What is a freight exchange?

In the USA: what is a load board?

In US trucking the same thing is called a load board: brokers and shippers post loads with the lane, pickup date, equipment and rate, and carriers, owner-operators and dispatchers search them by state, equipment and date. The carrier calls or messages the broker, agrees the rate and gets a rate confirmation before pickup.

• USA load board
• Freight glossary

How a freight exchange works

Many exchanges also run a vehicle board (in German Laderaumbörse) where carriers post free trucks for shippers to find.

1. A shipper, broker or forwarder posts a load: pickup and delivery, dates, vehicle type, weight and often a rate.
2. Carriers search and filter the loads by lane, date and equipment.
3. The carrier contacts the poster, they agree a price, and the transport contract is made between them.

Who uses one

• Carriers and owner-operators looking for loads, especially return loads.
• Freight brokers and forwarders who need carriers for their customers’ shipments.
• Shippers who post directly instead of going through a broker.
• Dispatchers who find work for several trucks.

Freight exchange, load board, freight marketplace

The terms overlap. “Load board” is the usual name in North America; “freight exchange” is common in Europe and the UK. “Freight marketplace” is a broader word that can also cover platforms that set the price and book the truck themselves.

Example: GigFreight

GigFreight is an online freight load board (freight exchange) where freight brokers and shippers post truck loads and carriers, owner-operators and dispatchers find them, in Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and Turkey.

Broker and shipper contact details on a load are shown only to members with a fully paid, active subscription. A trial gives access to the platform but not to load contact details.

Frequently asked questions