Even though a lot of shipping is currently done at international levels, trucking is still an integral part of freight, especially for local goods. That’s why experts in the industry have been trying to make sure the trucking business remains active and profitable through technology. One such technology is truckload boards.
A load board is an online marketplace where shippers, truck owners, and brokers post and find loads to keep freight moving. Therefore, a truckload board is a marketplace specifically designed for shippers and freight brokers who deal in trucking shipments.
This marketplace is usually hosted online, and it works like a matching system where shippers post loads that need to be moved; they match with the preferred carrier, communicate, and agree on the terms of freight. Similarly, truck owners can post their fleet of trucks while seeking a shipper to hire their services. Other than matching shippers with carriers and freight brokers, a load board offers other services, including
- Payment information
- Making notes on carriers and shippers
- Message board for communication
- Mobile access
- Finance of loads using factoring
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) verification
This article will look into how trucking load boards such as Truckstop.com load board work for different users and why you should consider using a trucking load board for your business.
How Does A Truck Lord Board Work?
Before looking into how shippers and carriers use a truckload board, it’s important you understand the basics of this technology, especially if you’re new to it. The first step is learning how to access a truckload board.
- How To Access A Truck Load Board
As mentioned earlier, these truckloads and all load boards, in general, are usually hosted online. You can access them through a site or a freight app. The boards are accessible through computers, phones, or tablets, depending on the provision of each board.
Accessing the board is logging into the site or freight app either as a shipper or a carrier.
- How Shippers Use A Truck Load Board
Shippers use a load board to get carriers for their freight. Therefore, once they log into the marketplace, they’ll look for suitable carriers by describing:
- The type of cargo they have
- The equipment needed to transport the cargo
- Where the cargo is and where it needs to go
Once they have the description, they’ll post it to be available for carriers on the platform to see. Carriers, on the other hand, are looking for cargo to transport. Those that meet the shipper’s needs will match and negotiate a deal.
- How Carriers Use A Truck Load Board
When looking for shippers, some carriers post their trucks and give more descriptions like the truck’s capacity. Potential shippers will review the post and decide if it matches their needs. However, such information isn’t only useful to potential shippers but also to freight brokers.
Unlike shippers, most carriers don’t have a specific destination. They’re open to carrying the freight to any destination if the compensation is reasonable.
Are Truck Load Boards Free or Paid for?
There are free and paid truck load boards. You pay for a load board by paying a monthly subscription.
While paying for an item may mean better services in most cases, paid truck load boards aren’t always the best. Experts recommend that you shop for load boards by researching and preferably consulting those who have used the service before.
Why Use A Truck Load Board?
The world today is highly competitive. Every business is looking to profit and remain sustainable, even those in freight shipment. Therefore, you could use all the help you need to ensure your cargo reaches the market in time or that your trucks stay moving and generate profit.
Other than that, here are more reasons using a truckload board could be the best decision you make either as a shipper or loader.
- You Have Carrier Options
A good truck load board exposes you to an unlimited number of carriers. Through thorough searching, you can find a carrier that meets your needs to the letter.
Additionally, the time it takes for you to meet the perfect carrier is less than it would have taken you when not using a truckload board. The load board ensures fast transactions that contribute to making your business efficient.
- A Truck Load Board Is Safe
When using a genuine truck load board, you automatically reduce the chances of meeting scammers. This is because each user in the platform is vetted to ensure legitimacy.
One of the ways a load board can legitimize a user is by checking a carrier’s insurance safety from FMCSA. The board managers can access images of the insurance certificate to make sure that the carrier is, indeed, insured. In case of any changes or suspicions, they can also flag the carrier.
Other than insurance information, you can also access information about other users, such as
- Any previous broker complaints
- How long the shipper takes to pay
- The shipper’s credit information, like payment trends
- Other FMSCA verification information such as bonding
- Tracking Load
A good truckload border gives you real-time updates throughout the shipment process. Therefore, you can track how far your freight is from the intended destination. Delays are also reflected on the tracker, ensuring transparency in the transaction.
Transparency goes a long way toward building a good business relationship. If a broker has good customer experience, you may develop a long relationship. This saves you from always having to look for new carriers.
- It Reduces Deadhead Miles
Having deadhead miles is a situation wherein a truck is making a return trip while empty. It happens a lot if the carrier doesn’t have any cargo from the departure location.
A truckload board allows you to post that your truck is available for return trips. As a matter of fact, many shippers search for return trip trucks as they’re relatively cheaper. Therefore, it saves the carrier the cost of an empty returning truck and saves the shipper some coins.
- You Can Negotiate Cost
Primarily, it’s cheaper to use a truckload board for shipment due to demand and supply factors. There’s a surplus of shippers and carriers in the marketplace, each looking for services. As such, one party may rarely decide to hike their prices as you can always use the next carrier or accept the offer of a different shipper.
Additionally, a load board publicly displays the available freight rates. With this information, you can negotiate a price that suits your budget. Therefore, when choosing a truckload board, go for the one that publishes accurate data so that you can always be updated on the correct rates.
Wrapping Up
If you’ve been wondering what a load board is, hopefully, this article answers your questions. Don’t be left behind. Find a good load board and enjoy convenience today.
