Trucking is a vital industry. Companies like yours truly keep the world moving; without your assistance, food wouldn’t make it to dinner tables, drinking water would stop flowing, housing development would halt and store shelves would run dry.
Unfortunately, doing this important work isn’t always easy.
Keeping your trucking company profitable takes a steady stream of load options that fit your needs, pay you well and get you where you need to go. Maximizing your allotted hours of service each day can be tricky, though. That’s why many carriers use a load board — or multiple. . . or 50 — to search, find and select loads. These platforms also help organize a truck driver’s day, week and month, helping them line up one load after another to improve efficiency.
Today, technology exists in every area of the trucking industry — from electronic logging devices to GPS software. A testament to this, there are hundreds of load boards for you to choose from — many of them have mobile applications. Here’s a list of the best load board mobile apps this year.
The more load boards you use, the harder your job becomes. As the number of boards you use increases, the amount of attention required to protect your personal information online rises. So does the amount of time it takes to find a load; having too many load boards in rotation creates confusion and a kind of “analysis paralysis.”
Enough is enough. Today, let’s cut through the noise and find you one load board you can count on.
Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) operates a freight brokerage, ATS Logistics Services, Inc. Together with its sister company, Sureway Transportation, ATS Logistics offers a free load board service to its brokered carriers at brokeredloads.com. These loads are also bookable on our mobile app, ATS FreightMatch.
While we offer thousands of loads per day — for dry van, flatbed, specialized, heavy haul and reefer trailer types — we also recognize the extreme level of competition in this space.
To help you run a more efficient and profitable trucking business this year, we’ve listed 12 of the best load boards currently available. Some of these load boards are free, while others require a monthly or yearly subscription.
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of great load boards, these are boards that consistently offer a diversity of freight at high volumes.
These load boards are ordered based on the number of daily loads available.
12 Best Load Boards to Use as a Carrier in 2024
- DAT One
- Direct Freight Services
- 123 Loadboard
- C.H. Robinson Navisphere Carrier
- Trucker Path TruckLoads
- DOFT Load Board & Truck Loads
- Truckstop.com
- TruckSmarter
- Coyote Go
- TQL Load Board
- J.B. Hunt Carrier 360
- England Logistics Atlas Now
DAT One
If you’re at all familiar with the trucking industry, you’ve heard of DAT Freight and Analytics. DAT One is, perhaps, the largest load board in existence and is committed to helping trucking companies take their business to the next level. This is an excellent load board for companies of all sizes, though it does come with a heavier price tag.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 1,000,000+
Trustpilot Rating: 3.1/5 (22 reviews)
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.5/5 (2,300 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.5/5 (4,600 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Van, Flatbed, Reefer, Conestoga, Container, Specialized, Box Trucks, More. . .
Pricing*: $45-$295 per month
Key Features*:
- Fuel highlights
- Map-based searching
- Rate comparison
- Profit estimator
- Load-to-truck ratio data
- Lane seasonality information
- Fuel savings program
*According to dat.com.
Direct Freight Services
Direct Freight Services has a large volume of loads available every day. The vast majority of this freight is posted by brokers. They do have some loads directly from shippers though.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 300,000+
Number of Carriers: N/A
Trustpilot Rating: 2.2/5 (17 reviews)
Google Play App-Store Rating: 3.9/5 (187 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 3.6/5 (38 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Reefer, Lowboy, Hotshot, Hopper Bottom, Tanker, Container, Curtain Van, Conestoga, Power Only, Cargo Van, Box Truck, More. . .
Pricing*: There’s a free version, otherwise up to $34.95 per month
Key Features*:
- Store and send documents
- Full credit reports
- Text alerts
*According to directfreight.com.
123Loadboard
Established in 2004, 123Loadboard offers van, flatbed, reefer and hotshot loads nationwide. Using this technology, you can search for the loads you want by city and state. You’ll also benefit from fine-tuned search functionality. Since its founding, 123Loadboard has served more than 600,000 users (brokers, carriers and truck drivers).
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 150,000+
Number of Carriers*: 265,000+
Trustpilot Rating: 4.7/5 (970 reviews)
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.8/5 (4,800 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.9/5 (6,300 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Van, Flatbed, Reefer, Hotshot
Pricing*: $39-$79 per month
Key Features:
- Load planner
- Rate check estimation tool
- Routing and toll cost calculator
- Fuel card
- Backhaul finder
- City and state searching
- Quick pay program
*According to 123loadboard.com.
