Best Load Boards Every Trucker Needs to Know

Whether you’re a truck driver or a fleet owner, the goal is to find loads and get paid! If you don’t have time to search the internet for the top load boards out there, that’s okay! We have done the work for you here with our list of the best load boards every trucker should know. 

Whether you want to find load boards with the most features or want to compare two services, the information is right here! So let’s get right into the best load boards for heavy-duty truckers.

DAT

There is no dispute here that DAT is one of the leading trucking boards in the industry. With almost 500,000 loads posted every business day, not only is DAT the biggest truck load provider. It also offers drivers with different freight matching platforms! We will break them all down right here for you:

TruckersEdge

TruckersEdge is marketing as the Owner Operator’s load board.  By using TruckersEdge, truckers can search available loads as well as post their trucks. By utilizing both services at the same time, users can see the most effective results.

Additionally, truckers can also access information of the broker/shipper posting loads. With a few simple clicks, users can view the shipper’s business information in the DAT Directory. It also shows the shipper’s credit scores and days-to-pay. This gives those searching for loads extra assurance that they are working with a reputable broker.

Pricing:

TruckersEdge pricing starts with the Standard offer at $34.95 a month. This allows you to post unlimited trucks, have unlimited load searches, use their mapping services, and see inbound & outbound loads for each state.

The Enhanced pricing is $49.95 month and offers all the functions in the standard package. Additionally, it includes broker days-to-pay scores, broker credit profiles, access via mobile, and broker spot market lane rates!

The final and most expensive package is Pro of $99.95 a month. Pro offers all the functions of Standard and Enhanced combined with even more features. 15 day Lane rates, automatic triangle haul routing suggestions, and access to the entire North American database are all things offered through the Pro Plan.

DAT TruckersEdge app is available in both the Apple Store and Google Play

DAT Power

DAT Power is another load board option offered by DAT. DAT Power is a live load board with the most state-of-the-art freight-matching technology available. This provides users with actual load rates based on the real transactions happening over the 65,000 lanes. 

With 993,000 loads posted every day, users can see actual market rates rather than bids. In short, DAT Power gives truckers a real time view of all loads, trucks, and transactions happening right now!  

Pricing:

Dat Power starts at $149 a month. The features included enable truckers to find brokers who regularly post in their lanes, access DAT’s payment guarantee that covers payments of up to $1,000 per load, and use their complex and efficient search console.

DAT Power also offers a more expensive version for $249 a month. Features include the ability to create lists of preferred customers, block companies to avoid seeing their loads, compare spot and contract rates, and viewing who has the most loads in each lane!

Truckstop.com

TruckStop.com has the title of the first freight-matching marketplace on the web. With more than 200,000 brokers, shippers, and carriers on the site, TruckStop.com offers drivers with an easily accessible resource in the load board world. 

The site offers users 3 different levels of access. The most expensive plan allows TruckStop.com to be a live load board that can show carriers real-time data on the transactions happening now! We’ll break down the pricing right here:

Pricing:

This trucking board starts its Basic plan at $39 a month. Features of the Basic plan offer unlimited load searching & truck/lane posting, the ability to gauge negotiation strength on loads, and an instant Book It Now feature for loads.

The Advanced Plan is $125 a month and includes all of the features offered in the Basic plan with some additions. These include a Fuel Desk with tools to helps truckers optimize their fuel efficiency during their trips and access to view shipper/broker days-to-pay, credit score, and risk level.

Truckstop Pro is the top offer on the site, priced at $149 a month. The Pro version is a live board featuring real-time data. With the additional search functionality for the best-paying loads, a Heat Map & Rate Map, TruckStop.com’s Pro plan gives users all the options seen in the Basic and Advanced plan with an added edge.

The App version, Truckstop Mobile, is available to all users no matter their plan.

Truckstop Mobile can be downloaded in the Apple Store and on Google Play

123Loadboard

Founded in 2004, 123Loadboard posts more the 50,000,000 loads annually with a database of over 350,000 users. They are also partnered with 30 companies dedicated to the transportation industry, like Knight, J.B Hunt, TQL, Mercer and more. Being the cheapest option on this, the site offers 3 different options for users with a 10-day free trial included.

Pricing:

At its most basic version, the Standard Plan on 123LoadBoards is priced at $35 a month. Features included with this plan are access to loads 24/7, real-time Load Alerts, and website & mobile app access for 1 user.

The next plan offered is Premium, priced at $45 a month. Premium features include all found on the Standard Plan and more for two users. The plan also has the additional Mileage and Maps feature, document capturing and storage, credit scores & days-to-pay data on shippers/freight brokers, load planners, and a free fuel card that saves 10-40 cents a gallon.

The 123Loadboard mobile app is available in both the Apple Store and on Google Play 

Free Load Boards

There are some definite pros and cons when it comes to free load boards. The best part is that they are free! Carriers can find loads quick and easy with no hassle of subscriptions or price. They are also great for growing your trucking business or if you need quick cash on a quick time gig. 

On the downside, there are going to be some limited features with free load boards. Additionally, free options usually offer fewer features and utilities than the premium services.

Despite that, free trucker boards give semi-truck drivers some additional tools in finding loads throughout the county. Here is our list:

• Trucker Path – Trucker Path is probably already a widely known app out there for drivers for other reasons. One of its many features is a free load board! Trucker Path offers 150K daily loads posted by over 800 brokers in North America.
  Trucker Path is available on Itunes App Store and Google Play
• Free Freight Search – Free Freight Search advertises that over 173 Million Loads have been posted on their site. It has unlimited free searching and posting. Free Freight Search also has free notifications when you find a match.
• LoadUp – Simple but effective, LoadUp offers a directory of freely posted loads for truckers. Its search interface requires just a few clicks and you’re able to see live postings in your area.
• Freight Finder – Freight Finder is another simple and easy to use load board. It isn’t fancy, but Freight Finder does have a good quantity of loads. Users can search loads state to state or by a city radius. 
• Fr8Connect – Fr8 Connect offers free membership to its users with some of the features the premium plans offer. The site connects carriers with shippers to create mutually beneficial shipping relationships.

Conclusion

While some caution truckers away from depending on load boards, the fact is that the internet is here to stay! The tools and utilities accessible by load boards are becoming the fastest way to do business in the trucking industry. Additionally, load boards bring new levels of ease in how business owners can find heavy loads to pick up. 

Owner-operators could benefit by making load boards an active part of their business model. Even if it is not used as primary source of income, there is money to be made on these sites. Additionally, load boards can be a tool you need to get that extra edge in finding freight when business is slow. 

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