Looking for a fast, efficient, and reliable way to schedule freight for your box trucks? Interested in using load boards for box trucks but not sure which solution is right for you? Want to know if you can use load boards for box trucks for free?
Today, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about load boards for box trucks, including how they work, the benefits they provide, and so much more! From there, we’ll reveal the five best load boards for box trucks so that you can choose the optimal solution for your company.
Quicklook: Best Load Boards for Box Trucks
- Best For Affordability: Direct Freight – Find Loads
- Best For Mix of Features and Value: Truckstop
- Best For Free Load Searches: Trucker Path – Find Loads
- Best For Those Seeking an Easy-To-Learn Platform: 123Loadboard – Find Loads
- Best For Companies Seeking Real-Time Insights: DAT Freight & Analytics – Find Loads
5 Best Load Boards for Box Trucks
Direct Freight
Direct Freight is an incredibly user-friendly platform that makes it easy to find box truck loads. It is great for tech-savvy professional drivers and less tech-fluent drivers as well. The site’s free load board is one of the best no-cost options out there. It also offers a premium version for less than $40 per month.
Best For: Affordability
Daily Load Amounts: 300,000
Broker Checks: Yes
Contract Length: Monthly
Services:
- Box trucks
- Reefer
- Hotshot
- Flatbed
Special Features:
- Custom search parameters
- New load alerts
- Average days-to-pay listed for each broker
Pricing: $34.95
Truckstop
Truckstop’s load board offers a great array of features at a competitive price. While their basic plan costs about $4 more per month than Direct Freight, the interface is far more robust. The site’s advanced plan costs $125 and it gives truckers access to both broker credit and days-to-pay data. Their top-tier plan is $149 and it is jam-packed with useful tools.
Best For: Mix of Features and Value
Daily Load Amounts: 350,000
Broker Checks: Yes
Contract Length: Monthly
Services:
- Box trucks
- Flatbeds
- Containers
- Reefers
Special Features:
- Broker credit data
- Days to pay information
- Rate insights
Pricing:
- Lowest price: $39
- Highest price: $149
Trucker Path
There are several different free load boards for box trucks out there. However, Trucker Path stands out because it includes a mobile app for both Android and Apple devices. The app can send alerts about new loads, allow you to communicate with brokers, and make life easier away from your desktop.
Best For: Free Load Searches
Daily Load Amounts: 100,000
Broker Checks: Yes
Contract Length:
- Free
- No contracts
Services:
- Box trucks
- Flatbeds
- LTL
Special Features:
- Mobile app
- Dispatch services
- Navigation tools
Pricing: Free
123Loadboard
The team at 123Loadboard has been operating a marketplace for independent shippers since 2004. They have partnered with more than 30 different companies in the logistics business to develop deeper analytic intelligence and optimize services for their membership.
Best For: Those Seeking an Easy-To-Learn Platform
Daily Load Amounts: 80,000
Broker Checks: Yes
Contract Length: Monthly
Services:
- Box trucks
- Flatbeds
- LTL
Special Features:
- Mileage tracking
- Real-time load alerts
- Rate check tools
Pricing:
- Three options:
- $35
- $45
- $55
DAT Freight & Analytics
The DAT load board platform is by far the most dynamic option out there. DAT offers four different subscription plans:
- Standard: $39.95 per month
- Enhanced: $75 per month
- Professional: $125 per month
- Power Select: $170 per month
The latter includes hot market maps, real-time search capabilities, and so much more. All but the basic plan include average days-to-pay data, broker credit scores, company reviews, and spot market rates as well.
Best For: Companies Seeking Real-Time Insights
Daily Load Amounts: 800,000
Broker Checks: Yes
Contract Length: Monthly
Services:
- Box trucks
- Flatbeds
- Containers
- LTLs
Special Features:
- Spot market rates
- IFTA fuel tax calculator
- DAT assurance
- Hot market maps
Pricing:
- Lowest price: $39.95 per month
- Highest price: $170 per month
How Does a Load Board Work?
