As a carrier or truck owner-operator, you must work hard to ensure your business keeps running and that there’s always another load ready for you to pick up around the corner. But you don’t have to hunt down cargo shipments on foot or through painstakingly calling your contacts — instead, you can use handy tools called load boards.
Read on if you’re unsure what a load board is or how it works. We’ll break down what load boards are, their benefits, and how to use one effectively as a freight specialist in America.
What Is a Load Board?
A load board is an online connection hub that allows cargo shippers and carriers to connect. Also called a freight board or freight matching service, a load board is a great way for truckers, owner-operators, freight brokers, shippers, and everyone involved in the industry to post and accept shipping jobs quickly and easily.
Think of a load board as a kind of freight shipping job board. A freelancer in an industry like graphic design or writing might take up freelance jobs on a platform where employers post those jobs. The same principle applies to load boards.
With a load board, a cargo shipper needing freight transportation posts a job online. They include the details of the job, such as what will be transported, the pickup and drop-off destinations, and the rate.
If a cargo carrier, like a trucker owner-operator, sees the job and wants to take it, they can do so on the job board. They can then confirm the details with the shipper and get moving.
The majority of modern trucking load boards are very sophisticated and comprehensive. Carriers like you can post and search for specific loads using criteria, plus take advantage of other services for carriers and freight brokers alike.
Depending on the load board you use, you might find services like:
- Mobile access for accepting jobs on the go
- Load matching, which can help you fill up your truck if you have an LTL shipment already
- Message boards to communicate with shippers and other carriers
- FMCSA verification
- Financing for preapproved loads using two-factor authentication
- And more
Note that load boards, especially popular ones like DAT Load Board, usually charge monthly membership fees to use their services.
Why Should You Use a Load Board?
There are many great reasons to use a load board as a carrier or owner-operator. Here are just three of the major advantages you might see when you sign up for and start using one of these online hubs.
Make Business Connections
Using a load board will allow you to make better business connections for your career. When you use a load board, you don’t have to curate clients or contacts in your local area or on your most frequented routes.
Instead, you’ll connect to people looking for carriers like you through the load board’s interface. You can seek work on a schedule that works for you and pick and choose your clients based on the type of work available in your area.
In this way, you don’t need to worry about signing up for a transportation service that requires you to drive out of the way or take jobs you don’t want to fulfill. You’re in charge of your business connections and your career. As you build these business connections, you’ll get more work from the same clients and gradually build up a profitable, predictable routine.
Grow Your Experience
In addition, using a load board will allow you to grow your experience if you are new to the shipping industry. In the earliest days as a truck owner-operator or trucker, it can be tough to curate a clientele or to know which jobs you like and dislike.
By taking a bunch of jobs on a load board, you’ll be able to add to your trucking experience, tackling new challenges daily. Not only will this make you a better trucker as a professional, but it will also let you determine the kind of work you want to pursue in the future.
For instance, you prefer doing intercity trucking. You can discover that by trying a few intercity shipping jobs picked up on a load board. Or maybe you prefer driving long distances. You can also discover that by taking on a few clients from a job board and giving their cargo jobs a try.
Establish Your Reputation
Perhaps most importantly, using a load board allows you to establish a reputation as a reliable, excellent trucker. The more jobs you complete to your client's satisfaction, the faster word will get out that you can be relied on compared to other carriers in the industry.
Establishing a reputation is crucial in the freight industry, particularly if you are a freelancer or want to build up a trucking company from scratch over the decades to come. A good reputation will help you maintain workflow and profit, meaning you will need to worry about running out of finances anytime soon.
Again, this is much easier when you have a steady supply of jobs you can pick up and complete instead of hunting around your local area for potential loads. Since not every client needs cargo transported 24/7, you can use a load board to fill in the space between regular hauls, improving your reputation.
How Do You Use a Load Board?
Fortunately, using a load board is fairly straightforward. Simply search for load boards online, then make an account. Most load boards require you to provide some personal information to prove that you are a carrier or owner-operator, plus provide information like the types of trucks you drive, your equipment, etc. You’ll be required to specify where you want to go if specific shippers or organizations want to contact you.
You can also join a load board as a shipper, of course. Once you make an account, you’ll be able to download the load board’s associated mobile app, if applicable. You can then adjust your profile, change its details, and look for loads to pick up.
Most load boards are designed for intuitiveness and easy navigability above all else. Therefore, after just a few minutes of navigating your chosen load board, you should roughly know how it works and how to use it to find more work.
While waiting for someone to contact you, you can search for loads that fit your criteria. Taking the initiative is a great way to build up a reputation on a load board and eventually build up a solid clientele you can rely on for study work.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many benefits to using a load board as an owner-operator or trucker in America. The right load board can ensure you never run out of work to accomplish, plus help you stay ahead of market adjustments and client expectations. You might consider using a load board soon.
Alternatively, you could sign up with a trusted transportation provider like RPM. At RPM, we contract with knowledgeable carriers just like you to provide comprehensive, stellar service to clients around the country.
Contact us today to learn more.
Sources:
Top 5 Load Boards for Carriers and Why It's Ok to Negotiate Rates | LinkedIn
DAT Load Board Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives | GetApp
The 5 Best Load Boards for Truck Drivers | Jubitz Blog
