Posting your truck to load boards - Is it effective?

Depends on how you do business.

I stay posted up on ITS for a variety of equipment in the area in which I operate (listing my base as where I'm available).

I won't say I get a ton of calls, but my postings are pretty specific.

I do still get the daily call from TQL and PLS offering stuff I'd never consider going to places I'd never go. Also I put no TQL no PLS in my posting, so....

I have regular work and just use load board work to fill in: if you are in this same scenario, you're better off posting your truck and responding to calls from folks who may have something that would work for you. Calling random brokers who are trying to stick it to carriers outside of their element won't work well if you are operating within an established environment with regular customers.

When the broker calls you: you are in the position of strength. If you are calling brokers: they are in the position of strength.

 

Seems the only calls I got were from cheap brokers looking to pawn cheap loads like TQL.
I did manage to catch them at a desperate time a few times tho when they were left holding the bag just an hour from load time and I happened to be in the right place. Named my price and did the load.
For the most part tho it did no good.

 

It depends, if the area is busy with not many trucks, than you can post and get a good deal out of it. If it's slow, I don't even bother. Lately the only way to score a good load is to make a call and reach broker first. Good loads usually get booked now on the first call.

 

This.

When they call on your post, they are doing the work to actively get a load covered versus leaving it out there waiting to hook a low enough rate. Usually something they've got to cover right now, either a last minute order or one that another carrier came off of for some reason.

You will also get offers from brokers that never, ever post anything on the load board listings. Usually because they never have to. If something comes up and they need an unknown carrier, they'll go to the truck posts and be picky versus dealing with whatever happens to call in on a post.

Then once in a while I'll get a call on something I'd never even have looked at. Weird routing, crummy end points, you name it. My favorite phrase is, "I really don't want to be there. What can you do to make me like it more?"

 

I'm guessing you're just assuming this due to the ratio of posted loads to apparently posted trucks. Like when you click into the analysis tools on ITS.

When I visit my main broker, they all have trucks available screens up in tabs next to the loads they have posted. When they get an offer from their shipper, the first thing they do is see if anyone they know and like is in the area before posting the load offer to the main list. It's what I'd do if I was doing that.

Which is why I laugh a little when someone says they never post their truck for not wanting to be bothered, or to be only reaching out on specific loads in a search. Even if it's not a match, that broker will remember that you answered the phone and at least considered the offer. They'll call again sometime with one that works.

Of course your reputation, safety score, and time in business matter. Someone new or not that good will only get TQL calls on a posted truck.

 

This is actually a very good post, I did not think about it that way. Will start posting all the time now and see what happens

 

Not really effective at all.....

I don't post my truck because when I did, The only calls I'd get was freight nobody wanted because of the LANE..Let alone the rate.

Example: I'd post my truck in Philadelphia or Newrak or Baltimore or Hartford etc Looking ONLY for Illinois,Indiana Freight.... I'd Get Birds Chirping or a few calls from brokers that can't read asking me if Im interested in a Newark,NJ up to Boston or something of that nature.

Or I'll be in Oklahoma or Texas, Same thing....Birds chirping or a few that can't read.."I've gotr a Dallas to Cheyenne or Fargo or Phoenix...... LORD Help these folks!

Fact is, Its too competitive, Too many trucks wanting inbound Midwest freight....And guys with seniority like myself has to deal with scrapple left over from the broker community? Not on my watch.... Loadboards are not a useful Tool anymore, They really aren't.

My inbound Chicago Moves are in part of my own sweat n blood... Brokers are really useless to me

 

I'm not saying that never happens to me. It does. Really not much worse than calling on loads that don't exist or are somewhere else. At least I'm out there when I do post, on the chance someone I know or like happens to be looking at the right time to cover a decent one.

 

I've found it depends on the market. If I post my truck as available in California, the phone rings off the hook. Post it for an inbound load to California, nobody ever calls. Same thing for Florida when the produce is moving.