A vast majority of the goods transported across the United States are moved via freight trucks. But how do these products find their trucks and routes? Planning such a vast network seems like an almost impossible task, but that’s where load boards come into play. In this article, we’ll explain what they are and how they work so you can gain a better understanding of the industry. 

Understanding What Load Boards Are

Load boards are online platforms used by truck owner-operators, brokers, and shippers to advertise loads that need to be transported and match them with a means of transportation to keep freight moving across the country.¹ You can typically search and filter by criteria like location, weight, and timeframe. Typically, these boards allow you to match, message, make notes, manage finances, and complete other steps required in the freight moving industry.² 

How Do Load Boards Work? 

These boards are hosted online, like any other service and community platform that connects service providers with customers. Users of the board will pay a subscription fee to have access to the platform , post loads they need moved, or owner-operator availability. The platform will then enable all relevant parties, like brokers and shippers, to communicate with each other. ACV Transportation makes the process easier by offering a free load board.

Typically, a freight broker or shipper will search for available trucks, or an owner-operator/carrier will look for loads they can take on. Each listing can have all of the relevant details included, like the equipment, destination, or weight of the load.¹ 

Why Are Load Boards Beneficial? 

Shipping plays an invaluable role in our nation’s economy, and these load boards offer efficiency  within the industry by allowing relevant parties to find each other, match up, and get connected—all in real time.¹ Load boards are convenient and easily accessible from anywhere in the world. Since they’re available 24/7 and constantly being updated, they eliminate time difference problems that could otherwise slow down deliveries.² Plus, they’re as easy to use as any other common online platform, such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Airbnb. 

How Are Load Boards Used?

As we mentioned, many different players within the shipping industry will use load boards, so the use-case can vary depending on who is logging on. Let’s break down how the platform works for the various roles involved: 

• Freight brokers and shippers: They use the platform to find drivers for their loads that need to be transported. They can use the platform to list their freight—including all relevant details so that the right matches find their listing—and check prices in the market. 
• Owner-operators and carriers: On the flip side, owner-operators and carriers are using the platform to find the loads posted by those freight brokers and shippers. They can post relevant info about their equipment and search for loads that match their capabilities. Then, owner-operators can bid on a load to offer a price—the platform even eliminates the back-and-forth associated with a negotiation.
• Transportation brokers: These brokers have customers who are shippers and work with such brokers to get their products moved. Each day, the transportation broker will have a list of loads for their clients and can use the platform to find drivers for each one.

What Types of Load Boards Are There?

There are many types of shipments out there – so there isn’t a one-size-fits all approach with load boards. To accommodate the variation within the shipping and freight hauling industry, there are many types of load boards available, each with a specialty. For example, there are traditional load boards like we’ve discussed above. 

There are also LTL boards (“Less than truckload”) that allow partial loads to be matched to fill another trailer. 

Finally, there are boards dedicated to miscellaneous types of loads that don’t fit the previous two standard categories and may display more unique requests, like moving a boat or transporting vehicles. While these aren’t perceived as routine jobs, many trucking companies can specialize in this area.²  

Work With Us at ACV Transportation 

If you are an auto transporter and are looking for more loads to transport, partner with ACV Transportation. We work with car dealerships all over the United States to move vehicle inventory from dealerships locally, regionally, and nationally. We also have a free load board, in addition to a dispatch team that’s available weeknights and weekends, and we offer a dedicated account manager to help you grow your business. Plus, we offer fast payments so you’ll get paid within five business days of submitting a BOL. Reach out to us to learn more and get started. 
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Sources

1. Truckstop. “What is a load board?” Truckstop.com. Retrieved October 8. 2024. https://truckstop.com/blog/what-is-a-load-board/
2. MercuryGate. “Load Board.” Mercury Gate. Retrieved October 8, 2024. https://mercurygate.com/glossary/load-board/