“We're on every RFP list. We lose on price every time.”
Find what sets you apart: an on-time record, a lane you know well, or cargo you handle better. Our brand strategy work turns it into proof buyers can check.
This is mineHome / Industries / Logistics
Industries · Logistics
Digital marketingfor logistics
For forwarders, transporters, warehouses and 3PLs who want shippers to shortlist them before the rate war starts.
/ 01 Digital marketing for logistics
Rates get you compared.Reliability gets you chosen.
For a logistics company, good marketing brings you one thing: more shippers asking for your rates, and more of them staying. PromotEdge plans marketing for forwarders, transporters, warehouses, courier firms and 3PLs.
We plan your brand, LinkedIn, website, trade shows, fleet branding and hiring as one plan, judged on contracts won and kept.
Shippers judge you on reliability, coverage, tracking and price. A rate sheet shows only price. Good logistics marketing makes the other three visible, so buyers have a safe reason to pick you.
A manufacturer signs a yearly contract after an RFP (request for proposal). An e-commerce seller may sign up online in a day. So we start with your sales team, who know which accounts you lose and why. Exporters are shipping customers too; see our exporters page.
A 3PL (third-party logistics firm) runs storage and delivery for brands. Since 2015 we have worked with industrial, machinery, education, sports and D2C (direct to customer) brands. Looking only for SEO (search engine optimisation)? See SEO for logistics companies.
/ 02 What usually gets in the way
What gets in the wayand the way through.
“Sales chases the same 40 accounts. Big shippers elsewhere don't know us.”
Choose the companies you want and market to the people inside them (account-based marketing, ABM). LinkedIn ads and a warehouse visit invite make you known before the RFP.
This is mine“We took a stall at the cargo expo and got only visiting cards.”
Book meetings before the show and build the stall around one message. Every card goes into your CRM (the software that holds your leads), with a follow-up that week.
This is mine“Enquiries land with different people, and our quote goes out a day late.”
Bring web, email and WhatsApp enquiries into one inbox with a quote deadline.
This is mine/ 03 Proof
Who we haveworked with.
We haven't yet worked for a transporter or a freight company. The nearest work is for heavy-goods brands that buyers shortlist by reputation: SANY India, Skipper and Utkarsh India.
Brands we have worked with
“An aligned partner is always a welcoming step. Someone who can think deep through lines, understand the matrix of product management. Fortunate enough, PromotEdge has been a partner in progress for me. …”
Bobby SrinivasChief Manager Marketing & Brand Marketing at Utkarsh India“As a progressive and emerging digital marketing company, PromotEdge is doing something right to enhance the experience of companies associated with them. …”
Anish Basu MallikMarketing Executive at Unimark Group“PRAN & PromotEdge have been working together for last 1.5 years. Throughout, the work experience is good and satisfactory. As a client, we found PromotEdge very professional and dedicated towards any project assigned to them. …”
Sharif Rezwan KabirBrand Manager at PRAN RFL Group/ 04 Order to start
From rate sheetto shortlist.
We start small: 20 to 30 target accounts, one LinkedIn push for 90 days, then more of what worked.
| Step | What we do | Why it matters in logistics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brand strategy | Find the reason to choose you that isn't the rate, and the buyers to win first. | Procurement needs a safe reason to defend. |
| 2. LinkedIn and Google ads | A target list built with sales. LinkedIn ads for procurement roles, Google search ads for routes. | 50 accounts and 500 people beat a million strangers. |
| 3. Website | Service pages, a rate form and a tracking link, built for phones and fast to load. | Buyers check your site before the first call. |
| 4. Sales kit and PR | A capability deck with lane sheets and RFP answers, backed by PR (public relations) and content. | RFP answers are read side by side. |
| 5. Shows and fleet branding | Stalls with one message and booked meetings. One brand look on trucks, glow signs and depot walls. | Shippers meet dozens of vendors in two days. |
Analytics and tracking holds it together. Each month we report enquiries, RFPs, wins and renewals.
/ 05 Cost
What affects the cost of logistics marketing.
We don't publish a price list. After a 30-minute strategist call, a written quote follows within 2 working days. Media, stalls, signboards and printing are billed at cost.
What affects the cost
- Accounts. Fifty named accounts need more depth than a broad push.
- Lanes and services. How many the plan covers.
- Shows and sites. Trade shows, plus vehicles and depots to brand.
