Transportation - PPC
Shipper acquisition and driver recruiting run on completely different timelines and completely different keywords. We build separate campaigns for each, so your ad spend doesn't get diluted chasing two audiences with one message.
PPC gets transportation companies in front of shippers and drivers immediately, while SEO builds over months. The two audiences need to be kept completely separate in campaign structure, because a shipper looking for a flatbed carrier and a CDL driver looking for a home-daily route are searching for entirely different things and need entirely different landing pages.
Approach
Architecture
Shipper acquisition campaigns and driver recruiting campaigns run as separate structures with separate budgets, separate keywords, and separate landing pages. Combining them into one undifferentiated campaign wastes spend on both sides.
Keywords
Shipper terms center on service type, lane, and equipment. Driver terms center on route type, home time, and pay. We build keyword lists from your real service and recruiting profile, not generic transportation terms.
Ad copy
Shipper ads lead with capability, capacity, and reliability. Driver recruiting ads lead with pay, home time, and equipment. We write and test copy specific to each track rather than reusing one message across both.
Landing pages
Shipper landing pages need to build trust fast: safety data, fleet capability, service area. Driver recruiting landing pages need a short, mobile-first application flow. Sending both audiences to a generic contact page kills conversion.
Tracking
We track quote requests, driver applications, and phone calls separately by campaign so you can see cost per shipper lead and cost per driver application as distinct numbers, not blended together into one meaningless average.
Produce hauling, holiday retail freight, and construction materials all have distinct seasonal patterns. Campaign budgets and bidding need to flex around your specific freight type's cycle, not a generic seasonal calendar.
Shipper campaigns should target the regions you actually serve. Driver recruiting campaigns should target where qualified CDL holders live, which is often a different geographic footprint than your lanes.
Employment and recruiting ads are subject to platform policies around pay claims and job representations. We keep campaigns compliant so they don't get flagged, paused, or rejected mid-flight.
Hazmat, oversize, and specialty equipment searches have lower volume but higher intent and typically face less competition than general freight terms, which can make them a cost-efficient way to reach qualified shippers.
Budget
Ad spend and management fees are separate. These ranges reflect ad spend for common campaign types.
Branding / awareness
$500-$1,500
Per month, ad spend
Driver recruiting
$1,500-$3,500
Per month, ad spend
Shipper acquisition
$2,000-$5,000
Per month, ad spend
Combined multi-market
$5,000-$15,000+
Per month, ad spend
Management fees are scoped separately from ad spend and depend on the number of campaigns, markets, and audience tracks being run. We'll walk you through both numbers clearly before you commit to anything.
Send us your project and we'll scope it straight -- no pushy sales.
Deeper reads pulled from our blog, all written with transportation in mind.
Good to know
Ad spend ranges from around $500/mo for a single-market branding campaign up to $15,000+/mo for combined shipper and driver recruiting campaigns across multiple markets. Management fees are separate from ad spend. We'll recommend a starting budget based on your goals and markets, then adjust based on real performance data.
No. We structure them as separate campaigns with separate budgets, keywords, ad copy, and landing pages. Shippers and drivers search for completely different things and respond to completely different messages. Combining the two into one campaign structure typically underperforms running them apart.
Campaigns typically start generating leads or applications within two to four weeks of launch. Google Ads and Meta both run a 60-90 day learning period where performance improves as the algorithm gathers data, so we recommend evaluating results after that window rather than in the first week or two.
Yes. Employment and recruiting ads are subject to platform-specific policies around pay claims and job representations. We build campaigns to stay within those policies so they don't get flagged, paused, or rejected once they're live.
Yes. Specialty equipment and hazmat search terms typically carry lower volume but higher buyer intent and less competition than general freight terms, which often makes them one of the more cost-efficient parts of a transportation PPC program.
Still have questions? We're happy to answer them, let's connect.
Tell us about your project and we'll take a look. No pushy sales, no wasted calls.