Carriers are inundated with many ways of finding freight. They can utilize traditional brokers, digital brokers, freight boards or connect directly with shippers to get the freight they need, fill trucks and keep drivers moving. With all these available options, carriers must weigh the pros and cons to make the best decisions for their business.
Working with traditional brokers – and to some extent digital brokers – can mean constant negotiation with an agent, with varying degrees of success and communication. Freight boards can be hit or miss as well, requiring carriers to call or email, only to find themselves dealing with a broker. Often, freight posted to load boards are “problem loads” – loads that brokers either don’t have carriers lined up for beforehand or lanes and/or freight that their core carriers refuse to haul (for whatever reason). Going directly to a shipper helps the carrier, but it’s not always the easiest option because shippers typically try to limit the number of carriers they must onboard, qualify and manage for their operations.
Now there’s another option: Loadshop is the digital freight marketplace that helps carriers fill their trucks – and keep their trucks full – while solving several major issues.
First, shippers set their own prices using Loadshop. This lets the carrier know they’re getting full transparency of what the shipper’s willing to pay without having to negotiate the best rate they can with a broker. With full transparency of the transaction, carriers can make the best financial decisions for their needs. Typically, this also means carriers do better on rate without someone else taking a bite out of the middle (as with a broker), while shippers also benefit dealing directly with carriers.
Loadshop is also very easy for carriers to use. Once they spot a load on the platform, they can quickly book it with just a few mouse clicks. The load then comes off the marketplace immediately and a notification is sent to both the carrier and the shipper. This puts the carrier in direct contact with the shipper, creating new efficiencies while developing new relationships.
These benefits combine for an excellent user experience.
“If a load is still visible in [Loadshop], we can confidently know that our time spent working to try to cover that load will not be in haste,” Amy Fink from Mercer Transportation said. “We love the real-time freight availability and believe it has been a driving factor in our success this year. We are guaranteed that our time will be spent efficiently when working on covering freight on [Loadshop].”
Making it easier on the carrier also means more freight gets moved for the shipper. Loadshop was built on this mutually beneficial cycle to create, facilitate and execute freight for both shippers and carriers, with total transparency on both sides.
But efficiency isn’t just about knowing that the loads on Loadshop are good to go and shipper direct. Loadshop helps keep carriers updated via email notification when freight matches their needs without tethering them to an app or website.
As Fink said, “Receiving the text and email favorites the second our preferred lanes drop is very helpful.”
This keeps the carrier informed of freight that matches their network. Shippers also know that all carriers who have expressed interest in that lane see their freight with an equal chance to service it – not just the ones selected by a broker or an algorithm designed by a broker.
Loadshop is a growing digital freight marketplace that continues to expand its capabilities while driving efficiency and transparency for both shippers and carriers. By making it easier for carriers to keep their networks full and move freight, Loadshop helps shippers execute their day-to-day business, all with reduced friction and cost.
To learn more about what Loadshop can offer your operation, visit Loadshop.com.