Simply put, a load board is a virtual freight marketplace. Brokers and shippers alike often use load boards for the purpose of advertising available work opportunities.
Typically, carriers will need to purchase a subscription to view the loads that are posted by shippers and brokers. However, there are some free load boards for box trucks out there, though we’ll touch on this in greater detail later on in this article.
Shippers can contact brokers as well as fellow shippers when they find a load that they want to haul. They can make pickup arrangements, request additional information, and negotiate the shipping prices. The best load boards facilitate communication and provide carriers with important information about each shipper’s reputation.
It is important to use a load board for box trucks in particular. Otherwise, you may waste countless hours viewing loads that are not a good fit for your vehicle’s capabilities after all. Check out this article for tips on selecting profitable loads.
How Can You Benefit From Load Boards?
Load boards for box trucks offer many benefits. By using a load board, you can accomplish a number of tasks and benefit in the following ways:
- Acquire loads faster.
- Minimize downtime between loads.
- Find high-paying contracts.
- Forge new relationships with brokers and shippers.
- Get your name out there.
- Grow your business.
The perks above are just a few advantages of using load boards for box trucks. It is important to note that load boards are particularly helpful for new or smaller-sized carriers. These boards allow said carriers to compete against larger companies for contracts, even if they have far fewer resources.
Are There Load Boards For Box Trucks Only?
Many different types of load boards are designed specifically for box trucks. These load boards often only include shipments that can be hauled using box trucks. In most cases, brokers and carriers will use box trucks to facilitate the expedient delivery of high-priority goods.
If your organization has other types of freight vehicles in its fleet, you may need to use multiple load boards. You can use one load board to book shipments for your box trucks and a separate board to arrange jobs for your standard semi-trucks.
What Is the Average Cost For a Box Truck Load Board?
The exact cost of load boards for box trucks will vary from provider to provider. Some load boards are completely free to use. However, the free versions of these boards will only include a handful of features and may limit the number of load searches you can conduct.
To access more comprehensive data and tools, you must sign up for a subscription. Entry-level load board subscriptions are typically less than $50 per month. Conversely, more dynamic plans can cost upwards of $150 or more.
Things To Consider With Load Boards for Box Trucks
When searching for the best load boards for box trucks, you should consider all of the following factors:
Contract Length
Virtually every load board provider uses a tiered subscription model. Cheaper plans only include basic features, whereas more costly subscriptions provide robust tools.
Most load board providers offer month-to-month contracts. However, some providers will offer substantial discounts if you pay for an entire year of access to their load board. If you find a great provider, you may want to consider opting for a year-long subscription, as it can help you save some cash.
Daily Loads
Before signing up for a load board subscription, it is important to know how many loads the platform typically features on an average day. Ideally, you’ll want a board with a big number of daily loads, meaning you will have plenty of jobs to choose from throughout the week.
Costs Involved
Generally, load boards for box trucks only charge a flat monthly subscription fee. However, you should also be wary of cancellation charges or hidden fees. Carefully read each load board provider’s terms and conditions before signing up.
Trustworthiness of Brokers and Shippers
The best load boards for box trucks provide detailed information about shippers and brokers. Top options include shipper and broker reviews, credit ratings, and other data that will help you vet prospective clients before accepting jobs.
Additional Features
Some load boards, such as a few options included in our top 5 list, offer features like these four:
- Spot market rates
- Real-time load searches
- IFTA fuel tax calculators
- Mileage and map tools
These features and tools can help you operate more efficiently and maximize profitability when accepting loads.
Choosing the Best LTL Load Boards For Box Trucks
As you can see, there are plenty of options out there when searching for load boards for box trucks. That said, there may not be a single option that works the best for everyone.
So, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each option in order to ensure that you are selecting the option that aligns with your needs the most. More specifically, you should focus on factors like pricing, contract lengths, and the number of features that a platform offers.
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