Category: Freight Loads

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Freight Loads Trucker News

Need to Find Loads? Choose the best Load Board!

As an owner-operator, you know you need to find loads to haul. Your business is based on running as many loaded miles as you can in order to maximize your profits and mileage. One great way to find loads is through online freight matching services, also known as load boards. These websites can save you a lot of time hunting down work, so you can spend your time earning money.

There are scores of load boards to choose from, so the trick is to find one that matches your needs so you aren’t wasting time and money.

1. Low cost

Make sure you find a freight matching service that fits within your budget. A good load board will pay for itself after a few loads.

2. User-friendly interface

Is the load board user-friendly? Look for an intuitive interface, so you don’t waste time searching for loads, posting your truck or using other value-added features.

3. Free trial

Look for a load board that offers a free trial, so you can test it to see if it suits your needs. Be weary of a load board that does not offer a free trial.

4. Mobile apps

When you’re on the go, you need a freight match service that offers the same access on your phone or tablet as what you can see on your computer.

The most popular load boards offer mobile apps that can be used while you’re on the road and away from your laptop. One of the most popular mobile load board apps is available for free download at:

  • iOS App
  • Android App

5. Find Loads with Load Board Notifications

You’ll want to use a board that sends load alerts 24/7 to your phone or email address, so you never miss an opportunity.

6. Free load posting for brokers

When it’s easier for brokers to post loads, more truckloads will be listed, offering you greater opportunities.

7. Value-added features including Quick Pay

Some load boards provide load planners, credit ratings/scores, mileage/routing and free corporate websites at no additional cost.

8.) SEARCH ANY TYPE OF TRAILER

When you are searching for a load, be aware if you select ONLY one trailer type, you will be eliminating trailer loads that have been posted that can go on several different kinds of trailers. For example, if you search ONLY UTILITY trailer, you will not see loads that can be hauled on a utility trailer or a gooseneck trailer.

9.) REVERSE SEARCH

It is always better to be in a market that has more loads leaving than coming in. Leave the origin blank and include the city names that you are searching for in the destination. Then run the search and compare the inbound loads versus outbound loads. This is an easy way to see what the market looks like where you are or where you are headed so you can avoid deadheading.

10.) DO NOT OVERBOOK

Pay attention to the size of the load and the distance of the haul. You don’t want to take on more than you can handle, and then you have limited space on your trailer for loads you can already committed to hauling.

11.) USE MULTIPLE LOAD BOARDS

You do not want to put all your eggs in one basket. If you sign up for more than one load board, it can help you get the best load. One load board does not have all the information you need. Consider using a variety of load boards so you can keep delivering loads and making money.

12.) BE PATIENT

You are not going to stumble upon the right load immediately. Sometimes it might take you an hour before you find the right one. That is just the way it works, but it is important to not get frustrated. The right load will come about eventually.

Call or Click to get 50% OFF for the First Month

Rightnowloads.com
24/7 Dispatching Service 888-852-4238
[email protected]

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Freight Loads

App-Enabled Freight Platforms Help Small Carriers Find Loads, Boost Efficiency

Large fleets typically have been the first to benefit from the spread of technology in trucking, but digital freight brokers are working to extend some of the same advantages to smaller carriers and independent drivers. Companies such as Convoy, Uber Freight and Transfix have introduced app-based freight platforms designed to make it easier and faster for small carriers to find and book loads and handle much of their business on their smartphones. These digital freight networks still are relatively new to the industry, but they have attracted significant support from investors. Armstrong Associates estimates that freight load-matching startups have drawn about $455 million in funding since 2011, said Haley O’Donnell, an analyst at the research firm.

