Profession guide
What DAT andTruckstop are
A load board is a dispatcher's workplace: brokers post loads here, and here they are found for a truck. Let's see which boards serve which trucks, what a posting contains and why the number on the board is not yet the rate.
01Profession guides
How a load board works
A load board is a real-time bulletin board. A broker posts a load: from where, to where, when, which truck is needed, the weight and sometimes the rate. The dispatcher filters postings for their truck and its current position, calls the broker and negotiates. Dozens of dispatchers see the same load at once, so the winner is not whoever found it first but whoever called fast and well.
DAT and Truckstop — the boards for general freight
DAT is the largest load board in the US: dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck and the other trailer types. Beyond postings it provides rate statistics by lane — that is how a dispatcher knows whether an offer is high or low.
Truckstop is the second big board with the same principle and its own broker audience. Dispatchers usually keep both: some loads appear on only one of them.
Both boards are paid and work on a carrier's or dispatcher's subscription. On the General Freight direction classes run on a live working account — you see real loads, not screenshots.
Central Dispatch and Super Dispatch — the car hauling market
Vehicles move by their own rules and have their own boards. Central Dispatch is the platform where dealers, auctions and brokers post vehicles for transport; the load is counted in cars, and a car hauler's route is assembled from several orders. Super Dispatch is the system where a dispatcher manages a car hauler's orders, inspections and paperwork.
On the Car Hauling direction we teach exactly these tools: where to find vehicles, how to build a route of 5–9 cars and how to document the inspection so there are no claims.
What a dispatcher sees in a posting
A posting is a set of fields you have to make a decision on within a minute.
Origin and destination — from where to where; what matters to you is where the truck is now and where it goes after unloading.
Pickup and delivery dates — the loading and delivery windows; they tell you whether the driver makes it within hours-of-service limits.
Equipment — the trailer type; a reefer posting does not fit a dry van, and vice versa.
Weight and length — weight and dimensions; the carrier is liable for overloading.
Rate — the rate, if the broker stated it; more often it is discussed by phone, and the call decides more than the number on the screen.
Why the number on the board is not the rate
The published rate is the broker's opening position. A dispatcher knows the average rates on the lane, the position of their truck and how urgently the broker needs to cover the load — and negotiates on that. On a single load the difference between “took it as is” and “negotiated” can be comparable to a day's earnings. That skill is practised on the course on real scenarios.
02Questions on the topic
No. In class you work with the boards on the instructor's account and see real loads. You or your carrier take out a subscription when you start working.
For general freight dispatchers keep both — DAT and Truckstop: they have different brokers and different loads. For car haulers Central Dispatch and Super Dispatch are the tools. The question is not which is better but which market you work in.
Yes — a carrier's direct contracts with shippers and regular brokers who call the dispatcher themselves. But you reach those through reputation, and reputation is built on the board.
Want to see a load boardlive, not in a picture?
On the consultation we show what a dispatcher's working screen looks like and tell you which direction — car haulers or general freight — is closer to you.
Or take the 2-minute format picker →
Fixed price: €199–399, and every format except the online group can be paid in two instalments. Before you start — a free consultation, no pressure.