long-term associates.

Hiring marketing professionals or digital marketing or advertising agency are tactics delivery business owners adopt. It helps you master the branding and marketing aspects to drive various leads and potential customers. You can increase your client list base with ads for delivery services.

You need to build a healthy and long-term relationship with your clients through solid branding and marketing efforts and delivering their desired results.

If you can maintain dedication and consistency with your offline or online marketing and branding, you can land multiple independent courier service contracts to help you achieve your business goals with finesse.

5. Connect with local and hyperlocal businesses

The competition between small-scale and large-scale businesses is in every industry. Similarly, local businesses compete with retailers like Walmart and Amazon, larger delivery services to sail forward in their industry.

You can get in touch with those businesses to land local delivery contracts that can help them improve the quality and experience for their potential customer.

Different local businesses like florists, restaurants, breweries, bakeries, and grocery stores need a larger courier service and different sorts of delivery services to assist them in delivering their products to the customers’ doorsteps.

You can cover the untapped market and assist the local business to streamline their type of delivery service and adapt to the changing consumer behavior. Get the delivery contract and strengthen your position in the hyperlocal delivery market.

6. Improve your delivery service

Optimize your delivery process to minimize the operational costs and improve the quality of your delivery experience. It can help you convert more clients because of solid word-of-mouth marketing and boost your profits.

You can expand your delivery business over the coming years and increase your footprint in the industry. But to make these benefits a reality, you need to integrate the right tools and strategies to enhance the delivery experience quality.

A route optimization software can help you optimize your delivery approach and improve your customers’ experience. You can skyrocket your chances of getting more delivery contracts to achieve your business goals and targets.

7. Contact clients directly

Another effective way to get delivery contracts is by contacting clients directly. Unless you have built a brand or become a reputable delivery business, no potential clients will come to you. Initially, you have to approach them for delivery service contracts.

You can contact them through email or call them to discuss courier services, eventually guide to contracts. It is a beneficial method if you are looking for long-term delivery contracts because once the potential clients experience your service, they will know what they are getting into it.

Another reason for direct communication is to get a clear idea of what your potential clients are expecting and plan a future-focused approach for a profitable delivery business.  

8. Determine competitive pricing

Before approaching a delivery business or clients, the delivery service company must determine fee charges. The charge should be standard, not too expensive for local services and the types of delivery you provide. Fees should be affordable enough to make profits on gas and fuel costs. 

If you have a late delivery contract, you charge an extra fee as a penalty. The charges should mention on your company website and flyers. For instance, your website states that after 9 p.m., there will be a surge in delivery service offerings.

It is essential to have a transparent fee structure in the contracts to avoid any conflicts. Also, you can reduce extra expenses with route planning and optimization.  

Let’s discuss further how route planning and optimization can help get more delivery contracts and save additional expenses.

How Route Planning and Optimization can Help You Get More Delivery Contracts?

With professional route planning and optimization, you can achieve your delivery target in the minimum time. The delivery management platform helps to reduce operational costs and increase the number of delivery contracts. 

These handy features can reduce the workload of your delivery teams. The delivery management software streamlines the delivery process and increases workforce productivity. 

It removes the barriers of manual planning and logistic operations by analyzing multi-stop planning routes. This is because it considers different aspects like traffic and weather conditions, and vehicle capacity, fuel efficiency, among other touchpoints.

Since you can keep things organized with better route planning, delivery contracts are likely to come in numbers. There are numerous delivery mapping software in the market that might work for your delivery business. 

However, we have made it easier for you and found the delivery route planning software that is a pitch-perfect match for your delivery business. Let us explore more in the next section.

Streamline Your Delivery Process with Upper Route Planner 

Upper Route Planner is an all-in-one route planner that maps out the fastest route in minimum time. Upper excels at ​​planning routes with multiple stops and boosts business productivity by 40% and helps you to deliver quickly in peak hours.

Using Upper, you can add multiple delivery addresses, import them from your Excel sheet and save 95% of the manual routing time. While offloading the vehicle, you can check Upper’s QR scan code which allows you to check where your parcel is lying. This is how Upper helps you get more contracts by streamlining your entire delivery process.

Acquire a Long-Term Delivery Contract

The above tips will help you to get courier contracts. However, to obtain long-term contracts, ensure businesses that your delivery service process is smoothest and offers the best service than your competitors. 

To stand out and streamline the quick delivery process, you need to look for options other than just ordinary navigation apps. Upper Route Planner, a cost-effective delivery route planner helps you accomplish the last-mile delivery process in the minimum time.   

Get instant access to a 7 days free trial to explore more about Upper Route Planner.