The investment comes at a time when small carriers and owner-operators are in high demand as the transportation industry contends with tight freight capacity. I think digital freight-matching companies are taking note and really trying to cater to a solid, consistent driver base,” O’Donnell said, adding that the technology can streamline communication and drivers can benefit from quick, intuitive, user-friendly interfaces. “The companies that have been listening to drivers and testing out driver-friendly services are on the right track.” Bob Chappuis, senior operations manager for Uber Freight, said that as the market tightens, connecting shippers with drivers becomes even more valuable. Uber Freight also provides drivers with upfront information on a load’s rate. “Most brokerage firms would refuse to provide a known or transparent rate to the driver,” Chappuis said, adding that Uber Freight sets the price for a load based on supply dynamics.

Amir Shaw, an owner-operator based in Cameron, Texas, started using Uber Freight about a year ago and now uses it to book 90% of his loads. “We don’t want to not be able to make money on a Saturday or Sunday because the broker isn’t answering the phone.” Digital freight brokers such as Uber Freight have designed their technology primarily for small carriers and owner-operators. (Uber Freight) Shaw said he appreciates the upfront information the app provides, as opposed to negotiating with a broker for freight listed on a load board. “That means you’re leaving money on the table.” Besides rates, freight-matching apps typically provide detailed information on each load. “Before I book a load, I know what the load is and if it’s loaded on a pallet or if it is floor-loaded,” Shaw said of Uber Freight. “Knowing the information gives you an opportunity to look at a load on a case-by-case basis and know if it is a good load or a bad load.” Uber Freight aims to pay drivers in less than seven days with no fee.

Call or Click to get 50% OFF for the First Month

Rightnowloads.com
24/7 Dispatching Service 888-852-4238
[email protected]

Source : https://www.ttnews.com/

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Freight Loads

Brokers face a more complex decision-making process when putting customers on the rails

As George Abernathy, the chief revenue officer of FreightWaves—and a former president of Transplace, which was represented on the panel by Tom Sanderson, its executive chairman—said, truck traffic that would be “overflow” generally was “handed off to intermodal.” “But that is not as available today,” he said., said if a shipper wanting to use intermodal had not booked some sort of dedicated rail capacity in the current market, they would be looking at spot rates that are up almost 50% year-on-year.
The question, though, is whether a shipper that traditionally has been dependent upon truckload movement can be flipped to moving the business to intermodal if a broker seeks to do that. A broker might tell a shipper that they can convert a truckload shipper to rail and “save them a couple of hundred bucks,” but as the discussion on the panel made clear, a switch to the rails shouldn’t be pursued just for that small savings.
With the recent problems on the rails, even with higher fuel prices and light truck markets, some shippers are moving away from rail and back to trucks. Gore said conversions earlier this year to rail from the road were a “fairly easy sale.” But in the last three months, as rail service stagnated or got worse while trucking rates stabilized—albeit at high levels—transitioning back to the road from the rails was “a little easier for us.”Sanderson noted one area where intermodal has a clear advantage: international business, primarily into Mexico.
The miles traveled are long and getting across the border is a lot easier for a train than a number of trucks. The work of a broker in the intermodal business is far more complex than what that role must do to put a truck on the road. As Menzel said, “many brokers and third parties today don’t have the knowledge of all the moving parts.” It can become a particular problem when detention and demurrage charges pile up at a rate far greater than one might encounter in the trucking side of the transport. “Customers like to receive them even less than we like to pass it on,” LaForge said. Any discussion of brokerage inevitably turns to a question: as technology advances, what’s going to become of voice brokers, whether they’re booking intermodal or a straight truckload run? Evan Armstrong, the moderator of the panel and the president of consulting firm Armstrong & Associates, which specializes in work related to brokerage, said all the focus on apps and digital tools that pass the broker are overlooking the possible role of artificial intelligence. And a lot of that AI is already an existing brokerage house and not in the hot startups being funded by Silicon Valley. Armstrong told of one AI developer that is working with mid-sized brokers—he did not identify it by name—that can read unformatted email truck lists and unformatted emails from shippers requesting trucks in certain lanes and can do it to as much as 98% accuracy.

