Whats the best load board out here ?

I hear you driver. ...

 

Why are they the best, if you don't mind explaining please and thank u....

 

^^^ Exactly. 100%

 

The one with the most loads posted of course

 

I've been able to #### near double my profits using 123 load board instead of Dat. It costs less and you can organize by the rate per mile. I'll spend an hour clicking on each post on Dat and hovering over the total rate trying to find a descent rate per mile with low deadhead and all I come across is ####ty $2 a mile freight and the occasional $3 a mile. Mean while I jump on 123 and set it to highest rate per mile. Find a $4 to $5 a mile load, check out the credit score and call them up. I'll have a load found in 30 seconds, have a carrier packet setup in 20mins and be on my way. Dat gets all this credit since they have the most advertising and they're the 1st ones to come up on Google. But if more people knew how to use 123 load board then I think the tables would turn. I find way better paying freight, higher scoring brokers, less head ache, and I can look at the load availability and follow the spot market just like I could with Dat and it cost $65 less a month

 

The Best Load Board out there is the one that most easily helps you form relationships with the shippers and not the broker. Use the DAT Load Board to deal initially with Brokers, and use the Brokers as the middle man (like they use you) to get into contact and form relationships with the shippers DIRECTLY. Additionally, about 5% of the loads on DAT are non-brokered. Make note of these. These are special loads. I don't care if they post for 2 bucks per mile, this doesn't mean you take the load, but you should take down the shippers information and call them and form a relationship with them, because after you form that relationship, the loads you take in the future with that shipper will be far beyond 2 bucks per mile when the broker is cut out of the equation.

 

Most carrier packets I have filled out, clearly state that you are not to go directly to the brokers customer. This violates the terms of the contract . Would u ever get caught, probably not. But if you did, I could imagine it would end up in court.

 

That's absolutely true. You can't by law go to the customers......but the keyword is immediately. You certainly can in the future, which is why it's critical for new O/O's, in my opinion only, to make a spread sheet of all customers you work with in the first 6 months. After 6 months, you have that customers information and that's when you make in roads 9-12 months later. Non-compete clauses have an expiration date, they by law, can't be forever.

 

Make sure you read your carrier packet. Not only are you not allowed to contact them directly for twelve months, but the carrier packet automatically renews every year until you cancel it. So you'd need to cancel the contract, and then go after the freight.

 

I respectfully disagree. I have no interest in direct customers. At first I thought I would but a few years in to this, NO thanks. I actually have 2 right now. Both friends. They always call me when I'm busy and/or whenever it's otherwise inconvenient. No direct freight equals less responsibility. I have enough responsibility already running my one truck operation.

Everybody's situation is different. A lot of people here are looking to grow. Not me. I want to maintain.

I use DAT personally. I might check out 123 loadboard again.