Freight haulers are embracing social media but still not a much as other business-to-business companies, according to a new study.

Carrier Logistics, a developer of information technology systems for freight carriers, found 68 of the top hundred freight haulers have a social media presence. Of companies using social media, 80% have a Facebook page, 72% use LinkedIn and 64% use Twitter and/or use Google+.

“If you think the results show strong use of social media by transportation companies, consider that transportation companies use social media less than the average business-to-business company,” says Gary Snyder, business development manager for CLI, who conducted the study.

Eighty-seven percent of all B2B companies across all industries use social media other than blogs, he says, and 54% of those companies expect to increase their spending on social media content next year.

The study also looked at how often the transportation companies update their pages. Among freight carriers using social media, 70% updated at least once a week on Twitter and 63% on Facebook. On LinkedIn, however, just 26% updated pages weekly.

“The time has come when transportation companies can no longer afford not to be on social media,” says Ken Weinberg, vice president and co-founder of CLI.  “If you want to be in the trucking business today, you need a presence on social media to secure your place in the industry.”

The study also included transportation software companies, the majority of which have adopted social media but surprisingly, they are using social media somewhat less than are top motor carriers. Sixty-three percent have established some form of social media presence. Eighty-two percent of those 63 companies use LinkedIn, 74% are on Facebook, and 72% use Twitter.

The survey did not consider postings’ content nor who the audience is, but the results reinforce the value of social media, says CLI. 

“While ‘everyone is doing it,’ is not exactly the case, the study makes a compelling case for business-to-business organizations in general, and transportation companies in particular, to use social media for brand awareness, customer acquisition, and lead generation,” says Snyder.