- Hiring and retention. Whether employer branding is in scope.
How we quote
- We talk for 30 minutes about the accounts you want and the ones you lose
- We review your website and RFP answers, then propose the first 90 days
- A written quote follows within 2 working days. Nothing starts until you approve
What you get in the quote
- Target accounts and buyer types, by region
- LinkedIn and website work, plus the sales kit, with timelines
- Any trade show, fleet branding or hiring campaign as its own project
- How enquiries and RFPs are tracked to renewal
How it is billed
| Way of working | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | LinkedIn and content, plus a monthly report. Minimum 3 months, 30 days' notice to stop |
| Project fee | A rebrand, fleet livery, trade show or website rebuild. We confirm the timeline in the quote |
Printing and vehicle graphics go through the same partner, as do stalls and signboards.
Every client and project is different. The cost depends on the effort it takes, so we price after the first call.
/ 06 Services
Services forlogistics companies.
SEO for logistics firms
Lane, service and city pages that rank when shippers search Google.
GoogleDigital marketing
Leader posts, short videos and email, planned with search and ads as one system.
LinkedInYouTubeB2B lead generation
B2B (business to business) leads, handed to sales with lane and cargo.
GoogleLinkedInCRM and AI tools
One place for every enquiry and renewal, plus AI that drafts first replies.
LinkedIn and account-based ads
Ads and posts for procurement heads at the shippers you choose.
LinkedInRoute and cargo Google Ads
Search ads shown when shippers look for a route or cargo type.
Google AdsGoogleAll services for logistics (6)
Website and rate forms
Service pages, a rate form and a tracking link, built for phones.
WhatsApp for tracking updates
Pickup, status and quote messages, sent only to people who agreed.
WhatsAppFleet and depot branding
One look on trucks and uniforms, plus signboards for depots.
Trade shows and customer meets
Stalls with one message, meetings booked before the show, warehouse visits.
Brand strategy and sales kits
A reason to choose you beyond the rate, in a deck and RFP answers.
Hiring drivers and staff
A careers page, short videos of real shifts and referral drives.
FacebookInstagramYouTubeWe're professionals. We'd rather be blunt than pleasing.
Not sure whether your next step is an RFP push or online sign-ups? Let's think it through together. Talk it through
/ 07 AI and automation
Where AI can help Logisticstoday.
Real business problems, from sales to back office, each with a plain AI fix. A person stays in charge of every step.
Failed deliveries often come from wrong addresses, customers not at home, refused cash-on-delivery orders and slow follow-up, and the parcel goes back to the seller.
The AI fix An assistant messages the customer in their language to confirm the address and a new time, and confirms cash-on-delivery orders before dispatch. Disputes go to a person.
Source: Amazon Shipping India blog (citing Shipway ShipNotes FY25), 12 June 2026
High truck availability is adding competitive pricing pressure on long-haul freight routes. Quick, accurate quotes matter more.
The AI fix An assistant reads quote requests from email and WhatsApp, lists route, weight and vehicle type and drafts a quote from the rate card. The executive approves the price.
Source: Crisil Intelligence, Crisil Freight Index report, 12 May 2026
AI and automation systems WhatsApp automation Chatbots
These show what such tools do. Each card links its source. We do not claim a past project here.
/ 08 What's included
Logistics:what we do.
Go deeperMore on this
The logistics market in depth
Market size and trend
India's logistics cost was 7.97% of GDP (gross domestic product, the country's yearly output) in 2023-24, about ₹24.01 lakh crore, says a government study. Older guesses of 13 to 14% used partial data. On the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, India ranked 38 of 139 countries in 2023, up from 44 in 2018.
Source: PIB, From Growth Engine to Global Edge, 27 November 2025, on the DPIIT and NCAER study Assessment of Logistics Cost in India. PIB, Infrastructure Development in India, 1 February 2025, on the World Bank index (2023)
How buyers decide
Our view: a shipper (the business sending goods) asks peers whom they trust, then checks your website and LinkedIn. A big buyer sends an RFP (request for proposal) to several firms and compares the replies. A small online seller wants a quick quote and a tracking link. Both leave when the quote comes late.
What buyers expect
In their words: "Will it reach on time? Can I see where it is? What if it breaks?" Few say the rest aloud. They want a named person to call and honest news about delays. They also want a clean GST (goods and services tax) invoice.
