One of the nation’s leading truck manufacturers is getting into the load board business.
Mack Trucks this week launched what it calls Load Finder, a digital load board created to help carriers reduce empty miles, the truck maker said, with spot load opportunities. The platform is available not just to Mack owners, but to all carriers regardless of the make or model of their trucks.
What’s more, it's completely free to use. For Mack customers, Load Finder is available directly through Mack Connect, Mack’s fleet management portal. Non-Mack owners can sign up through the company’s website. Users will be required to provide a valid DOT number and confirm their email address to create an account.
Mack Trucks' Load Finder, built through a partnership with the Class8 trucking tech firm, helps connect motor carriers with freight that meets their needs.Mack Trucks
Load Finder uses real-time data, machine learning and intuitive design to match fleets with relevant spot loads, Mack said. The OEM collaborated with freight startup Class8, a Canadian company that has been developing trucking-business tech solutions since 2015.
Mack President Jonathan Randall noted the company was excited about the new venture for Mack customers and “virtually all fleets, whether they operate a Mack truck or not." He noted its potential to help "solve real-world problems" and "improve uptime. Mack remains committed to offering innovative solutions to the market, as it’s done for the past 125 years. Not many businesses can say that.”
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Fleets of all sizes have the option to link their ELD or transportation management system (TMS) to Load Finder for full optimization, Mack said.
Load Finder identifies live truck and shipment data to identify driver availability, location and where the driver is next headed. It also aggregates load databases and market trends to identify the best load for each operator. Using both live data and machine learning, the service generates load recommendations and market rate insights directly to the carrier’s inbox, enabling customers to negotiate with brokers for higher rates.
“This is a big deal for a customer -- especially if they have trucks that are sitting empty instead of being utilized to generate income,” said Patrick Brown, Mack director of strategy. “It’s a time-saver ... and a great way for customers to leave it to Mack to help generate revenue. We genuinely want all carriers to succeed and help them get the job done better and more efficiently.”
Longtime Mack customer and 2024 Overdrive Small Fleet Champ finalist Jamie Hagen worked with Mack during the development of the platform. For Hagen as a small fleet owner, he said he sees the most value in Load Finder’s automated capabilities, which can help carriers find the best-paying freight, not just out of where they are currently but also from their next stop.
“In this situation, the help is going to be the AI feature that helps you pick where to go next,” Hagen said. “I’ve got a couple guys I know that are really fresh at picking their own freight and don’t know” where to go next.
As Hagen sees it, “it’s a great way for people to get their feet wet and learn” about the freight markets, which he said “can be complex at times. Where do you go next?” He sees it as a great opportunity for new owner-operators or those who are ready to go out on their own. “This is a great way for a person who’s always wanted a truck, who bought a truck and now, what do you do with it?”
[Related: The fine art of rates negotiation in today's go-go-go freight markets]
When he started Hell Bent Xpress in 2020, “I would have loved it,” Hagen noted. “I paid for a subscription” to a large load board -- “I’m here, what do I do next? Make phone calls and wishing for the best, and that’s all I did. I learned from my mistakes where not to go.” Had he had Mack’s Load Finder at the time, he said, he feels there wouldn’t have been as many mistakes along the way.
Where do the loads in the platform come from?
“Load Finder aggregates real-time load data from a combination of sources: direct integrations with brokers, API feeds from trusted marketplaces and emails parsed from load offers,” said Brown. “The parsed emails are especially important, because this means the loads you’re sent in your inbox by brokers also end up in the load board alongside others. We prioritize verified and high-quality freight and layer optimization tools on top to help carriers find the most profitable and efficient options, not just the first available load.”
Brown added that carriers using Load Finder can book as many loads through the platform as they want or need, all for free. Unlike well-established, subscription-based load boards, Load Finder “isn’t a paid access point to a load board," he said. Rather, "it’s a decision engine that helps carriers move smarter by finding and sequencing the right loads, not just displaying them.”
With freight fraud never far from the headlines in this day and age, Brown noted the platform attempts to address it by filtering out “suspect loads by only bringing in loads from verified sources. Our fraud prevention layer flags unusual posting patterns, cross-checks DOT and MC authority in real time, and restricts access from known fraudulent networks.” He added that loads are only posted or sent to carriers “from brokers we’ve validated or have ongoing relationships with, reducing exposure to scams seen on open boards.”
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