Tips For Getting Better Freight Rates from Load Board

by Hervy
(North Carolina)

Here are Ways to Get More Money for Hauling Freight you find on the DAT load board. Freight rates are a matter of supply and demand. Too much capacity means more truckers than loads, and that is what we have right now generally speaking.

This tips are how I get higher rates for hauling freight. I guarantee if you use them your average pay per mile will go up!

1. Get on the load board before 8. Sure most brokers don't come in until 8am their local time. But some do come in earlier.

And if there is an important load they want to work on getting covered early, guess what, automatically they're willing to pay more to get it covered. So wake up and while your exercising, have the DAT on with alerts

2. This is tricky to some. It is...... turn down cheap freight! That's right.

If you keep taking loads for the rate that is posted. Then you'll never get higher rates. Never agree to the posted rate. Always ask for a rate high enough that they can negotiate down and it still be the posted rate. They play this game too.

So 9 times out of ten. They are already willing to pay more than the amount they have posted, if there is an amount posted.

3. Don't shut down the load board. Just because you don't see a load at 8am or 9am and the only thing that is left is terrible loads.... Don't shut down the board as if that's it!

Brokers are posting loads all day long. I've found some of my best loads around lunch time. Just before and just after.

4. Get on the load board close to end of the day. Around 3 o'clock and later is another good time to be looking for freight. Think about it, if a shipper needs to move something that came up last minute they are willing to pay more to entice a driver to haul it. They want it moved and don't have time to play games. I've found some juicy rates by doing this.

So if you're at home or need to go to the grocery story in a good high freight area, don't think because the day is almost over, you should just wait until the next day to look for a load. I've found some of my highest paying loads at the end of the the day.

The other thing about these loads is typically you get loaded quick and often unloaded quick. Because it's priority! A double win.

5. Take loads with multiple stops. Not all multiple stop loads pay like they supposed too but a lot do.

And often they are quick to come of. Think about it. Even thought there are stops and it might take 2 days to get it done. Making stops to unload is a lot quicker than some shippers and receivers with regular freight. Look at the rate and compare time expected to run the miles. You might come out ahead with rate per mile and pay over the number of hours to get it completed when you compare stop time to getting loaded and unloaded for a whole trailer.

6. Take shorter runs. My sweet spot is 150 to 250 miles. This way I can get from $4 to $24 dollars a mile. The shorter the run, the more per mile typically. No matter if a load goes 10 miles away, I won't pick it up for less than $300. $250 if it serves a purpose beyond. These loads less than 100 pay a lot more per mile but you have to consider the load and unload time. Is it worthy it? That's why there's a minimum no matter how short the run is.

So don't let the broker run the line, "It's only 20 miles" on you. You're time is valuable too. Not just the miles run.

Well there you have it guys. Let me know if you have questions, comments or more to add to my list.

Hervy Out.