How logistics firms here sell
Our view: contract firms sell by RFP to manufacturers, much like the long cycles on our industrial manufacturing page. Parcel firms sell online to sellers, as on our D2C (direct to customer) page. Some grow through agents or franchise branches, so one look and one promise must hold at every counter. More in our business models guide.
Where it is heading, and AI today and next
India is joining up logistics data. A government platform links departments, and the Logistics Data Bank shows containers live. Shippers may soon expect tracking as standard. AI today answers rate enquiries and drafts first replies. AI next may read RFPs and flag late shipments. AI cannot win trust or fix a late truck. See our AI systems.
Source: PIB, From Growth Engine to Global Edge, 27 November 2025, for the integrated platform and Logistics Data Bank 2.0
People, bodies and stories
Associations and bodies
CII Institute of Logistics: a centre of excellence of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), for supply chain training.
Federation of Freight Forwarders' Associations in India: the national body of customs brokers and freight forwarders, begun in 1962.
All India Motor Transport Congress: an apex body of cargo and passenger transporters, begun in 1936.
Logistics Sector Skill Council: a not-for-profit that trains logistics workers. The skills ministry and CII helped set it up.
NHAI: the National Highways Authority of India, set up by an Act of Parliament in 1988 for national highways.
Source: Each body's own website, read 10 October 2026; NHAI Annual Report 2017-18 for the 1988 Act
People who scaled the category
Prabhu Dayal Agarwal began Transport Corporation of India in 1958 with one truck between Calcutta and Bombay. When that truck burned in a fire, TCI says he paid the customers.
Vijay Sankeshwar started VRL Logistics in Gadag, Karnataka, with one truck. He is its Chairman and Managing Director, and VRL's website now counts over 6,000 vehicles of its own.
Source: TCI, Celebration of Birth Centenary of Late Shri. P. D Agarwal, 21 January 2021. VRL Logistics, About Us and home page, read 10 October 2026. Outlook Business, Smooth operator, 29 May 2015 (the sources give different start years, so none is stated)
A brand journey worth knowing: Delhivery
Delhivery began in 2011 as a delivery firm for online shops. Its founders saw a gap: couriers were built for documents or bulk cargo, not fast parcels with cash payments.
By 2013 it had added warehouses and technology. Co-founder Sahil Barua said it was now more than a logistics company.
It listed on India's NSE and BSE stock exchanges on 24 May 2022, at ₹487 a share.
Source: Business Today, Coolest Start-up in India 2014: Delhivery, April 2014. Inc42, Delhivery IPO: Shares List At 1.7% Premium, Close 10% Higher, 24 May 2022
What you can do, and how we would deliver
What you can do, and what is not ours
Your trucks, drivers, rates and contract terms are yours to run, and a lawyer checks legal papers. Tracking software comes from a vendor; we can build the customer page that shows it. Hire in-house when enquiries need a daily owner. We take the marketing: message, website, LinkedIn work, sales kit and shows.
How we would deliver, and why each step
First brand positioning, so you have a reason to be chosen beyond the rate. Then account-based marketing on LinkedIn to 20 to 30 accounts picked with your sales team, so follow-up stays easy. Next the website and rate form, which buyers check before they call. Trade shows and fleet branding come last, once the message holds. Saurav Agarwal, our Founder and CEO, takes the strategy call, the business review and the budget and return-on-investment logic. Sanjiv Yadav, Data Research and WhatsApp Marketing, prepares the research, the B2B (business-to-business) lists and the WhatsApp campaigns.
/ 09 Worth knowing
Worthknowing.
Useful before you start. Open it when you need it.
Checklist, rules, AI for operations, global events (4)
Brand basics checklist
The basics
- Logo and brand guidelinesOne set of logo files and a one-page guide to colours and fonts.
- Domain and business emailyourname.com and name@yourname.com, not a free mail address.
- A website that works on phonesFast, secure, with Call and WhatsApp buttons.
- Google Business ProfileCorrect name, hours, photos and category.
- WhatsApp BusinessCatalogue, quick replies and an away message.
- Social media handlesThe same name on each platform you use.
- Business cardsName, role, phone, email and website.
- Letterhead and invoiceYour legal name, address and tax details, with your logo.
- Company profile or brochureOne document you can send on WhatsApp.
- SignageMatches your logo and your Google listing.
- Photos and short videosReal work, real people, real premises.