Call or Click to get 50% OFF for the First Month

Rightnowloads.com
24/7 Dispatching Service 888-852-4238
[email protected]

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Carriers Freight Loads Newbies

Available Truck Drivers by State

Right Now Loads.com (RNL) has the most features to offer on one website for 1 low monthly fee. “Right Now” means connecting you instantly with thousands of trucking companies, freight loads, truck drivers and Owner Operators nationwide. Freight Brokers, Freight Forwarders, Carriers, Shippers and anyone trying to get into the transportation industry for the first time can benefit from this powerful and easy to use website. Our special features are unmatched on the internet and are the backend that drives RNL to the top of the internet freight matching industry.

There are tens of thousands of carriers operating in the United States alone. As well as tens of thousands of truck drivers and Owner Operators looking for work. RNL provides an internet link between the two with over 45,000 transportation contacts in our database. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers direct contact with trucking companies, freight forwarders, freight carriers and shippers nationwide via email, phone or fax, with our online load matching service. Our real time freight load database is easy to use for Freight Brokers. It is a requirement for Freight Brokers to have an online freight matching service software to find carriers for their customers. Freight Brokers get the best of both worlds, because they have access to trucking companies nationwide as well as a huge database of truck drivers and owner operators looking for available freight loads. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers an easy way to obtain cargo insurance with nationwide cargo insurance affiliates ready to provide liability and cargo insurance certificates. Our online advertisement specials are the best offer on the internet, with customizable banner ads displayed to thousands of monthly visitors. All of these features are included with your monthly membership.

Most importantly our online load matching system is extremely easy to use. Our website is designed for owner-operators to find work fast and get on the road. Our user-friendly web interface makes it fast to find exactly what you are looking for whether your a freight broker, owner operator, truck driver, shipper, freight forwarder or carrier. Some of our special features include cell phone text messaging of an available truckload or requesting a truck lane to be filled. All searches can be printed in a print-friendly format, and all searches can be downloaded into an excel format. All listings are integrated into mapquest for easy pin-point directions and mileage calculations. This is extremely important for owner-operators budgeting their trip. We supply owner operators with WiFi Hot Spots and Gas Stations and Truck Stops that are equipped with internet access so you can find loads anywhere and avoid having deadhead miles.

We acquire loads from freight brokers, freight forwarders and our affiliates with major trucking companies nationwide. We are an internet source of transportation information and our main goal is to make a user-friendly, knowledgeable, and safe network of members sharing trucking information, loads, freight questions and answers and expand your business off one another. Best of all, this information is available to users 24/7/365 for the lowest monthly fee on the internet! You can’t go wrong. Join us today and experience the power of Right Now Loads.com

Rightnowloads.com
 24/7 Dispatching Service 888-852-4238
[email protected]
Call to avail 50% OFF for the First Month

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Freight Loads Lifestyle Owner Operators Trucker News

How To Find Truck Loads for Owner Operators

Find freight loads and truck lanes online. RightNowLoads.com is designed to provide instant communication between truck driver recruiters and owner operators seeking trucking jobs. In addition, RNL.com provides online freight matching service so freight brokers and Owner Operators will never travel with deadhead miles. Together provide an efficient low cost way to increase sales, and revenue. Making Right Now Loads the only webiste in it’s class

Right Now Loads.com (RNL) has the most features to offer on one website for 1 low monthly fee. “Right Now” means connecting you instantly with thousands of trucking companies, freight loads, truck drivers and Owner Operators nationwide. Freight Brokers, Freight Forwarders, Carriers, Shippers and anyone trying to get into the transportation industry for the first time can benefit from this powerful and easy to use website. Our special features are unmatched on the internet and are the backend that drives RNL to the top of the internet freight matching industry.

