As American consumers, we expect to find whatever we are looking for on our local store shelves. This expectation exists whether the product we want is manufactured thousands of miles away. It exists even if it is a fruit or vegetable that is out of season or could never grow in our own climate in the first place.
Who do we have to thank for that? Although we often take it for granted, we owe a debt of gratitude to the shippers, brokers, trucking companies, and owner-operators that make up our robust trucking industry. They truly are the backbone of the U.S. economy.
Load boards are essentially online digital services where shippers and brokers can post their loads and be matched with suitable carriers who have the capabilities to get them to their required destinations on time and in good condition. Typical posts include the location for pickup, the destination and due date of the delivery, the weights and dimensions of the load, and any other pertinent information. Some load boards charge truckers a monthly or annual fee for connecting them with shippers/brokers, and other load boards provide basic services free of charge.
As the owner of a trucking fleet or as an independent owner-operator yourself, you may already have established customers or contracts that keep you moving. However, if you don’t have that advantage, or if your business experiences slow periods, load boards can serve as an excellent tool for finding additional, appropriate loads to haul.
1- Load Boards are Huge Time Savers
With literally thousands of loads moving around the country day in and day out, it can be extremely time-consuming for a small fleet owner or owner-operator to sift through available loads to find ones they can appropriately handle. Load boards typically include filtering tools that truckers can use to zero in quickly on the exact types of loads they are looking for.
2- Load Boards Help Eliminate Deadheading
While it may be great to carry and deliver a full load if a trucker has nothing to pick up nearby on his return trip home, that empty, deadhead truck is money lost. By using a load board, carriers and/or fleet owners can coordinate so a return load can be picked up nearby.
3- Load Boards Operate Digitally and in Real Time
Today’s digital technology is a wonder. It eliminates the need to pull over to do annoying, time-consuming paperwork. Load boards are also constantly updated in real-time so that shippers, brokers, and carriers can connect in an instant. As a carrier, you can get real-time alerts about available loads. And from the other side of it, brokers can see when you are available in an area to pick up a new load and quickly reach out to match you to it.
Using load boards helps both truck drivers and carriers in the freight industry. Recent years have shown how important the freight industry is to the economy and our everyday lives so it’s important that loads can be filled quickly and efficiently.