Six Different Types of Load Boards

Being in the logistics industry means sometimes using shipment panels to support your shipping business. There are several kinds of haul decks to choose from, so continue reading to learn more!

What Are Load Boards?

A shipment board is an online marketplace, or platform, used by shipment companies as it helps connect shippers and carriers, such as truck owner-operators and shipment brokers, and enables cargo delivery opportunities.

Cargo panels allow shippers to list available shipments for carriers to pick up and search for cargo that they themselves can transport. You can also view an estimate of how much it would cost to ship these cargos, varying by distance and price offer.

Sometimes, you'd need to pay to post and accept cargo on a haul panel, but companies like DAT Solutions and Freight Waves offer free cargo logs. Accessing a shipment panel can be done via PC and mobile apps.

How Does a Load Board Operate?

A load panel allows you to post available cargo to reach potential customers. Once posted, it becomes available to anyone searching for something similar. Carriers can view posted cargos and select one they are capable of shipping.

Using a cargo panel to list all your available shipments would allow others to do the transportation work for you.

Using cargo planks benefits both the shipper and the carrier. It allows each party to save money while moving cargo around the country.

What Are the Six Different Types of Shipment Panels?

Shipment panels are an important tool in cargo transportation. Various types are available to accommodate different kinds of logistic companies and shipments, such as short-haul, flatbed, and cross-border.

1. Traditional haul Planks

Traditional shipment plank sites provide basic information such as origin, destination, pickup date, drop-off date, weight, dimensions, etc. These sites usually don't charge, and you can easily set up a free account to access the shipments panel.

However, classic haul planks can have some disadvantages. For example, they often do not show prices, don't always display current availability, and are sometimes difficult to navigate.

Traditional shipment board providers include DAT Solutions and FreightWaves. These companies offer standard cargo planks where you can post and find shipments. Some offer information about local carriers, while others focus on national transporters.

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2. Less-than-truckload (LTL) volume plates

LTL is where the size of a shipment, or load, by one shipper, is not enough to fill a trailer truck, so it is combined with other shipments from other shippers to maximize the trailer truck's capacity.

Another term that can be used is 'hotshot,' which refers to a smaller truck hired on a 'for hire' basis by other trailers to support the delivery of small shipments.

Therefore, LTL shipment panels are similar to classic ones, except they are geared toward smaller shipments.

LTL companies like FedEx Freight, UPS Ground, DHL Global Mail, USPS Priority Mail, and TNT Express operate LTL freight decks. These sites give you access to carrier rates, capacity, and availability. They also provide pricing tools that help you compare transportation options.

3. Unconventional shipment planks

Unconventional shipment panels are used for miscellaneous cargo that may not be unsuitable for LTL or hotshot transporters.

• , which can include:
• Palletized shipments.
• Refrigerated shipments.
• Heavy machinery.
• Household goods.
• Electronics.
• Construction materials.
• Medical equipment.

In other words, these are very niched and, therefore, can require special handling. In addition, most of these load decks are operated by independent third parties and require registration and payment in advance.

4. Exempt shipment decks

Shipment panels are online marketplaces where truckers and brokers connect to find packs. They range from free to premium, depending on what features you choose.

Some shipment panels are completely accessible without charge. Exempt cargo planks are a good way to test how well a site works without spending any cash. You can use them to see whether people are actually finding your haul postings.

Suppose you are wondering why you may be seeing a lot of advertisements on the shipment panel you are using. In that case, without charge cargo plank owners often generate revenue via ads or product placement, while others run their shipment sheets as a value-added service for their freight clients.

5. Paid haul panels

Digital paid shipment deck services usually cost between $50 and $200 per month and include extra features.

Premium haul sheets tend to offer better features like tracking tools, messaging systems, and price negotiation tools as you would have to pay a subscription fee or one-time payment to utilize these. Such features help you manage your inventory more efficiently and increase revenue.

A major advantage of using a paid shipment slab service is that it eliminates the extensive overlap among most free services. In other words, if you find yourself constantly returning to the same cargo dispatching after reading another one, then using a paid shipment board could help give you clearer load posts that don't repeat.

6. Specialized cargo panels

This kind of shipment panel offers dedicated cargo for specific transportation methods. For example, you can tell if a shipment panel is 'specialized' when it states that it contains shipments for flatbed trucks only.

A shipment plank site that gives you limited options can also be deemed 'specialized'—for example, you can only see shipments that can only be transported by a sprinter van, cargo van, or straight truck.

The major benefit of this cargo panel is that if you only have one type of transport method, which affects the kinds of shipments that you can transport, or if you are looking for a particular type of carrier for your shipments, your search would be quickly narrowed down.

Conclusion

Shipment Sheets are digital marketplaces that connect shippers and transporters.

• . There are six kinds of shipment panels: classic, less-than-truckload, unconventional, free, paid, and specialized.

While A1 Auto Transport is not a shipment panel in itself, we partner with various industry shipment panels to help you dispatch cargos or find a haul digital easily.

If you found this article useful and want to learn more, check out our website for more!