Best Load Boards For Cargo Vans [9 Free and Paid Options]

If you are looking for some great load boards for your cargo van business, you are in the right place.

In this article, we are going to cover 9 load boards you can explore to get more loads for your cargo van (and make more money in the process). I will cover both paid and free options, so I think you will find the information here relevant to you regardless of your budget.

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!

Paid Load Boards For Cargo Vans

1. DAT

When it comes to load boards, DAT is a clear market leader, with nearly 900,000 loads posted daily (including tons of cargo van loads as well).

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.

Despite their dominant place in the market, I think their pricing is reasonable and it’s actually in line with other premium paid load boards. As of this writing, DAT offers the following plans:

  • DAT TruckersEdge: Standard ($45/month) – includes unlimited truck posts and load searches, load match alarms, month to month billing, mileage and routing features, broker credit data and load counts by state.
  • DAT TruckersEdge: Enhanced ($85/month) – includes all standard features plus the ability to call and search for loads (for when you are on the road), and average rates for lanes you are searching (30 day).
  • DAT TruckersEdge: Professional ($135/month) – includes all Enhanced features plus average rates for past 15 days, access to Tri-Haul (which suggests higher paying routes with triangular route suggestions), DAT Assurance (which helps you collect past due accounts), and North American database (which includes Canadian loads)

There are higher tier plans available for companies with multiple trucks (Power Select Carrier) and multiple dispatchers (Power Office Carrier).

There are no long terms contracts, so you can stop at any time.

Check out this helpful video from DAT on how to find cargo van loads using their platform.

I have an affiliate relationship with DAT and secured a deal where if you use my link, you can get a free 30 day trial for any of their plans. So, 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 subscribers.

If you are interested, just click on the banner below to take advantage of this no-risk offer.

2. Truck Stop

Truck Stop also has a robust load board that includes loads suitable for cargo vans. Like many of the leading paid load boards out there, they have some powerful tools to help you save time.

Here are three of the key advantages they claim are available when you use their platform:

  • High volume of available cargo van loads everyday.
  • Trustworthy brokers who will work with you and pay you decent rates in a timely way.
  • Tools that assist you in negotiating the best rates (and thereby optimizing your profits).

You can access their load board by choosing among three paid options.

The most affordable plan comes in at a reasonable $39/month. The more expensive options are $125 and $149 per month, but you get access to more features, such as broker credit and days to pay information.

If you want to learn more, check out their website here.

3. 123 Load Board

123 Load Board is also a well-known load board that has an easy to use interface. They claim to have hundreds of smaller loads that may be suitable for your cargo van. You can filter by size (choose LTL) and further filter by length and weight. They also provide a nice tutorial on how to find loads on their load board.

Their pricing is as follows:

  • Standard Plan: $35 (includes access to load board, real time load alerts, website and mobile access)
  • Premium Plan: $45 (includes everything that the standard plan includes, plus mileage and maps and document capturing and storage)
  • Premium Plus: $55 (includes everything that the premium plan includes, plus enhanced mileage and maps & tolls, industry freight rates, etc.)

They offer a 10 day trial for all of their plans, so you can try them out without risk and see if their platform works for you.

4. Comfreight

Comfreight is a less well-known load board that can connect you with brokers who have access to loads. Their platform seems straightforward and relatively easy to use.

One aspect where they excel is that their technology allows cargo van operators to easily invoice their clients through their digital documents and photographs option.

Their pricing starts at $25 per month.

Free Load Boards For Cargo Vans

5. Trucker Path

You can use Trucker Path to get cargo van loads for free. You simply go on their website and search for loads (remember to check “V” for “Vans” under “Trailer Type”). You get a limited number of searches per day, but can upgrade your account to a paid account and get more robust features, as well as access to the best loads.

Most loads that I found for vans needed an upgraded paid subscription for you to unlock them, so I think you should be prepared for that.

If you want to check them out, here is the link to their website.

6. Shiply

Shiply is another free load board that you can access.

You won’t be charged any fees to access their load board. 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.

They offer a wide variety of loads, but their website specifically mentions loads for smaller vehicles, including cargo vans and sprinter vans, so they are definitely catering to these types of operators.

If you want to learn more about Shiply, check out their website here.

7 Flock Freight

These guys are a relative newcomer to the industry, but they have received a lot of attention (and venture funding) for their innovative “shared” freight model. It is basically like car-pooling for freight.

I called them to see their load boards offer loads suitable for cargo vans. They confirmed that they do, but noted that the number of those types of loads is fairly limited. They also confirmed that there is no fee to get access to their load board.

Here’s a link to their website if you want to learn more.

8. Direct Freight

Direct Freight is a well-known load board, which offers a permanent free option. You will not get access to their premium loads, but if you are looking to save some money, this can be a platform you can add to your arsenal.

According to their FAQs, the majority of the loads posted on their load board are for full size 48 or 53 foot trailers, but they do have partial loads listed as well.

To search for load(s) for smaller vehicles like cargo vans , choose all trailer types that would potentially fit your type of trailer keeping in mind that partial loads can vary from 1 pallet to 35,000 lbs. Just remember to be sure and click (LTL) partial on the load size.

If you want to get access to a larger selection of loads, you can sign up for their paid subscription, which is $34.95 per month. However, when I checked their website at the time of writing, they were offering a 15 day free trial. Go to this page and click on “Create Free Account” to see more details.

9. C.H. Robinson

C.H. Robinson is another free load board you can check out. They claim they are the largest carrier load board in North America.

Although their website is short on details, I called them and confirmed that they do offer cargo van loads and that their load board is free to use. But you will need to apply and register as a carrier with them to take advantage of their load board.

There are some basic qualifications you must meet, which are in line with what many other load boards require, including having adequate insurance coverage and safety ratings.

If you want to learn more about C.H. Robinson’s load board, check out the link to their site here.

Conclusion

So there you have it – 9 great load boards for cargo vans, with both paid and free options for you to explore.

If you are interested in other ways to get loads for your cargo van, check out my article on How to Make Money a Cargo Van, which includes 9 different strategies you can explore to make money with your cargo van.