Every trucking company, from a single owner-operator to a 200-truck fleet, faces the same core problem every single day: keeping trucks loaded with freight that pays. There's no single right answer for how to do this, and most successful carriers end up using a blend of channels rather than relying on just one.
Understanding how each channel actually works, and what it costs in money, time, or margin given up, helps a new or growing carrier build a freight-finding strategy that doesn't leave trucks sitting empty.
In This Guide
1. The Four Main Channels
Most trucking companies find freight through some combination of four channels: digital load boards, freight brokers, direct relationships with shippers, and third-party dispatch services. Each has a different cost structure, a different amount of effort required, and a different ceiling on how much it can grow a business.
2. Load Boards
Load boards like DAT and Truckstop are online marketplaces where brokers and shippers post available loads and carriers bid on or book them directly. A typical subscription runs $40 to $150 per month depending on the plan and features, and gives instant visibility into thousands of available loads nationwide at any given moment.
Load boards are the fastest way for a new carrier to start hauling, since there's no relationship-building required before the first load. The tradeoff is that load board freight is often the most price-competitive, since every carrier on the platform can see and bid on the same loads.
3. Freight Brokers
Freight brokers act as intermediaries between shippers and carriers, taking on the sales and credit-risk work of finding shippers in exchange for a margin, typically in the 5% to 10% range of the load's total rate, sometimes more. Many carriers build ongoing relationships with a handful of trusted brokers who call them directly with loads rather than posting everything to a public board.
Not every broker pays reliably or on time. Checking a broker's credit rating and payment history before hauling for them the first time, something covered in our guide on vetting a freight broker, protects a carrier from the common problem of hauling a load and then waiting months to get paid.
4. Direct Shipper Relationships
The most valuable freight, in terms of margin kept by the carrier, usually comes from direct relationships with shippers, cutting out the broker's margin entirely. Building these relationships takes time and usually starts with cold outreach to manufacturers, distributors, or retailers who regularly ship freight in a carrier's preferred lanes.
Direct shipper relationships are also the hardest to build from zero, since most shippers prefer working with carriers who already have a track record, equipment capacity, and insurance limits that meet their requirements. New carriers often spend their first year or two building toward this channel while leaning more heavily on brokers and load boards in the meantime.
5. Dispatch Services
A dispatch service finds and negotiates loads on a carrier's behalf, usually for a percentage of each load's rate, letting an owner-operator focus on driving rather than sales calls and load board searching. This works well for solo drivers who find the sales side of the business the most time-consuming part, though it does give up some margin compared to self-dispatching.
6. Building the Right Mix
Most established carriers end up with a mix: a load board subscription as a reliable fallback, two or three trusted brokers who call with regular freight, and a growing handful of direct shipper relationships as the business matures. New carriers in their first several months typically lean heavily on load boards simply because they haven't had time yet to build broker or shipper relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way for a new trucking company to find freight?
A load board subscription is typically the fastest way to start hauling, since it requires no prior relationship with a broker or shipper. Carriers can see and book available loads the same day they sign up.
Do freight brokers take a big cut?
Broker margins typically run in the 5% to 10% range of a load's total rate, though this varies by broker, lane, and market conditions. Building direct shipper relationships over time is the main way carriers reduce how much freight moves through brokers.
Is a dispatch service worth the cost?
For solo owner-operators who find sales calls and load searching the most time-consuming part of the business, a dispatch service's percentage fee is often worth trading for more time behind the wheel. Larger fleets with dedicated office staff often self-dispatch instead.
This guide is for informational purposes. Regulations, fees, and requirements change — always verify current information directly with the FMCSA, your state DOT, and qualified professional advisors before making business decisions.