For logistics
- GST and e-way bill compliance statementState your GST number. E-way bill applies above ₹50,000. Source: CBIC e-way bill FAQ.
- Insurance and liability terms pageCover, claim steps and liability limits. Source: Carriage by Road Act, 2007, s.10.
- Fleet and warehouse photos and route mapReal vehicles and depots, and a map of only the lanes you run.
- Rate-card request formAsks lane, cargo and weight. Your team replies with the rates.
- Customer portal or tracking linkCustomers see status without calling. Tracking software comes from a vendor.
- Safety and ISO certificatesShow the certificate number, issuer and expiry date. ASCI wants claims provable. Source: ascionline.in.
Consent, calls and claims you can prove.
Three sets of rules apply.
Lead data is personal data. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 covers business contacts and expo cards typed in later. Consent must be free, specific and informed.
The DPDP Rules, 2025. Notified 14 November 2025, with eighteen months to comply. Each consent request needs a clear notice of its purpose. People may withdraw consent anytime.
Promotional calls. Since February 2025, TRAI (the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) bars normal 10-digit numbers for telemarketing. Use the 140 series for promotion, 1600 for service calls.
Claims. ASCI (the Advertising Standards Council of India) says ads must be truthful. A claim like '98% on time' needs your delivery data. Comparisons must be fair.
Awards. Name the body that gave it and the month and year, with its written permission.
Logos and capacity. Our own rule: show a client's logo only with written permission, and claim only the lanes and space you really run.
General guidance, not legal advice.
AI for the back office
Most truck operators own only a few trucks, and trucks often wait for loads, so they run only part of the month.
The AI fix A dispatch assistant on WhatsApp matches open loads with trucks that are free or returning nearby, and suggests return loads. The dispatcher confirms the match, price and driver.
Small firms spend a much bigger share of their output value on moving goods than large firms, so every freight bill is worth checking.
The AI fix A document tool reads lorry receipts, freight invoices and rate cards, checks each charge against the agreed rate and flags extra or duplicate bills. Accounts approve payment.
Source: Outlook Business (reporting a DPIIT-NCAER study), 25 September 2025
Operating costs, including tyre and maintenance costs, are squeezing transporters' margins, so every repair and tyre change needs to be planned.
The AI fix AI turns odometer, GPS and trip data into maintenance and tyre-change reminders, a repair history and flags for repeat faults. The fleet manager and workshop decide repairs.
Source: Crisil Intelligence, Crisil Freight Index report, 12 May 2026
Global events worth a trip
LogiMAT
Stuttgart, GermanyUsually March. Next: 16 to 18 March 2027.
If you are hiring, use the CareerDay on 18 March; otherwise pick one Expert Forum and walk the live events.
transport logistic & air cargo Europe
Munich, GermanyUsually April. Next: 26 to 29 April 2027.
Plan your days hall by hall, since the 2025 show filled 12 halls, and book partner meetings before you land.
Breakbulk Europe
Rotterdam, NetherlandsUsually May. Next: 11 to 13 May 2027.
Pick a workshop on chartering or heavy lift if you move project cargo, and meet freight forwarders and project owners.
Price fights, late quotes or shippers who don't know you? Tell us which, and we'll say what we'd fix first. Tell us your lanes
/ 10 Events and exhibitions
Events and exhibitionsworth your time.
Where shippers, transporters and logistics firms meet each year. Pick one or two, and plan the stall, the meetings and the follow-up before you book.
LogiMAT India
MumbaiUsually February.
Come with one warehouse problem in mind and shortlist three intralogistics suppliers to call after the show.
India Warehousing Show
New DelhiUsually June.
Spend day one on automation, material handling and warehouse management system stalls, then use the conference days for policy and digital topics.
transport logistic & project cargo India
MumbaiUsually February. Next: 25 to 26 February 2027.
Meet cargo owners and third-party logistics firms under one roof, and carry a one-page note on the routes and modes you handle.
Manufacturing & Logistics India Exhibition & Summit
New DelhiUsually April.
Check the agenda and speaker list first, then plan time to meet manufacturers who need a logistics partner.
Dates change. Check the organiser's site before you plan.
/ 11 Learn from the leaders
What we can learn from the leadersin Logistics.
Well-known Indian brands, each with one plain lesson for an owner in your line of work. Names only, as public examples.
Delhivery
Look at what buyers are not getting from today's options. Build for that one gap first, then widen.
