How to sell to CTOs at Logistics companies
CTOs in logistics are primarily measured on system uptime and operational efficiency. They respond to outreach that demonstrates a clear understanding of their current technology stack and how it can be optimized to improve freight management. Highlighting specific pain points like system downtime or integration challenges will catch their attention and prompt a response.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 549 logistics company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- system downtime
- integration issues
- supply chain visibility
- data silos
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent technology upgrades
Research logistics companies that have recently invested in new technology or upgraded their systems. Use news articles or press releases as sources. This indicates they may be open to solutions that enhance their new systems or address integration issues.
- 02
Target companies with supply chain disruptions
Filter for logistics firms that have publicly reported supply chain disruptions in the last six months. These companies are likely seeking innovative solutions to prevent future delays and may be more receptive to outreach.
- 03
Craft messaging around integration challenges
Develop your outreach messaging to specifically address common integration challenges faced by logistics CTOs. Mention how your solution can streamline operations and reduce friction between existing systems, particularly focusing on freight management.
- 04
Leverage industry-specific case studies
Include case studies from similar logistics companies that have benefited from your solution. This builds credibility and shows that you understand the unique challenges of the logistics sector, particularly in areas like data management and operational efficiency.
- 05
Follow up on industry events
If a CTO has recently attended a logistics technology conference, send a follow-up message referencing the event and any relevant discussions around technology advancements. This shows that you are engaged with the industry and aware of their interests.
Can logistics companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 549 logistics companies, sampled evenly across company sizes, to see how many authenticate their own email. It matters in both directions: a domain that does not authenticate is a domain whose team is used to mail going missing — and if your own domain is in the gap, yours is the mail going missing.
Publishes a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject — the domain actually asks receivers to act on failures.
The gap is the finding: 22.3% of 1–10-person companies against 83.3% of the largest — 61 points apart. Small companies are where the unauthenticated domains are, and small companies are who most cold outreach is aimed at.
Where does your domain sit?
Same three lookups, run live against your domain. Nothing is stored and nothing is emailed to you.
How this was measured
Company domains were sampled within employee-count bands, then queried over public DNS for SPF (TXT at the apex), DMARC (TXT at _dmarc.) and MX. One domain per company, deduplicated. Anyone can reproduce any single row of this with dig.
DKIM is deliberately absent. A DKIM key lives under a selector that cannot be enumerated from outside the domain, so a company with flawless DKIM under a name we did not guess would be counted as having none. That would measure our guess list, not the industry.
Domains with no MX record are excluded rather than counted as failures — parked and redirect-only domains would otherwise drag every figure down and make the result an artefact of the sample.
Sampled within bands, so this describes the population of companies, not of employees: a 10-person company counts once, as does a 10,000-person one. Each band is at least 60 domains; bands below that are not published. Figures are percentages of the sample, not of the whole industry, and we publish no company names — only counts.
Measured 2026-09-03. Re-measured monthly.
The full census across every industry — sortable, with sample sizes, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Subject lines that fit
- Enhancing system uptime
- Addressing integration gaps
- Streamlining freight management
Questions
- Why do CTOs in logistics ignore cold outreach?
- CTOs often receive numerous cold outreach attempts that lack relevance to their specific challenges. If the message does not directly address their current pain points, such as system downtime or integration issues, they are likely to overlook it.
- What common technology challenges do logistics CTOs face?
- Logistics CTOs frequently deal with challenges like managing system uptime, ensuring seamless integration of new technologies, and maintaining supply chain visibility. These challenges can significantly impact operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- How can I make my outreach stand out to logistics CTOs?
- To stand out, tailor your outreach to address specific pain points faced by logistics CTOs. Highlight relevant case studies, demonstrate an understanding of their technology stack, and provide actionable insights related to their current operational challenges.
- What role does data management play for logistics CTOs?
- Data management is critical for logistics CTOs as it impacts decision-making and operational efficiency. They must ensure that data flows seamlessly across systems to maintain visibility and responsiveness in supply chain operations.
Or have it run itself
SoloRiff does every step above on its own — finds the companies, finds the people, writes each of them individually, and handles the replies. Drop your URL and watch it work before you sign up for anything.
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