If you have a pickup truck and gooseneck trailer and are looking for some free hot shot load boards for your trucking business, you are in the right place.
In this article, I am going to cover 6 of the best free load boards out there, including key information about each board what makes it distinct from others. I will also include a bonus option at the end, which I think offers a compelling trial offer.
We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and complete a transaction, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
What is a Gooseneck Trailer?
If you’re here, you probably already know what a gooseneck trailer is, but in case you don’t, it’s basically a type of trailer that attaches to a pickup truck. It has a long, curved neck where other trailers might have a simple hitch and attaches to the bed of a pickup truck.
Because the gooseneck hitch overlaps with the bed of your pickup and centers the weight on the pickup’s rear wheels, rather than the bumper, these types of trailer typically offer superior stability and allow you to more safely carry heavier cargo.
What is a Hot Shot Business?
Ok, we’ve covered goosenecks. Now let’s talk briefly about hot shot trucking so we are all on the same page.
A hot shot trucking business is a business where you haul smaller loads (less-than-truckload or LTL) that are often critical and time-sensitive. For example, when construction companies need something urgently (i.e., a piece of equipment broke down, etc.), a hot shot trucker gets the job done quickly and on short notice.
These types of loads can provide some nice opportunistic extra income for the truck owner-operator or trucking business owner. Hot shot truckers deliver a wide range of cargo, including refrigerated items, manufacturing cargo, agricultural and construction equipment and materials, and much more.
Hot shot drivers typically operate heavy duty pick-up trucks with trailers (including gooseneck trailers), but can also drive larger vehicles. That being said, Class 8 semis are rare for hot shot loads and these vehicles are usually reserved for larger long distance loads.
If you want to learn more about how to start a hot shot business, check out my full article on the topic. It takes you through the process step-by-step and also includes additional ways to find loads (other than load boards).
Ok, now that we’ve sorted out the introductory stuff, let’s dive into our list of free hot shot load boards for people who have gooseneck trailers.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and complete a transaction, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy or invest, and it is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. You should seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any investment or other decisions relating to the topics covered by this article.
Best Free Hot Shot Load Boards for Goose Neck Trailers
1. Trucker Path
Trucker Path is perhaps one of the most popular free load boards out there.
Aside from its amazing price (you can’t beat free), it’s simple to use.
You just go on their website and search for hot shot loads. It’s important to note that you get a limited number of searches per day, but you can upgrade your account to a paid account and get more robust features, as well as access to the best loads.
If you want to check them out, here is the link to their website.
2. Shiply
Shiply is another free load board that you can access.
They have a really interesting and different business model.
You won’t be charged any fees to access their load board. But they will tack on their fee when you actually book a load. That way, you don’t pay them unless you actually book a load with them. Seems like a pretty low risk option and one worth exploring.
They offer a wide variety of loads, but their website specifically mentions hot shot loads, so they are definitely catering to hot shot operators. You will just need to make sure that the hot shot loads you find are appropriate for a gooseneck (obviously, that’s true for all load boards).
If you want to learn more about using Shiply to find free hot shot loads, check out their website here.
3. Uship
Another free load board that uses this type of pay-as-you-go pricing structure is Uship. One of they key advantages of using Uship is that you have access to a wide variety of freight available for hot shot operators (so whether you have a pickup and gooseneck trailer, box truck or other type of vehicle, there may be options for you).
They also have tools that allow you to set your rate, schedule and routes. Plus, you can even market your trucking business to potential shippers by filling out a carrier profile. This allows people to search for you and find reviews and ratings for your business.
4. FR8Star
FR8Star is a free hot shot load board that has some interesting features.
They allow you to filter and find the exact type of load you are looking for. They also provide messaging capability so you can easily communicate with shippers. You can also use their chat feature, which will connect you to FR8Star’s customer support if you run into snags along the way.
I also like how they show average line haul rates for the month, including price per mile for hot shot loads. You can see it here.
5. Freight Finder
Freight Finder is next on the the list. Now this one appears to be a bit more straightforward, easy to use, and no frills.
You can go to their website and simply type in the type of load you are looking for. There is, of course, a “hot shot” option that is part of the drop down menu. You then put in the date and route information and you can explore what pops up.
When I ran a search, there weren’t nearly as many options as with some of the bigger paid load boards, but hey’ it’s free, so it doesn’t hurt to check it out.
6. Free Freight Search
On their homepage, these guys claim to be “The World’s Largest Free Load Board.” They boast that over 132,000 carriers and brokers use their platform. Bear in mind that in order to get access to their load board, you need to register through their website, so you can’t play around and see the types of loads they have without doing that.
They do offer unlimited access to their load boards and freight broker credit reports, which is nice, because for some of the paid boards, you need to shell out extra to get broker credit reports.
You can use this platform to get the broker credit reports and then pay a lower fee on one of the paid load boards because you don’t need access to the credit reports.
Bonus Option
When it comes to load boards, DAT is a clear market leader, with nearly 900,000 loads posted daily (including tons of hot shot truck loads as well). If you are finding slim pickings among the free load boards, you may want to consider trying one of the best paid load boards out there.
Because of their size and scope, they also have leading edge tech and info, including unlimited searching, instant alarm match notifications, broker credit scores, days to pay, market rates, mileage routing and much more.
Now, as I mentioned, the drawback here is that they are a paid platform, but I have negotiated a special deal with them so that my readers can get the first 30 days free, regardless of the plan they choose.
There are no long terms contracts, so you can stop at any time.
If you are interested, just click on the banner below to take advantage of this no-risk offer. After all, you get to try out this industry-leading load board for a full month for free. I would note that this deal is only for new DAT subscribers.
Conclusion
So there you have it – 9 great load boards you can check out to get more hot shot loads for your gooseneck trailer. If you want to learn more about ways to make money with your pickup truck, check out my article on How to Make Money With a Pickup Truck [9 Ideas that Work].
