How To Post Loads Free

What Are Load Boards?

Quite simply, they are giant online bulletin boards. Truckers and carriers search these boards for loads — both full and LTL — to line up backhauls or fill otherwise empty trucks.

On the other end, brokers, shippers, and intermediaries go to the sites and enter load information (often for free), along with their contact information. The searching carriers will call the contact phone number if they want the posted load. From there, the carrier and shipper or freight broker conduct business as usual.

Moving just a few more freight loads can make a big difference in your bottom line, so access to more carriers gives you more opportunity to cover loads quickly. There are dozens of different sites, many with specialties. Most are general use, covering standard van, flatbed, and reefer loads, as well as more specialized equipment types. Internet load boards (also called online freight matching services) can help you cover more loads, and most offer free load posting.

What Information Do I Have to Enter?

The most common required items are the origin and destination city/states, pickup date, suitable equipment types, and whether it's a full or partial load. Most load boards will accept more information — delivery date, mileage, rate, and so on. Almost all have a comment field for special requirements. You also enter your contact name and phone number so carriers can respond.

A typical load posting might look like this to a carrier searching a load board:

Origin	Destination	Pickup Date	Full/LTL	Trailer Type	Company	Phone #	Comment
Seattle, WA	Oakland, CA	6/12/2019	Full	F/SD	ABC Brokers	1-800-555-1234	Needs Tarps

Translation: a full load for a flatbed or step deck from Seattle, WA to Oakland, CA with a pickup date of June 12th; call ABC Brokers at 1-800-555-1234. Tarps are required for this load.

How Do I Get Started?

Most sites require an account to post your loads, even if the account is free. Usually you can register online and start posting immediately. Some load boards require you to submit an application prior to posting.

Pick one or two sites first and try them out — but remember each site is different. Don't be put off by searching fees, subscriptions, and additional feature charges. Many sites make money by charging members to search, or by providing automatic load matching and other services. Look past all that for a "Brokers Post for Free" link, often near the bottom of the page, or go through the sign-up process and look for the "Free Posting-Only Account" option.

Doft is one of the easiest ways to start posting your freight on a trucking load board for free. Sign up for a free load-posting account and post your loads in minutes.