If you’re a dry van owner-operator, you know how rewarding the career is. However, it can be challenging to secure loads, especially when starting out. Too much dead time can seriously impact your business, so you’ll want to keep your truck full and on the road. That’s where dry van load boards come into the picture!
Check out the best dry van load boards to grow and optimize your business today!
Quicklook: Best Dry Van Load Board
- Best For Industry Reputation: Truckstop Load Board
- Best For Mobile App: Trucker Path – Find Loads
- Best For Freight Matching: HaulHound – Find Loads
- Best For Value: 123 Load Board – Find Loads
- Best For Free: NextLoad – Find Loads
5 Best Dry Van Load Boards
These great load boards are a valuable resource for securing dry van freight.
Truckstop.com Load Board
The Truckstop.com carrier load board offers good quality dry van loads daily. It’s an easy-to-use carrier solution that delivers detailed information on brokers, rates, routes, and industry trends so you can earn more. This load board is over 25 years old and connects you to the best industry professionals through modern technology.
Best For: Industry Reputation
Services: Connecting truck drivers, shippers, and brokers
Network Size: 250,000+ active loads posted per day
Sort By State: Yes
Unlimited Searches: Yes
Real-Time Notifications: Yes,
Carrier Reviews: Yes
Special Features:
- Load comparison
- Real-time updates
- Heat map and multi-trip insights
Benefits:
- Highly rated with trusted professionals
- Search by load or truck type
- Real-time industry updates in higher-tier plans
Disadvantages:
- Less functionality in the basic version
- Higher cost than similarly sized competitors
Pricing:
- Basic: $39 per month
- Advanced: $125 per month
- Pro: $149 per month
Trucker Path
Trucker Path is one of the fastest-growing load boards available, with the most popular mobile app. Quickly sort by trailer types to filter down to dry van only loads and get driving. Trucker Path is a one-stop shop for dry van trucking with extra features and industry insights.
Best For: Mobile App
Services: Connecting truck drivers, shippers, and brokers
Network Size: 150,000+ active loads posted per day
Sort By State: Yes
Unlimited Searches: Yes
Real-Time Notifications: Yes
Carrier Reviews: Yes
Special Features:
- Intuitive mobile app and desktop site
- Round trip and capacity ratio data
- Live load updates
Benefits:
- Comprehensive industry info
- Large carrier network
- Easy to use
Disadvantages:
- Many features locked with the essential plan
- Not all truck stop reviews are reliable
Pricing:
- Essential: $199.99 per year
- Preferred: $399.99 per year
- Ultimate: $899.99 per year
Haul Hound
As a dynamic free load board solution, Haul Hound offers real-time load information so you can find available dry loads without paying a membership fee. Haul Hound even allows you to specify exactly the type and size of the dry van load you can carry. Then as an owner-operator, you can post your available capacity and get loaded with dry van freight instantly.
Best For: Freight Matching
Services:
- Digital freight matching for truck drivers and shippers
- Invoice factoring
Network Size: Fast-growing startup
Sort By State: Yes
Unlimited Searches: Yes
Real-Time Notifications: Yes
Carrier Reviews: No
Special Features:
- Innovative instant freight matching
Benefits:
- No need to search for loads
- Deadtime reduction
- Advanced search options
Disadvantages:
- Smaller network
- Fewer industry insights
Pricing:
- Basic: Free
- Pro: $75
123 Load Board
Find loads quickly and easily to increase your loaded miles with 123 Load Board. This trucker resource is trusted for freight matching, mileage, and routing and is a great load board for finding dry van loads. 123 Load Board is independent and aims to provide the best freight matching for the lowest rate.
Best For: Value
Services: Connecting truck drivers, shippers, and brokers
Network Size: 100,000+ active loads posted per day
Sort By State: Yes
Unlimited Searches: Yes
Real-Time Notifications: Yes
Carrier Reviews: Yes
Special Features:
- Rates check estimation tool
- Free mobile app
- Free fuel card
Benefits:
- Calculates truck mileage, routing, and tolls
- Down-to-the-minute updates
- Large network
Disadvantages:
- Some issues with the PC app
Pricing:
- Limited usage: Free
- Standard: $35 per month
- Premium: $45 per month
- Premium Plus: $55 per month
NextLoad
Next Load is a free load board with several features that help truck drivers secure loads. Detailed filtering and personalized notifications ensure you will never miss a dry van posting, and the site is set up for you to contact the broker or shipper directly. Plus, expired loads are removed every night, so you never have to worry about irrelevant loads cluttering the list.
Best For: Free load board
Services: Connecting truck drivers, shippers, and brokers
Network Size: 65,000+ active loads posted per day
Sort By State: Yes
Unlimited Searches: Yes
Real-Time Notifications: Yes
Carrier Reviews: Yes
Special Features:
- Integrates with TMS systems
- “Book Now” from Circle Logistics
- Credit scores of brokers and shippers
Benefits:
- Real-time notifications based on your detailed filter settings
- Fuel finder and fuel discounts
- Completely free
Disadvantages:
- High competition for loads
Pricing: Free
What Is a Dry Van Load Board?
For dry van owner-operators, dry van load boards are invaluable for finding loads and advancing in the industry. Additionally, they connect shippers and brokers to keep both operating at full capacity.
How Does a Dry Van Load Board Work?
On dry van load boards, brokers post leads for loads they need to be transported, and truckers bid on the jobs. This is great for building a positive reputation in the industry and filling up time slots.
What to Consider With Dry Van Load Boards
Not all dry van load boards offer all the features drivers want. Consider the functionalities you need as an owner-operator to find the best one for your business.
Real-Time Notifications
The trucking industry is fast-moving, and the load boards are no different. Access to real-time notifications can make the difference between getting the loads you want and missing out.
Market Insight and Demand
Some load boards offer market insight and demand information to make choices that save you time and resources on every load.
Route Suggestions
Using a load board that provides route suggestions can optimize your business and know where to go.
Rate Negotiations
Negotiating load rates is a valuable tool for increasing your income. However, you shouldn’t accept unfavorable load rates, especially those below your cost per mile.
Large Network of Carriers
The more active a load board is, the more likely you score worthwhile loads. Therefore, look for a load board with a high number of dry van postings and carriers.
Unlimited Searching and Posting
The more you can search, the more likely you will land fruitful loads. However, some loads limit your searches or posts, especially in the free or lower-tier plans, so look for one with unlimited options.
Reviews
Carrier and broker reviews help both companies and drivers build positive reputations so they can know who they should work with.
Load Boards for Dry Van Truckers
If you’re a dry van owner operator, load boards are an excellent resource for securing loads and minimizing dead time on the road. By bringing the ability to bid on loads to the palm of your hand, you can operate with more freedom and efficiency in your business. So, try any of these load boards, or a combination of them, to secure dry van loads today!
FAQ
Load boards are best for building your reputation and filling time slots. While you can land a high-paying load from a load board, you earn the most after building your client base.
There are many excellent free load boards you can check out.
Load boards are absolutely worth it. They simplify the process of finding loads and connect you with brokers.