C.H. Robinson Navisphere Carrier
One of the world's largest freight brokerage companies, C.H. Robinson, has invested significantly in its carrier (and shipper) technologies over the past decade. Navisphere Carrier is one of these products. Use this load board to find thousands of loads, booked through C.H. Robinson.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 250,000+
Number of Carriers: 200,000+
Google Play App-Store Rating: 3.9/5 (977 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.7/5 (3,400 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Flatbed, Reefer, Van, LTL, Bulk, Power Only, Drayage
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Recommended loads
- Make rate offers
- Live chat
*According to chrobinson.com.
Trucker Path TruckLoads
Trucker Path is a digital freight-matching platform with the goal of “eliminating inefficiencies in the transportation industry.” It has more than 150,000 loads available each day and offers shipments from more than 800 brokers within the U.S. Along with its load board (and its accompanying app), Trucker Path offers a fuel path solution, GPS over-the-road maps, a fuel program and fleet management software called Trucker Path Command.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 150,000+
Number of Carriers*: 100,000+
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.3/5 (8,080 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.5/5 (2,200 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Flatbed, Van, Reefer, Stepdeck, Power Only, Auto Carrier, Box Truck, Conestoga, Container, Hopper Bottom, Hot Shot, Tanker, Lowboy, More. . .
Pricing*: There’s a free version, otherwise $239.88-$1,099.99 per year
Key Features*:
- Review broker credit scores
- View freight requirements
- Rate negotiation
- Carrier toolkit
- Backhaul loads
*According to truckerpath.com.
DOFT Load Board & Truck Loads
DOFT is a digital load-matching service founded in 2016 and offers more than 150,000 shipments within North America. DOFT is a technology company and also provides a load board service directly to shippers and brokers with an accompanying app.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 150,000+
Number of Carriers*: 250,000+
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.6/5 (1,160 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.6/5 (666 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Reefer, Van, Flatbed, LTL, Expedited, Power Only, Step Deck, Partial, More. . .
Pricing*: There’s a free version, with annual subscription programs up to $300+ per year.
Key Features*:
- 1-3 days to pay
- Fuel surcharge calculator
- Rate negotiation
- Electronic documentation
*According to doft.com.
Truckstop.com
Truckstop.com is one of the most well-known companies in the trucking industry. Founded in 1955, truckstop.com has been committed to providing technology solutions to trucking industry stakeholders for more than 25 years. Today, the truckstop load board accommodates more than 250,000 active users. This includes brokers and carriers.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 120,000+*
Number of Carriers*: N/A
Trustpilot Rating: 3.2/5 (844 reviews)
Google Play App-Store Rating (Truckstop Go): 3.1/5 (944 reviews)
iOS App-Store Rating (Truckstop Go): 4.7/5 (1,800 reviews)
Freight Type(s)*: Flatbed, Van, Reefer, Heavy Haul, Specialized, LTL, Partial
Pricing*: $39-$149/month
*According to truckstop.com.
TruckSmarter
TruckSmarter’s mission is to “Empower Truck Drivers’ Lives” by providing solutions to their most pressing issues: poor load quality, rising fuel expenses, trouble getting paid, etc. While they’re a newer company, TruckSmarter’s load board, fuel program and factoring solutions are widely used and highly regarded.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 100,000+
Number of Carriers*: 120,000+
Trustpilot Rating: 3.7/5 (1 Review)
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.7/5 (2,420 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.9/5 (5,500 ratings)
Freight Type(s): Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Power Only, Step Deck, Conestoga,
Container, Box truck, Hotshot, Car Hauling
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Fuel program
- Backhaul suggestions
- Save loads
- Auto-complete your carrier packets
- Load suggestions
- Accurate load details
*According to trucksmarter.com.
CoyoteGo
Coyote Logistics is owned by United Parcel Service (UPS) and has been a growing member of the logistics space since 2006. CoyoteGo is a carrier load board offered to every Coyote Logistics-approved carrier and offers more than 10,000 loads per day. Coyote’s mobile application, CoyoteGo, has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, giving owner-operators and fleet managers the ability to book loads from anywhere.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 10,000+
Number of Carriers*: 100,000+
Google Play App-Store Rating: 3.7/5 (6,010 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.6/5 (14,400 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Dry van, Reefer, Container, Flatbed, Step-Deck, RGN, Hotshot, Liftgate
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Submit invoices and other documents
- Integrated tech tracking
- Request accessorial and detention pay
- Coordinate routes
*According to coyote.com.
