Six Different Types of Load Boards

Being in the logistics industry means having to sometimes use load boards to support your shipping business. There are several kinds of load boards to choose from, so continue reading to learn more!

What Are Load Boards?

A load board is an online marketplace, or platform, used by freight companies as it helps connect shippers and carriers, such as truck owner-operators and freight brokers, and enables cargo delivery opportunities.

Load boards allow shippers to list available shipments for carriers to pick up as well as search for loads that they themselves can transport. You can also view an estimate of much it would cost to ship these loads, varying by distance and price offer.

Sometimes you'd need to pay to post and accept loads on a load board, but companies like DAT Solutions and FreightWaves offer free load boards. Accessing a load board can be done via PC and mobile apps.

How Does a Load Board Operate?

A load board allows you to post available loads to reach potential customers. Once posted, it becomes available to anyone searching for something similar. Carriers can view posted loads and select one they are capable of shipping.

Using a load board to list all your available loads would allow others to do the shipping work for you.

Both the shipper and the carrier benefit from using load boards because it allows each party to save money while moving freight around the country.

What Are the Six Different Types of Load Boards?

With load boards being an important tool in freight transportation, there are various types to accommodate the different kinds of logistic companies and loads, such as short-haul, flatbed, and cross-border.

1. Traditional load boards

Traditional load board sites provide basic information such as origin, destination, pickup date, drop-off date, weight, dimensions, etc. These sites usually don't charge, and you can easily set up a free account to access the load board.

However, traditional load boards can have some disadvantages. For example, they often do not show prices, don't always display current availability, and are sometimes difficult to navigate.

Traditional load board providers include DAT Solutions and FreightWaves. These companies offer traditional load boards where you can post and find loads. Some offer information about local carriers, while others focus on national carriers.

2. Less-than-truckload (LTL) load boards

LTL is where the size of a shipment, or load, by one shipper is not enough to fill a trailer truck, so it is combined with other shipments from other shippers to maximize the trailer truck's capacity.

Another term that can be used is 'hotshot,' which is where a smaller truck is hired on a 'for hire basis by other trailers to support the delivery of small shipments.

Therefore, LTL load boards are similar to traditional ones, except they are geared toward smaller shipments.

LTL companies like FedEx Freight, UPS Ground, DHL Global Mail, USPS Priority Mail, and TNT Express operate LTL load boards. These sites give you access to carrier rates, capacity, and availability. They also provide pricing tools that help you compare shipping options.

3. Unconventional load boards

Unconventional load boards are used for miscellaneous loads that may not be unsuitable for LTL or hotshot carriers, which can include:

• Palletized loads.
• Refrigerated loads.
• Heavy machinery.
• Household goods.
• Electronics.
• Construction materials.
• Medical equipment.

In other words, these are very niched and, therefore, can require special handling. In addition, most of these load boards are operated by independent third parties and require registration and payment in advance.

4. Free load boards

Load boards are online marketplaces where truckers and brokers connect to find loads. They range from free to premium, depending on what features you choose.

Some load boards are completely accessible free of charge. Free load boards are a good way to test how well a site works without spending any cash. You can use them to see whether people are actually finding your load postings.

Suppose you are wondering why you may be seeing a lot of advertisements on the load board you are using. In that case, free load board owners often generate revenue via ads or product placement, while others run their load boards as a value-added service for their freight clients.

5. Paid load boards

Online paid load board services usually cost between $50 and $200 per month and include extra features.

Premium load boards tend to offer better features like tracking tools, messaging systems, and price negotiation tools as you would have to pay a subscription fee or one-time payment to utilize these. Such features help you manage your inventory more efficiently and increase revenue.

A major advantage of using a paid load board service is that it eliminates the extensive overlap among most free services. In other words, if you find yourself constantly returning to the same load post after reading another one, then using a paid load board could help give you clearer load posts that don't repeat.

6. Specialized load boards

This kind of load board offers dedicated loads for specific types of shipping methods. You can tell if a load board is 'specialized' when it states that it contains loads for flatbed trucks only, for example.

A load board site that gives you limited options can also be deemed as 'specialized'-- like when you can only see loads that can only be transported by a sprinter van, cargo van, or straight truck.

The major benefit of this load board is that if you only have one type of transport method, which affects the types of loads that you can transport, or if you are looking for a particular type of carrier for your load, your search would be quickly narrowed down.

Conclusion

Load boards are online marketplaces to connect shippers and carriers. There are six types of load boards: traditional, less-than-truckload, unconventional, free, paid, and specialized.

While A1 Auto Transport is not a load board in itself, we partner with various industry load boards to help you post loads or find a load online easily.

If you found this article useful and are keen to learn more, check out our website for more!