If you own a trucking company or are an independent trucker, you are well aware that the trucking and transportation industry is a profitable business that has steady growth potential. As our economy fluctuates, one thing remains certain – the need to transport goods and haul items across the country. As long as people are buying and selling merchandise, there will be a need for a trucking company to haul it.
Finding loads to haul can be frustrating, however, for truck drivers and trucking companies that are relatively new to the industry. The only way to stay afloat and make a profit is by finding freight that needs to be hauled. There are a few ways that one can find this information. Checking load boards or freight boards on the Internet is the most common – and easiest – way to do it. There are many reputable and respected load boards that can provide you with the hauling jobs your trucking company needs to grow your business.
Far too often, truckers will take on the responsibility of transporting a load from one location to another, only to have to return to their home base with no freight in the trailer. By using Internet load boards, truckers can search for goods that need to be hauled in any direction that they can carry it. For example, a truck driver transports a load from Cleveland, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. Instead of traveling back to Cleveland with an empty trailer, the truck driver can log into a load board and find someone from the Richmond area who needs inventory hauled to Ohio. Freight boards allow a trucking company to maximize profits by eliminated so-called “deadhead” trips, where the trucker returns home without carrying a load and doesn’t earn any money.
Using freight brokers is a more traditional way of finding loads. Finding freight brokers who are well established will help you find loads quickly. They will help you with the necessary paperwork and other documentation that is needed. Freight brokers are a great resource to use when you need to find work. They have connections throughout the trucking and transportation industry, and will match your hauling potential with the right company. They will make sure you get paid and are a great resource for repeat business. Once you become a regular with a freight broker, they will recommend your services for more transportation jobs.
Using these resources to grow your trucking business is a smart way to find work and maximize profits. If it seems like all the best loads are passing you by, try connecting with a freight broker or grabbing a few jobs from load boards. The more you haul, the more your business – and reputation – grows. With the right clients and the right connections, your trucking company will become successful in no time.
