Finding Loads When You Own Your Truck And Work Independently

One of the appealing things about owning a truck and working as an owner/operator is that you have the freedom to choose the jobs you want and can go where you want to with your truck. Being independent means finding your own loads, but using the straight truck load boards to find jobs is the best way to see what is available and decide what you will haul.

Straight Trucks And Loads

Like semi-trucks, straight trucks carry freight all over the country, but often the loads are smaller, and the load may need to be delivered faster. Straight trucks are commercial trucks with an extended frame with a cargo box attached, and most of them do not tow a trailer behind them.

The trucks have a smaller capacity, but often a straight truck can have a team of two drivers so they can run straight through the day and night for several days to make it easier to deliver freight that is needed right away. Because the loads for these trucks are smaller, they have a dedicated straight truck load board system that allows the driver to find jobs in their area or in the destination area where they are dropping off a load.

Straight Truck Load Boards

Straight truck load boards have gone digital and are accessed online, so the days of finding a place to check the load board for work are gone. The driver and co-driver can sit in a parking area at a truck stop and look at the straight truck load boards or a tablet or laptop and find work they are interested in. Once they find a load, they can contact the load broker through the app, saving them time and allowing the team to find work before arriving at a destination so they can unload, reload, and get back on the road. 

This practice allows freight to be delivered much sooner, and it will enable the straight truck team to make more money. Most straight truck load boards allow you to become a member and access more loads and through the app, and many teams will have several memberships that will enable them to search multiple straight truck load boards for work.

The job boards may specialize in the type of freight available, so for tracks set up with a sleeper that allows the team to sleep in rotation and drive through the night, finding freight that requires expedited delivery may mean going to a dedicated load board. Still, the payout for a job of that nature could be significantly higher than a standard job and allow the drivers to work fewer jobs between trips home.