There are tens of thousands of carriers operating in the United States alone. As well as tens of thousands of truck drivers and Owner Operators looking for work. RNL provides an internet link between the two with over 45,000 transportation contacts in our database. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers direct contact with trucking companies, freight forwarders, freight carriers, Load Brokers and shippers nationwide via email, phone or fax, with our online load matching service. Our real time freight load database is easy to use for Freight Brokers. It is a requirement for Freight Brokers to have an online freight matching service software to find carriers for their customers. Freight Brokers get the best of both worlds, because they have access to trucking companies nationwide as well as a huge database of truck drivers and owner operators looking for available freight loads. We offer Owner Operators and Truck Drivers an easy way to obtain cargo insurance with nationwide cargo insurance affiliates ready to provide liability and cargo insurance certificates. Our online advertisement specials are the best offer on the internet, with customizable banner ads displayed to thousands of monthly visitors. All of these features are included with your monthly membership.

Most importantly our online load matching system is extremely easy to use. Our website is designed for owner operators to find work fast and get on the road. Our user friendly web interface makes it fast to find exactly what you are looking for weather your a freight broker, owner operator, truck driver, shipper, freight forwarder or carrier. Some of our special features include cell phone text messaging of an available truck load or requesting a truck lane to be filled. All searches can be printed in a print friendly format, and all searches can be downloaded into an excel format. All listings are integrated into mapquest for easy pin-point directions and mileage calculations. This is extremely important for owner operators budgeting their trip. We supply owner operators with WiFi Hot Spots and Gas Stations and Truck Stops that are equipped with internet access so you can find loads anywhere and avoid having deadhead miles.

We acquire loads from freight brokers, freight forwarders and our affiliates with major trucking companies nationwide. We are an internet source of transportation information and our main goal is to make a user friendly, knowledgeable, and safe network of members sharing trucking information, loads, freight questions and answers and expand your business off one another. Best of all, this information is available to users 24/7/365 for the lowest monthly fee on the internet! You can’t go wrong. Join us toady and experience the power of Right Now Loads.com

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Freight Loads

Flatbed Trucking Jobs

Flatbed trucks are versatile options for transporting outsize loads and items needing little or no protection from the elements. A major advantage of the flatbed truck is it allows offloading without the need for a loading dock, and from any side or from overhead. This allows cranes and forklifts easy access to lift and remove material. The flatbed truck also offers many different job opportunities for truckers, ranging from over-the-road long hauls to local short-drive deliveries.

Oversize Loads
Oversize loads are any material exceeding the width of the flatbed trailer and certain prescribed heights determined by the U.S. Department Of Transportation. Flatbed trucking is useful for moving completed large industrial machine components, constructed structures such as generator houses or small office units, and various building materials. Moving oversize loads involves strict attention to traffic conditions and plenty of clearance when turning, passing and going under and over bridges and viaducts.

Local Delivery
Flatbed trucking for local delivery means getting material to construction sites, homes and businesses. With a flatbed truck, you can make local deliveries and return in less than one business day. An additional skill often needed for the local delivery flatbed driver is operating a forklift with the flatbed truck. The driver can move pallets of material to different locations and quickly offload the cargo with the forklift.

Long Haul
Long-haul flatbed trucking usually involves any distance requiring more than one day to complete. Long-haul flatbed trucking can involve anything from oversize loads to just a small pallet of material requiring expedited delivery. Just as with oversize loads, the advantage of shipping by flatbed is easier offloading when the cargo arrives at its destination. Whether by machine or by hand, having access to all sides of the cargo makes it easier to remove the material quickly and safely.

Lowboy
Lowboy flatbed trucks are used as vehicle transports and often as an alternative to a tow truck. Lowboy flatbeds have hydraulically assisted beds that lift and move from front to back. With an attached power winch, the lowboy can quickly load cars, trucks and industrial machinery. The lowboy offers the advantage of being able to load and unload itself with no additional machinery. Lowboy operator jobs involve training not only in how to drive the lowboy, but also in how to secure and move various pieces of related equipment.

