The objective of every trucking business is to secure quality loads. The good thing about using load boards is that they make it easy to get load faster. If you are starting out in this business, they can be ideal in making your business rolling.
Most new truckers usually have fixed budgets and using load boards free service can be a great idea since it will save them money. The LTL as well as TL loads are the common types of these boards. These free online matching systems are also updated regularly. Some of the posts you can access include loads for reefer, containerized and flatbed. Plus, loads for dry box freight also available.
There are very many free load boards. There are no fees or charges required. Many people confuse load boards that offer free trial memberships and those ones that are totally free. Those ones that offer free trial memberships will let you use their services for free in a while and if you think they are appropriate for you, you can sign up for your preferred plan.
Is investing in free load boards a good idea? This is the question every owner-operator keeps asking. Well, answering this question isn’t easy. These boards act as tools for accelerating your business growth. They are very cheap and simple to use. You cannot rely on free boards to find loads or contracts in long-term basis. Also, finding high paying loads with free boards isn’t easy.
Most of the load boards free service lack a number of useful features you can access on paid boards. Quality usually come at a price. As mentioned previously, there are a number of loadboards that provide free trials. After trying one for a specific time, you can compare it with the free options available and decide on one that you think is appropriate for your business.
One of the major drawbacks of using free load boards is that their loads are shared with other platforms. It means many boards will be posting the same thing. This trickle down to finding loads they pay less and since many truckers are also using these free services, there will be a lot of competition. The paid boards offer great features and you will have access to well-paying loads and since only a handful of truckers these boards, competition is less.
In a trucking business, you will come across brokers as well as shippers who don’t make payments on time and this can adversely affect the daily operation of your business. To improve cash flow, you need a reliable source of funding. The good thing about working with paid boards is that they have developed paternships with factoring companies that finance freight loads. If you have enough funding, you will be able to buy fuels or pay for other expenses that are essential for your daily operations. Some of the free boards also have poor customer service. For your freight business to be successful, you need loadboards with great customer care service.