TQL Load Board
Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1997, Total Quality Logistics is one of the largest freight brokerages in the world; it made more than eight billion dollars in revenue in 2022. The TQL Loadboard offers more than 65,000 loads per week across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This load board is free for all TQL-approved carriers.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 9,000+
Number of Carriers*: 160,000+
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.8/5 (11,800 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.9/5 (23,600 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Reefer, Van, Power Only, Tanker, Hopper Bottom, Dump Truck, Auto Carrier, Flatbed, Step Deck, RGN, Double Drop, Conestoga, Team, More. . .
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Instant load booking
- Submit quotes on loads
- Filter based on city, state and radius
- Map-based search
- Fast payment options
*According to tql.com.
J.B. Hunt Carrier 360
Carrier 360 is J.B. Hunt’s carrier load board, featuring loads from its customers. This and its accompanying mobile app (which is one of the most popular mobile load boards) is great for smaller trucking companies and owner-operators looking for freight options within the U.S.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 3,000+
Trustpilot Rating: N/A
Google Play App-Store Rating: 4.1/5 (6,030 ratings)
iOS App-Store Rating: 4.5/5 (10,300 ratings)
Freight Type(s)*: Van, Flatbed, Reefer, Power Only
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Negotiation
- Fuel savings
- Free quick pay
- Load recommendations
*According to jbhunt.com.
England Logistics Atlas Now
England Logistics is a freight brokerage company that was founded in 1994.
As a brokered carrier, you gain free access to its load-board software. Atlas Now is accessible on all devices through their portal and is backed by Trucker Tools. There is no mobile app for Atlas Now and this load board has lower freight volumes than the other options on this list.
Number of Loads Available Daily*: 400+
Number of Carriers*: N/A
Google Play App-Store Rating: N/A
iOS App-Store Rating: N/A
Freight Type(s)*: Van, Reefer, Flatbed, Auto Carrier, Power Only, More. . .
Pricing*: Free
Key Features*:
- Post your capacity
- Load-matching notifications
- Fuel discounts
- Book now capabilities
*According to englandlogistics.com.
How to Pick a Load Board For Your Trucking Company
With this list of load boards, your next step is to pick one. This is easier said than done. Even with a short list like this, you’ll still need to evaluate each of them so you can decide whether they’ll fit your company’s needs.
As you explore, here are three things to think about:
1. Load Board Price
Many load boards have a price — especially if they’re not attached to a logistics company. They can usually be paid for over the year (monthly) or all at once. Often, you can get a discount by paying for a full year as opposed to once per month. Either way, you’ll want to consider how much you’ll pay to use a load board and whether it makes sense for your business. If you have slimmer margins, which was the case for many trucking companies throughout 2023, you might want to go with a cheaper option.
2. Load Board Reviews
As you try to decide on a new load board, pay attention to what other users are saying. Load boards that have a large number of poor reviews (3 stars or fewer) aren’t probably the best products. Sure, people are more apt to leave a bad review than they are a good one. That said, where there’s smoke, there’s often fire — make sure to do your research.
3. The Company Behind the Load Board
There is a business behind every load board. This could be a trucking company, freight brokerage or a technology business. Whatever the case may be, make sure the company that manages the load board you choose is stable and respectable. Look for providers with a rich history and good industry affiliations. This is particularly important when evaluating load boards operated by logistics companies (which will require you to be onboarded as a carrier).
Consider ATS Logistics’ Load Board and Mobile App!
Now you have a list of 12 load boards to consider using in 2024. You also understand the importance of considering the price, reviews of the load board and the reputation of the company behind it when choosing one.
ATS Logistics has made considerable investments in its load-board capabilities over the past decade. Most recently, we’ve released the ATS FreightMatch mobile app which provides a streamlined way to access ATS Logistics’/Sureway Transportation’s loads from your phone. Check out our available loads.
If you’re looking for a great new load board ecosystem, we’ve got you covered. Try ATS Logistics if you want:
- Access to reliable flatbed, reefer, specialized open-deck, van, LTL, PTL, hot shot and box truck freight
- The ability to negotiate on most shipments
- An app built to create efficiencies for you through in-app negotiation, comprehensive search capabilities, document scanning and more
- Priority access to freight you won’t find on any load board
- Support from an entire team of carrier representatives
- Quick payment for delivered loads
Take the next step toward becoming a trucking company that always delivers for its customers by requesting an invite to join ATS FreightMatch and becoming a brokered carrier today. It only takes 10 minutes.