Safety
As with any trucking job, the most important factor in flatbed trucking is safety. Adhering to accepted rules of the road and local laws and regulations is paramount for the truck driver. In any trucking job, including flatbed trucking, the truck’s safe operation is crucial to getting the cargo, the truck, the driver and everyone else on the road to their destinations without incident.

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Freight Loads Trucker News

What Can an OTR Driver Deduct on Taxes?

Over-the-road (OTR) truck drivers can take advantage of numerous deductions related to their job. Employees can deduct ordinary and necessary job expenses when filling out income tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These deductions include anything that has to do with your business of being an OTR employee that is a common and acceptable expense for your trade. If your company reimburses any expense, you cannot claim it on your taxes.

Office Expenses
Your truck is your office if you are an OTR driver. Typical office supplies deductions include pens, paper clips, folders and envelopes. Also deduct any fees for making copies of your paperwork and postage if you must mail your paperwork to your employer. If you subscribe to any trucking magazines, you can deduct the subscription fees. Deduct business-related cell phone expenses and any long-distance charges from a landline from your taxes. You can also deduct any business-related Internet access charges, including air cards and charges from a truck stop Internet kiosk.

Truck Expenses
Even if your company owns your truck, you can deduct any expenses that you have because of it this includes your citizens band radio, stereo and speakers and if you have them your television and refrigerator. Your truck cleaning supplies are deductible as well as cab curtains and mattresses for your sleeper rig. If you purchase chrome items to place on your company truck, you can deduct the cost from your taxes. Tarps, straps and load locks are also deductible unless you receive reimbursement.

Personal Expenses
Uniforms, special footwear such as steel toed boots and laundry cleaning expenses are deductible. Deduct commercial driver’s license renewal fees and doctor’s fees for your Department of Transportation medical physical. You can deduct the fees for showers and motels while on the road. Prescription glasses are deductible, as is the cost of any nonprescription sunglasses. As of 2012, OTR drivers can claim a $59 per day per diem for any full days they are on the road. You must count the days you leave and the days you return as partial days and prorate your per diem. Retain your logbooks with your tax records for proof of your per diem deduction.

Considerations
Keep all of your receipts for items you buy for your job, truck or self to substantiate your deduction claims in the event of an audit. You must retain records for a minimum of three years, and in certain circumstances, indefinitely. Keep copies of your W-2 forms until you begin receiving Social Security in case the IRS incorrectly documents your wages. The IRS does not specify how you must keep your records, but it recommends that you sort them by year in a manner that will make retrieval of certain records simple.

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Freight Loads Owner Operators

Step-by-Step Instructions for Using Load Boards for Freight

Truckers use online load boards to plan their trips according to the best profit potential. The boards allow load bearers to post their payloads on various sites for free with the required delivery dates and price then truckers scan the site for cargo, their delivery prices, deadlines and contact information. Truckers can also fill in gaps in their trips while on the road, at Wi-Fi hotspots or even via 3G smart phones, by logging in to their load boards and monitoring available jobs along their routes.

Sign up for load boards with a good reputation among your fellow truckers . Log on to the sites regularly. Some of these services cost about $40 a month or more; others are free but may not offer as broad a range of jobs where you need them.

Plan the major legs of your trips as far in advance as possible. You may need to be in, say, Houston on Friday morning for a half trailer of bananas bound for Cleveland. In this example, scan the sites for northbound cargo in Houston or on your way to Houston to fill up you trailer to capacity.

Click “Find Loads” or “Loads” on your load board site(s). Fill out as many fields as possible on the resulting search page. Select your origin and destination cities and states, as well as the desired radius from those locations. Many sites also allow you to arrange your results in a variety of ways, such as by pickup date or weight. Fill in these fields.

Type pickup and delivery dates into the subsequent search fields, as well as minimum and maximum weights, to fine-tune your search. the sites will often require other information, such as trailer type and payload size. Click “Search” once you’ve finished filling out your search template.

