Arriving in Style: A Luxury Transportation Blog

If you own a cargo van, you probably already take advantage of this piece of transportation and all it has to offer. Cargo vans have enough space to carry a load and usually get good gas mileage on long hauls. Therefore, they are an ideal vehicle if you are looking to get into the carrier business as a professional who transports goods from one location to the next.

Load boards are the easiest way to find available loads that need a carrier. These online listings are designed to match you up with people or businesses that have something they need to be transported. Here are a few things you probably want to know about load boards as a new cargo van carrier. 

What information is listed on a load board?

Most load boards are designed to make it as easy as possible for carriers to find a load and shippers to find a carrier. When you initially look at a load board, you will see a list of shipments, where that shipment needs to be picked up, how many miles it will need to go, and how much the shipment weighs. You should also have the ability to narrow down the results on the load board by mileage, weight, or location. 

What is a hot-shot load board?

A hotshot load board is the same thing as a load board, but the loads listed will be a high priority. This means that the loads listed must be delivered in a set time frame or they have to be delivered in a hurry. Because hot shot loads for cargo van carriers are time-sensitive, there is a potential to make really good money with these loads. You can charge a little more than usual because of the time restraint, and most shippers will be willing to pay it because they have such a dire need to get their shipment to its destination. 

How do you know what to charge for a load?

Some load boards will have actual payments listed, which will be a general guideline of what the shipper is willing to pay a carrier to get their item delivered. However, if you are left to make a bid on a load, there are a few factors you can figure in to help you track down a fair price. Consider the miles that will be driven, how long the trip will take, and the weight of the load before entering a bid. 

For more information, contact a company like My Virtual Fleet.