Last month, we surveyed company drivers, owner operators and carriers like you from across the country to learn more about the technology that you use to find and book your loads. Most of you who responded to our survey identified yourselves either as owner operators or carriers. We asked you what kind of freight you pull, which apps you use to find loads, how often you book loads through an app, how long it takes you to book loads and what you pay to use load boards. We also asked those of you who use Trucker Tools’ Book It Now® how long it takes you to book a load and why you like using Book It Now®. More than 150 owner operators and carriers responded to our survey. If you were one of them, thank you!
Read on to learn more about our survey results on how you find loads.
Most Pay Monthly Fees To Find Loads
Our most recent survey asked owner operators and carriers like you about the different ways that you find and book loads. Most of you told us that you use load boards, mobile apps, emails or phone calls to brokers, or a dispatcher to find and book your loads. Twenty percent of you reported that you use all of the above to find and book loads. When we asked, “Do you pay a monthly subscription fee for access to tools or apps that help you find loads?,” 67 percent of you told us that you do pay a monthly subscription fee to find loads. Of those that pay for access to loads, 43 percent of you said you pay $30 or more each month and some even said they pay as much as $265/month just to view loads.
It’s worth mentioning that you can search for and book loads with your favorite freight brokers for free using Trucker Tools’ free driver app or with Trucker Tools free carrier software platform. Keep in mind that you must request permission from freight brokers and 3PLs to see their loads in Trucker Tools’ driver app or free carrier platform. Trucker Tools does not set broker rates and does not charge any per load transaction fees.
20 Minutes To Book a Load Board Load, 10 Minutes To Book It Now® Load
Our recent survey also asked you about how long it takes you to book a load that you found on a load board. Fifty-five percent of you told us it takes you 20 minutes to book a load board load, 24 percent said 21 to 30 minutes, and 21 percent of you reported that it takes between 31 minutes and one hour or more to book a load board load. Most of you told us that you typically book load board loads in the morning, between 7:00 A.M. and noon.
We asked those of you who use Trucker Tools’ Book It Now® how long it takes you to book a load with Book It Now®. Fifty-two percent of you told us that it takes 10 minutes or less to book a Book It Now® load. To break that down further, 11 percent of you reported that it takes less than a minute to complete a Book It Now® booking, 41 percent of you said it takes one to 10 minutes, 19 percent 11 to 15 minutes, and 15 percent of you reported that it can take 20 minutes or more if you need to call the broker to discuss the rate.
Digital Load Booking Is the Future
One of the biggest takeaways from our survey is that many of you use digital load booking tools like Book It Now® on a regular basis. In fact, 76 percent of you told us that you’ve used an app to book at least one load within the last 60 days. In our survey, we asked you to look forward to the future, too. In answer to “Five years from now, loads will mostly be booked…” 64 percent of you told us that loads will be booked online or through apps five years from now. As one trucker commented, “Transportation is changing.” Another trucker told us, “It will be interesting!”
Those of you who use Trucker Tools’ Book It Now® also shared why you use our digital load booking tool. Of those who responded to our survey, 32 percent of you said that Book It Now® reduces the number of phone calls required to book a load, 31 percent of you said it takes less time to book a load with Book It Now®, 21 percent of you said you use Book It Now® because you can book loads 24 hours/day and seven days/week, and 10 percent of you reported that Book It Now® has streamlined your process for booking loads.
Check out these 10 Can’t-Live-Without Features in Trucker Tools’ New Carrier Platform. To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