Broaden your search before you abandon your quest and hop to another load board. Select other origin cities along your route to other payloads you’ve already arranged, leave either your origin or destination fields blank, or choose to browse by region if your particular site allows it.

Scroll down the results page, looking for jobs that align with your trailer size, weight limits, origins and destinations.

Scroll across in the entries for jobs that look promising to access the company’s phone number. Call them to arrange the details of the job.

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Carriers Freight Loads

Test a Load Board

A load board is an interface device that works in between the IC under-test and the test head of the automated test equipment. The purpose of the load board is to provide mechanical and electrical interface between these two devices. It is extremely important that a load board be tested to see if there are any problems in its connections. There are three main methods to test the devices, which vary in effort, time, and money put into the test. Choose the one that is best for you and your situation.

Perform a manual verification test. To do this, you will need to use an ohmmeter to check for any shorts or opens between the test socket-to-IC contacts and the PCB to ATE connections. This method is, however, very limited. It will save you some money if your load board deals with a low amount of contacts (under 50); it is on the flip side not very practical for load boards that happen to feature a large amount of contacts (100 or more).

Use the same expensive device that you employ when testing your ATE to test the load board, whatever that may be. This method is the least desirable out of all the options as it is very expensive and inefficient. It can also waste a large amount of your test resources, which will then consequently impair your ability to test your ATE. You may also need to write some special software to test the board. Avoid this method if possible.

Take the test out of your hands. Employ a dedicated load board testing system. This method is your best bet as it will save you the greatest amount of money and time. It is also much more reliable than any form of manual testing that you undertake. This test measures leakage currents and resistance to confirm that the load board does not have any shorts or opens in its circuitry. One system that is especially noted for its abilities is the Cerprobe BOSS Load Board Test System, which measures not only for the shorts and opens but also a variety of other factors. Find a group in your own town that can perform this test for you and let them take care of it.

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Freight Loads

Logistics Company

Logistics companies specialize in the organization, storage, transportation and delivery of their clients’ products. Lean manufacturing companies will outsource the logistics function to decrease costs and increase efficiency in their supply chains. As more companies realize the benefit of operating lean and outsourcing non-core competencies, the demand for logistics service providers will no doubt continue to increase. Knowing how to start a logistics company is the first step to entering this exciting industry.

Determine the specific logistics services that you will offer your clients. Logistics companies can provide a range of specialized services, including storage, trucking, shipping by sea, air transportation, shipping through the mail and integrated supply chain technology management. Choose services that you are experienced with personally, and those that will give you a competitive advantage over competitors in the marketplace.

Register your business in your state. The process for registering your business varies by state, and according to how you plan to organize your business. Contact the Secretary of State’s office in your state to determine the exact filing requirements and fees for your business. Ask the Secretary of State’s office whether the transportation and shipping industries require specialized licenses in your state, as well.

Obtain start-up funds. Logistics companies with a transportation focus generally cannot bootstrap their start-up; significant amounts of money or credit are needed upfront for vehicles, facilities, technology and other equipment. Create a business plan, and present your business model to lenders and investors to obtain the money you need to buy your initial equipment. Consider bringing a partner or two into the business to increase the debt-free resources brought to the table, as well.

Purchase the equipment your suite of services calls for. Purchase enough vehicles and storage space to handle the volume that you expect for the first few years; do not try to start out too small or you may have trouble gaining momentum in the logistics industry. Purchase enough equipment to be able to simultaneously serve several customers at once in the beginning.

Implement supply-chain-management technology. Logistics-management software can help you to track exactly which items from which clients are on which vehicles, as well as show you exactly where each shipment is via satellite tracking. Install long-range communication technology for your drivers, such as CB radios or cellphones, to stay in contact at all times. Implement Radio Frequency Identification tracking technology to gain further control over your shipments, storage and products in the pipeline.