An alternative path to working for a shipping company, often the first step into business ownership for many truckers, is being an owner-operator. As an owner-operator, you have the autonomy to operate your own trucking business, accepting available loads at the best possible price.
And one of the most essential components to being a successful owner-operator is investing in a load board. A load board connects truckers with shippers and brokers to transport vehicles from private customers, auction houses, dealerships, and more to their final destination.
Choosing the right load board for your operation makes the process easier, but success hinges on picking a solution that meets your needs. This article explores load boards for owner-operators and dives into a few available options on the market.
When finding a comprehensive solution, though, only one option has all the features you need to successfully manage your owner-operator business—Super Dispatch. Super Dispatch’s Super LoadBoard is an all-in-one tool that is an invaluable partner for your operation.
The Role of Load Boards for Owner-Operators
As an owner-operator, you wear many hats. On the owner’s part, you must constantly look for ways to maximize efficiency and profitability. On the operator’s part, you look for ways to make the job more manageable and less stressful.
Owner-operators turn to load boards to make their jobs easier, which offers a way to connect with shippers, open lines of communication, and track vital metrics. These features reduce driver hassle, making load boards worth implementing into your business.
A load board is a platform that truck drivers use to find available loads from shippers and brokers. It serves as a freight matching system, enabling truckers, trucking companies, and owner-operators to find their next loads and backhauls to remain as productive as possible.
Brokers, dealerships, and auction houses rely on load boards to find qualified truckers to take cars to dealerships or directly to customers. Alternatively, truckers must form independent partnerships with freight brokers, but that comes with a host of challenges for owner-operators.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Load Board
While a load board can help find loads, more goes into making a quality solution versus just another annoyance in the cab. Here are a few things you should consider when choosing the right load board for your business:
- Verified user base – A high-quality load board solution, like Super Dispatch, has a verified user base of active shippers, carriers, and brokers. For owner-operators, having a reliable source of active brokers and shippers means trusting the consistency of work, helping to reduce deadheading.
- Pricing – Owner-operators always look for ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality, and many don’t have room in the budget for expensive load boards. Owner-operators can access Super Dispatch’s platform for free via our driver app. Plus, costs related to running your business could have tax advantages, but consult your accountant.
- Functionality to cost ratio – Some load board services charge extra for features like TMS, which can stretch into hundreds of dollars monthly. Alternatively, Super Dispatch offers the Super Loadboard and TMS, packaged together for the same $55 per month, giving owner-operators unparalleled value for the dollar.
- User-friendly interface – It should be easy to perform a load search and find freight from within the load board. Truckers don’t have time to learn clunky UI and need a tool that streamlines search options, bookings, notifications, reporting, and messaging.
- Frequency of updates – Technology depends on updates to remain accurate and protected against cybersecurity threats. A high-quality load board, like the one from Super Dispatch, should receive frequent updates. In fact, Super Dispatch updates weekly!
- Reputation and reliability – Choose a load board that allows you to view reviews and broker credit scores. The ability to filter based on reputation and reliability means you can learn who you are working with and avoid potential headaches.
When finding the best load board solution, you don’t have to look further than Super Dispatch’s Super Loadboard. Super LoadBoard maximizes your productivity by enabling you to manage your auto transport freight efficiently, being available 24/7 with real-time access, supporting effortless communications, and having a verified online marketplace for confidence in partnerships.
Best Load Boards for Owner-Operators
Finding a load board that meets your needs is crucial to finding success as an owner-operator in the auto transport industry. Although free load board options exist, many charge a monthly subscription fee to unlock all possible features and access the best load options.
Here’s a look at a few popular solutions and a little about what you can expect when you partner with them:
- Super Dispatch’s Super Loadboard – This ultimate all-in-one load board solution comes complete with everything you need to manage your business as an owner-operator. Super Dispatch offers robust features, affordable pricing, and an easy-to-use app, allowing you to hit the road in no time.
- Central Dispatch – One of the most prominent names in the load board game, Central Dispatch has nearly a quarter-century of experience. The platform boasts tens of thousands of carriers, brokers, and shippers. However, expect costs to escalate quickly depending on the services you need, and there could be inactive users.
- United Road’s Haully – Haully is a more mobile-friendly app than others with a load board that services the U.S. and Canada. It sports a large volume of shippers, brokers, and carriers but is a part of the broker United Road, which could be less desirable.
- Metro/Acertus – Acertus’ MetroGistics allows users to update their own status and has 24/7 load board access for truckers. Owner-operators connect to MetroLoads to track data and instantly book loads. However, brokers also own this load board solution, which could give some owner-operators some pause.
Super Dispatch’s Super LoadBoard is an ideal solution for most owner-operators because of the centralized platform that connects truckers with shippers and brokers 24/7. Plus, get GPS tracking, powerful API integrations to automate workflows, and proactive load-matching features to maximize profit without sacrificing precious time.
Try a Super Loadboard demo today to explore the features you need to bring your trucking business to the next level of success!
Tips for Maximizing Success with Load Boards
Just because you have a load board doesn’t mean automatic success. You have to know how to put it to good use. We compiled a few tips to maximize your success when using a load board, including:
- Creating a compelling profile – Fill out as much information as possible on your TMS and provide as much visibility as possible. Creating a compelling profile can attract shippers and brokers, allowing you to build your network quickly.
- Engage in efficient communication – Swapping between text messages, phone calls, and emails creates the opportunity for missed communications. Instead, centralize your communications through an app like Super LoadBoard and ditch the distractions of other messaging options.
- Leverage included tools to manage workloads and scheduling – Eliminate manual tasks and reduce potential errors with API integrations or automation. You can use these tools to focus on more critical tasks, like building relationships and transporting vehicles.
- Explore route mapping functions – Reduce less than truckload (LTL) runs by locating loads along your current route. Pick up loads to maintain full capacity and remain as efficient as possible.
Super Dispatch’s Super Loadboard is an all-in-one solution that makes it easy to implement these tips and strategies into your daily business operations. However, Super Dispatch can help you even more with additional resources, such as the AutoTransport Co-Pilot podcast and the Super Dispatch blog. Stay updated with the latest trends in the auto transport trucking industry with Super Dispatch!
Trust Super Dispatch for Your Load Board Needs
Being a successful owner-operator means utilizing the tools available to maximize efficiency and profitability. You can streamline most of your operations using a load board, and the best load boards offer more than simply booking loads.
A high-quality load board, like Super Dispatch’s Super LoadBoard, will have messaging, route mapping, streamlined payments, advanced reporting, pricing tools, 24/7 access, load matching, powerful integrations, and intelligent marketplaces. Oh, wait. Only Super Dispatch offers all that and more, so check us out today and unlock the next level of your auto transport business.
