Load boards — DAT vs Truckstop vs the free ones

The three boards worth paying for

1. 1DAT One (formerly DAT Load Board) — the biggest, most active board, industry standard.
2. 2Truckstop.com — smaller than DAT but sometimes has loads DAT doesn't.
3. 3123Loadboard — cheaper, decent for regional and box truck loads specifically.

Free boards (Loadsmart, Convoy, PostEverywhere aggregators) are worth checking but shouldn't be your primary source. Free = crowded and slow.

DAT — pricing and features

DAT has 3 tiers as of 2026:

For a single-truck new MC: DAT One Pro is worth it. The rate view alone will make you back the $195 in a week of correct negotiation.

Truckstop — pricing and features

Truckstop has multiple tiers as well, roughly:

• Basic Load Board: $39/mo
• Load Board Pro: $149/mo
• Load Board Enterprise: $349/mo (with negotiation tools, factoring integration)

Truckstop's negotiation tool (RateChecker + Book It Now) is genuinely good but less inventory than DAT. Only pay for it if DAT alone isn't feeding your truck.

The filters that save 2 hours a day

Regardless of platform, set these filters and save them as "presets":

• Equipment type: Straight truck 26' (or "S" on DAT), sometimes also "V" (Van) if you'll haul dry van freight in your box.
• Radius from your origin: start with 100mi, expand to 200mi if slow.
• Maximum age: 2 hours. Old loads are usually gone or ghost.
• Full loads only: filter out LTL/partial for now.
• Rate ≥ your minimum: if your minimum is $2.00/mi, filter out lower.
• Broker MC / credit score: DAT shows credit scores. Filter out anything below 80.

Save 4–6 preset searches for your common origins.

How to spot ghost loads

"Ghost loads" are postings that:

• Have been reposted 20+ times over weeks
• Broker never answers the phone
• Broker offers 20% below market
• Broker requires immediate COI upload before any rate discussion

Signs a load is a ghost:

• Posted more than 4 hours ago
• Rate is well below DAT's market rate for that lane (RateView will show this)
• Broker's MC has < 3 years of history and > 20 complaints on Carrier411
• "Rate: Best Offer" with no floor

Just skip. Don't waste calls on these.

The rate view — the killer feature

DAT RateView shows you:

• 7-day and 30-day average rate for a lane
• High, low, and average
• Miles for that lane

Never take a load below the 30-day average without a strong reason (empty backhaul avoidance, dedicated relationship builder, etc.). Brokers know the average too. Ask for it.

Real example — Chicago → Nashville, dry van, 470 mi:

• DAT RateView 30-day avg: $2.15/mi = $1,010
• 7-day trend: rising
• Broker offers you $850 flat.
• You counter: "DAT shows $2.15 average on this lane. I need $1,050 or $2.23/mi."
• Broker usually meets in middle at $950–$1,000.

If you accepted the $850, you left $150 on the table. Over a year of loads that's $15,000+ in lost revenue.

The daily load board rhythm

Successful load-board operators aren't glued to it — they check on a rhythm:

1. 16:00 AM: first pass, check overnight postings. Book anything obviously good.
2. 29:00 AM: second pass, brokers are in office, quality goes up.
3. 311:30 AM–1:00 PM: third pass, brokers pushing to move loads before end of day.
4. 43:00–4:00 PM: last pass, distressed loads (broker needs to cover before EOD, higher rates).

Don't scroll the board all day. Wastes 3–4 hours you could be driving.

123Loadboard — the underdog for box trucks

$45/mo, has a genuine box truck / straight truck filter, and many small brokers post here first. Worth trying free for 10 days.

Free boards worth checking

• Loadsmart — free app, decent for spot loads
• Convoy (RIP as a standalone, folded into Flexport but still has some carrier tools)
• Trucker Path Load Board — free, tied to Trucker Path Pro
• Uber Freight — free, easy app, some brokers exclusive to this

Check these while you have coffee. Don't rely on them.

The 3-load rule for new brokers

When calling a broker for the first time:

• Load 1 with a new broker: get it done cleanly, POD in same day, invoice next morning.
• Load 2 with same broker: you're on their preferred list.
• Load 3+: they call you first before posting.

Every broker you turn into a repeat is worth $50k–$200k in annual revenue over 5 years. Treat every first load like an audition.

Action items

• Sign up for DAT One Pro free trial
• Build 4 preset searches for your common origins
• Bookmark Carrier411.com for broker credit checks
• Set daily reminders for the 4 check-in times
• After each load, log the broker's contact + rate to a Google Sheet — this becomes your Rolodex

Next: Direct shippers — how to bypass brokers and keep the 15% cut.