Like many carriers and owner operators, you may be interested in running spot market freight in order to take advantage of historically high rates. If you think that load boards are your only option for finding spot market loads, however, think again. There are more efficient and less expensive ways to find (and book) spot market loads than with load boards. With Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now®, you can quickly find and book loads with your favorite brokers. Both tools are included in Trucker Tools’ free driver app and in our free software platform for carriers. Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now® reduce the number of phone calls and email messages you receive from freight brokers and provide you with access to loads that you won’t find elsewhere.
Read on to learn how Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now® benefit owner operators and carriers like you.
Fresh Load Data You Can Trust
One of the major drawbacks of load board technology is that the load information is often outdated. When you find a load on a load board, you don’t know if it’s truly available. It may be available, or it may have already been taken by another owner operator or carrier. Another possibility is that there isn’t a real load at all and the shipper or broker is posting an imaginary load to get a sense of what rates are in that particular lane. Ultimately, using load boards can be time-intensive and frustrating.
Your time is valuable, which is why we’ve made it as easy as possible for you to find and book loads with your favorite brokers. Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now® are integrated with the transportation management software used by freight brokers. What that means for you as an owner operator or carrier is that you won’t see phantom or ghost loads when you search for loads with the Trucker Tools driver app or free carrier platform. When a load is booked in the broker’s TMS, it’s automatically removed from the driver app and carrier platform.
Find, Book Loads Faster
Finding and booking loads with Trucker Tools’ driver app or free carrier platform is much faster than using traditional load boards. You can search for loads by pickup and delivery locations, date and time, regions and states, and by load type (reefer, dry van, flatbed, etc.) You even can save your searches for future use. Each load listed in your search results includes the number of deadhead miles on the load, available reloads, the broker’s name and contact information, the load type, and pickup/delivery dates and times.
When you find a load that you like, simply tap on Show Interest in the Trucker Tools driver app or Quote in Trucker Tools’ free carrier platform to submit your rate quote. Doing so will send the broker your quote through the app, which means you don’t have to make a phone call to submit a rate quote. Some of the loads that you’ll see in the app/carrier platform may be labeled as Book It Now® loads. Book It Now® loads include the broker’s rate and can be booked immediately through Trucker Tools’ driver app or carrier platform. Both Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now® greatly reduce the amount of time needed to find and quote/book a load.
Note: you must request permission from brokers/3PLs to see their loads in Trucker Tools’ driver app or free carrier platform. Trucker Tools does not set broker rates and does not charge any per load transaction fees.
24/7 Access To Your Favorite Brokers’ Loads
Another benefit of using Trucker Tools’ load search and Book It Now® is that you can search for, quote on and/or book loads 24 hours/day and seven days/week. As an owner operator or carrier dispatcher, you often work long hours or hours outside the typical nine to five schedule. Having 24/7 access to broker loads gives you added flexibility that allows you to find and book loads at times that are most convenient for you. You don’t have to wait for a freight broker’s office to open or wait for a call back.
It’s also easy to find and book reloads with Trucker Tools’ driver app and carrier platform, which saves you time and helps you reduce deadhead miles. Each load in your load search results includes backhaul options based on the latest data. You also can filter your search results by the number of reloads available. When you book a Book It Now® load, you receive an automated email confirming the appointment and providing you with more information on backhauls, as well.
To learn more about the newest release of our free carrier portal, read Trucker Tools Launches New Version of Free Software Platform for Carriers.
To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