What they did Around 2011, Delhivery began as a last-mile delivery firm for e-commerce only. Business Today says couriers then were geared to documents or bulk cargo. It moved into warehousing in 2012.
VRL Logistics
Start small with one vehicle and one base, add cities as you grow, and show your fleet and branch count on your site.
What they did VRL's about page says it was founded in Gadag in 1976 with one truck and expanded to Bangalore, Hubli and Belgaum. It now lists 6,100+ vehicles and 1,245+ branches.
Source: VRL Group, company about page (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
DTDC
Use local franchise owners to be closer to your buyers. A franchise network can put your service within easy reach of customers.
What they did DTDC's timeline says it was founded in 1990 and brought in a franchise model in 1991. The page counts 16500+ customer access points in its channel network.
Source: DTDC, company about page (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
Porter
Make booking simple for small businesses. Many small buyers together can be a large part of your demand.
What they did Porter says it was founded in 2014 and offers on-demand goods transport inside cities, plus packers and movers. It says its monthly customers include 20 lakh small and medium businesses.
Source: Porter, company about page (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
Shadowfax
Begin with one narrow service and learn from it. Add new services only after you know what customers need.
What they did Shadowfax's timeline says it began in 2015 as a last-mile food delivery service. It now serves e-commerce and quick-commerce brands with same-day, next-day and 30-minute delivery.
Source: Shadowfax, company about page (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
Mahindra Logistics
Group your services by what the buyer needs, like warehouse, freight or last mile. Show real stories for each industry you serve.
What they did Mahindra Logistics' page lists contract logistics, freight forwarding, B2B express and last mile delivery. It also shows short write-ups for pharma, FMCG, auto and steel.
Source: Mahindra Logistics, company about page (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
These brands are not clients of ours and we use no logos. Each card links its source.
Want a second pair of eyes on your rate form and service claims? Send them over and we'll read them with you. Send on WhatsApp
/ 12 What happens next
What happensafter you ask.
For projects we think we can help, this is how it goes.
- 01
A strategist calls you
In one working day: a 30-minute call with one of our strategists about your business and what is not working.
- 02
You get a 1-page plan
A short, honest plan: what to fix first and what we would do. It is free.
- 03
A quote, if you want one
If you want to go ahead, we send a quote within 2 working days.
We confirm the timeline in the quote. Contracts start at 3 months, with 30 days' notice to stop.
Brands and people are named only as public examples. They are not PromotEdge clients or endorsers unless stated.
Keep exploring
Related pages.
The expertise that fits your business, and the places we work.
For forwarders, transporters, warehouses and 3PLs
Tell us which accounts you want to win.We'll show you the way onto their shortlist.
Straight answers.
-
Yes. Contract shippers rarely buy from an ad, but they check your website and LinkedIn before shortlisting you. Courier and parcel services can win sign-ups from search ads. We judge it on RFPs (requests for proposal) entered and accounts won, not on clicks.
-
Ask every agency, including us, four questions. Do you know how shippers choose beyond rates? Will you build a target list with our sales team? Will you report RFPs won and renewals kept? Will the seniors in this meeting do the work?
-
It depends on the scope, so we don't publish a price list. The main drivers are your target accounts, services, sites and shows. A written quote follows within 2 working days of the first call, with our fee and the media, stall or printing costs on separate lines.
-
Small online sellers can sign up soon after search ads go live. Contract shippers buy through RFPs, often once a year, so wins can take a renewal cycle. We track early signs first, like meetings booked. We confirm the timeline in the quote.
-
Yes, if each platform has its own job. LinkedIn is where procurement people read about vendors, so it suits leader posts and account-based ads. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube suit hiring drivers and small online sellers. Our social media marketing plans each separately.
-
Start with a page for each service, listing modes and cargo types. State your branches and vehicles as facts, plus warehouse space. Add a short rate form with call and WhatsApp buttons. Then a tracking link, a careers page and your licences.
-
Three matter most. The DPDP Act and its 2025 Rules cover every lead's personal data, including expo visiting cards. TRAI's rules cover promotional calls and SMS. ASCI's code says claims like 'fastest' must be provable. General guidance, not legal advice.
-
Our servicing team is based in cities across India, and our in-house team has 65+ people. Most work runs online. We meet you in your city at least once every three months. For some clients, a team member works from their office or plant.