What should I write in the custom message?

Write the one thing that makes a carrier want this freight and that the posting form does not already say. Put it at the very start, because a WhatsApp alert shows only the first 100 characters or so.

Where carriers see it

• Email: the full message, above the freight details, next to your name and photo. It is also in the daily summary email.
• WhatsApp: in the alert for a single posting, your first name and up to 100 characters of the message. A longer message is cut, and the "..." counts toward the 100. The WhatsApp summary of several postings leaves the message out.
• Chat: at the top of every chat on the posting, under "{your name} included a message".

You see the same message at the top of each carrier chat on Coverage.

How to write it

• Lead with the point. The opening has to stand alone in about 95 characters.
• Write one paragraph. Line breaks are removed when you post, so lists run together.
• Write in your carriers' language. The message is not translated. For a cross-border lane, a short line in English and a short line in Spanish works.
• Use 500 characters or fewer. That is the limit.

Examples

• Spot load: "Shipper loads in under an hour. Reload available out of Laredo the next morning."
• Lane: "Monday and Thursday pickups every week through March. We want one carrier for all of it."
• Potential: "Quoting a new customer. If your rate works, the award starts next month."

What to leave out

• What the form already says. Equipment, dates, weight and requirements already appear with the posting.
• Phone numbers and email addresses. Contact details are shared in chat after a rate is accepted. See Message a carrier before they bid.

Changing the message after you post

You cannot edit the message on a live posting. To change it, take the posting down and post again:

1. On the posting, open the Posting tab and click Take posting down, then Take down.
2. Click Post, type the new message in Custom message (optional), and click Post to Cargado.

Important: Taking a posting down closes every open bid on it. The message box also starts empty when you post again, so retype the whole message. Carriers you had a chat with on the posting you took down are added to the new posting's Coverage list.

Loads posted automatically from your TMS go out without a custom message. For the rest of the posting form, see Post it right and Special moves.