Best Value Load Board

Learn what features to look for when selecting a value load board and see why

DAT is the best option for every business

Introduction

As a carrier, your money matters, so you always want to get the

best possible value on every business purchase. If you don’t,

you may end up throwing money away on tools that don’t do you any good.

Your load board is one area you definitely need to get your

money’s worth. The wrong load board can lead to endless headaches and lost business opportunities, but the right one

can save you time, improve your negotiations, and much more.

By having the best value load board on your side, you can set

your business up for success from the get-go.

What is a load board?

A load board is a tool that helps match drivers and cargo quickly. These digital freight matching services allow brokers to post loads and carriers to filter through available loads. At the same time, carriers can post their trucks, and brokers to search through available trucks. Using a load board is a two-way street, so everyone can save time and energy.

Why is getting the best value load board important?

Not all load boards are created equal, so you have to find the right one — and that means searching for the best value load board. If you choose any old load board, you may spend money on something that only complicates your life or displays loads that have already been claimed.

On the other hand, the right load board can simplify your life and streamline operations. The best value load board will help you quickly find suitable cargo and provide insights into the market without breaking the bank, meaning your business can thrive. It’s a win-win.

The Features to Look For in a Best Value Load Board

Features to look for in a load board

Clearly your load board can make all the difference, but how do you find a quality load board that offers tons of value? Search for a load board with:

Lots of loads

A load board is no good if it doesn’t have plenty of loads to choose from! With a smaller load board, you’ll likely need to use multiple load boards to find the right cargo. Not only is this a time-consuming process, but it’s also confusing and even frustrating, costing you more in the long-run even if the individual boards would seem to be a better value at first glance.

On the other hand, a more extensive load board makes it easy to find the perfect load. Whether you need a particular type of cargo or have a route in mind, a larger load board means you’re more likely to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Loads where you operate

A best value load board is one with lots of loads in the areas you operate in. Do you plan on working regionally? Or, are you hoping to take cross-country trips? Some load boards are dedicated to specific regions, but others span the entire country and beyond.

In most cases, choosing a load board that features freight from across the country makes sense. After all, you never know what will happen in the future and you don’t want to have business opportunities hampered by a limited load board. For example, you may begin with hauling cargo regionally, but then decide to expand your routes as your business grows. A load board with freight from across the country will make that transition smooth, setting you up for success as your business grows.

Regular updates

It won’t matter how many loads your load board has if you can’t see them! That’s why you’ll want to find a load board with real-time updates. If you don’t, the competition will snag loads before you even see them, limiting your choices.

Out-of-date load boards equal stale data, but how often does a load board need to update to keep you competitive? We recommend looking for a load board that updates every minute or less.

Alerts and notifications

If you don’t want to pull your phone out every minute to check for load updates and handle all the accompanying anxiety, you’ll want to find a load board with alert and notification features. This way, you’ll know about any loads that match your search parameters as soon as they’re posted and can get on the road even faster without having to keep your eyes glued to your load board.

A mobile app

A mobile app makes it easy to find new freight no matter where you are or what time it is. Plus, mobile apps make receiving notifications easier than ever. With a load board that has a mobile app, all you need is an internet connection to find your next business opportunity.

Integration with other tools The best load board providers look out for carriers’ needs beyond finding cargo and ensure their load board can be integrated with other tools. By choosing a load board that is compatible with other tools, like a transportation management system (TMS), you’ll gain greater visibility and be able to control your business’ operations from a single location.

Easy-to-understand features Nothing’s worse than paying for a load board that’s so confusing you actually waste time and energy just trying to make sense of it, so make sure to find a board with an easy-to-learn system. Watch video tutorials, read forums, or sign up for a free demo for each load board you’re considering to get a feel for how easy searching and posting is.

Current market data DAT It’s impossible to make good business decisions and negotiate rates if you don’t know what’s happening in the market. You might find yourself working for less money or driving potential partners away with high prices if you don’t know the average going rate, so you need a load board with up-to-date insights on the lanes you drive that you can use to inform your negotiations.

Information on partners Value-added features

You should approach working with brokers and shippers with the same intensity you would when hiring new drivers. That is to say, you need to do your due diligence. In an ideal world, load boards are so much more than just a place for finding freight — and the good news is that some load boards provide additional features that make carriers’ lives even easier. With an excellent load board, you can find higher-paying routes, factor loads in minutes, gain insights into market conditions and brokers, want to find a load board that provides information on potential partners, such as credit and much more, so you can rise above the competition.

DAT: The best value load board for every business

If you’re looking for the best value load board in the industry, look no further! The DAT load board is a favorite among carriers — and with good reason. The DAT load board is the largest load board out there, and it has helped make countless carriers’ lives easier.

With the DAT load board, you can quickly find the right load at the right price. You can filter through the hundreds of millions of loads posted annually, 130 million of which are exclusive to DAT, to find the ones that align with your needs. You can even post your own truck to let brokers know you’re available and ready to take on loads — and there is no limit

loads & trucks posted

on searches or posts. on DAT annually

The DAT load board also includes up-to-date information on the market so you can enter negotiations confidently. Whether you need to know about spot market rates or where drivers are in high demand, the DAT load board has you covered. Our rate insights are based on $150 billion in freight transactions, meaning you can count on our data.

Need insights into potential partners? The DAT load board has you covered there as well. You can view credit scores, reviews, and average days-to-pay, enabling you to turn down business with unreliable brokers and minimize your financial risk. DAT will even credit your account if a broker refuses to pay.

Plus, you can do all this on the go with the DAT One mobile app. Combining 15 apps into a single powerful tool, DAT One is a one-stop shop for the entire freight journey. You can find and book loads, locate truck stops, view fuel price information, read reviews, and much more right from your phone.

Additionally, the DAT load board can seamlessly integrate with LoadOps’ TMS software. As a result, you can share tracking links, communicate updates with customers, and provide accurate delivery time estimates, all of which can improve your customers’ shipping experience and lead to more business down the road.

Grow your business with the best load board in the industry!

Load boards are an invaluable resource for carriers, and the DAT load board is the best of them all. Subscribing to the most trusted load board is an investment, but it’s## a worthwhile one. When you use DAT, you can access the largest selection of freight in the industry, quickly filter through loads, set up alerts, view up-to-date market rates, maximize your profit, and much more!

Subscribe to a DAT One load board plan today to discover what DAT can do for you!