For shippers, freight brokers, carriers, and drivers, a good load board is an essential tool for running a thorough and efficient company. Whether posting all loads or rounding out service areas, the right load board can drive the success of a business.
Who Needs a Load Board?
Shippers use load boards to find dependable carriers to work with for short term or long term shipments. Even for shippers who already have a regular carrier that they work with, a load board can keep things moving if there’s an unexpected increase in shipments or if there are any issues with a current shipper.
Freight brokers are only as good as their client lists. This means they need to have many trusted contacts around their service area so they can do their jobs―keep freight moving. Freight brokers rely on load boards to make the connections they need to get cargo from Point A to Point B as safely and efficiently as possible. Even with a large pool of clients and carriers, a load board is a great tool for filling in any gaps in coverage.
For carriers large and small, load boards can not only keep trucks rolling but one of their main benefits is filling deadhead miles (return trips) so routes are being operated efficiently without empty trucks driving around. For example, if a carrier ships a full freight load from Boston to Newark, they can search the load board for a shipper who needs to ship from Newark to Boston or somewhere along the route. This not only brings in more revenue but it also makes more efficient use of gas, equipment, and manpower.
For truck owner/operators, a good load board is the key to running an operation. A load board provides vital information on available loads such as origin, destination, trailer type, load size, weight, company name, and pay rate. Some of the better load boards include credit reports so drivers know who they’re working with and when they can expect to get paid.
What Makes a Load Board Good
It should be easy to use. Load boards don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to be effective. They should have a simple, easy-to-use interface that doesn’t require excessive clicks to locate the load or truck databases.
Web-based is best. Web-based load boards are always up-to-date, loads are posted in real time, there’s no costly software to buy and update, and they can be accessed from anywhere, even on smartphones and tablets. Look for load boards that offer an app to streamline the process so it will always be on your phone.
Avoid free load boards. Free load boards rely on ads for revenue and they don’t always have the same security in place that paid sites have, which can open users up to fraud. They also aren’t as driven to have the most up-to-date technologies that paid sites do.
It should have useful features. Things like current fuel prices, location and destination, cost of tolls, weather reports, a mileage calculator, credit reports, and load filtering can streamline services and simplify the process.
Alerts are important. Being alerted when trucks are available or updates on loads saves time. Text or email alerts give users an edge over those who need to spend time searching the site looking for updates.
It should have a free trial. Most good load boards are confident in their product and will let users give it a try before they commit. Trying out several free trials gives users the ability to find a load board that has all the features they’re interested in.
As the old saying goes, Time is money and any time that freight sits on a loading dock waiting for a driver costs money. A good load board makes all the difference. Decisions can be made quickly and confidently and the time that freight is waiting to be delivered is minimized.
Direct Freight Services is proud to be one of the leading load boards in the country. They’ve been matching shippers and carriers since 1997 and have developed a load site that makes the process quick, easy, and effective. Loads or trucks can be posted on the site for free but the subscription price of $34.95 allows the user access to ancillary features such as credit reports, route planning, weather conditions, text and email alerts, and other features that give a custom experience to every user. Visit DirectFreight.com today for a free 15-day trial subscription and see what Direct Freight Services can do for your business.