What Load board do you prefer? Why?

With a phone call or just stopping in and selling yourself to them as a carrier.
You will do far better if you can get some direct customers instead of dealing with brokers in general.

 

I don't have my own numbers. I would think talking to companies around a industrial park would be good. I am curious as to how much a company pays to sell a load and what the skim is between us, the broker and the shipper.

 

Certainly a lot of variation in pricing depending on who the shipper is, what they need done, where it needs to go, when it needs to be there.
I'm in direct at a few places that also use brokers. Sometimes I'll call on posted stuff (that I've already turned down from the shipper) to see what kind of rates they are paying out. I'm friends with a couple of the shipping clerks, and sometimes they'll show me the emails from different brokers and what they quote.
Some I've seen working on as little as $25 a load. Others are 30%. Some are more, some are less.
Now before all you supertruckers get excited: the brokers only pulling $25 a load have wildly cheap pricing to begin with. They don't get the work most times anyway because they can't get a truck for the prices they offer.

 

Seriously?? This was a serious thought of yours??

 

Internet Truckstop. But only when absolutely needed.......to fill out a missing link somewhere. Most of my loads are for my own customers. CHR, LS, Coyote......all on there as well.

 

On the topic of load boards.. Do many loads on the boards require trucks that are 5 year or less old or 10.. Whatever number.

I have a dream of buying an old truck and running the road.

 

No-one gives a rat's rear end how old your tractor is. With dry van freight some will not load a trailer older than 10, 9 years or sometimes even less. However, that does not mean go out and buy a brand new trailer the day after you apply for your authority or lease on somewhere requiring you have your own trailer.

If working mostly off load boards in all likelihood, especially as depressed as spot market freight is right now, you will never run across a load with those age requirements. Some people claim they never do. If you start running across a significant amount of freight like that paying well enough it might make sense to buy newer.

As things heat up and more and more freight goes out to the spot market you might see some loads like that but again many drivers never do. Some industries where it is prevalent would be paper/roll stock loads or automotive freight especially if a unionized customer. With regards to an older tractor you better be willing to pick up a wrench as much as possible or expenses could eat you alive.

 

Does anybody get the $ 135 option from Internet truck stop?

 

I think any money spent above the most basic load board subscriptions is money down the toilet for most one truck guys. $130 for premier acount with ITS and over $200 for DAT is really not necessary. I see even less value in them with freight at the levels it is now. They will tout access to more and better info and perhaps even quicker access to loads popping up. Your own wits and instincts with freight are where you get your best value. Best part is that's free you just have to invest time and effort. Seeing a load pop up a minute earlier because you have premier access - well you are basically seeing the same garbage I will see only you see it sooner. That can be of marginal value when you want to quickly book a back haul but for money loads? What is the value in that? If a market is tight you will #### sure know it and you don't have to be paying an expensive subscription to figure it out either.

 

I use Truckstop and DAT, it seems like loads hit Dat first and then go to ITS if they have not been covered, but at the same time there are loads which go to Truckstop and never show up on DAT. So yeah, I prefer to use both at the same time.