Truckstop on Tuesday announced seven new features that it said are “designed to significantly enhance the load matching experience for its load board carrier customers.”
The new features are designed to provide carriers with greater visibility into profitable, relevant loads and to boost utilization of trusted brokers. By making it easier to find loads that align with their specific needs and preferences, these tools ultimately help carriers succeed -- even in a challenging rates environment, the company said.
Rates were flat in the most recent full post-Memorial Day week, though look for potential rate increases this week, judging by demand gains in the most recent weekly snapshot.
The weekly spot market snapshot from Truckstop and FTR Transportation Intelligence reflected load-post volume gains across all segments, typical for the week after the Memorial Day holiday. The overall Market Demand Index (MDI) rose by 13.1 points to 93.4, as load availability increased 16.4% and truck availability was exactly flat. Compared to last year the MDI is up 11.7 points, or 14.3%. Rates were more or less flat week to week, but up 2.3% compared to 2024.Truckstop/FTR
Four of the seven new board features are available now, and the other three are planned to be released this summer.
Truckstop has added several new features intended to improve carrier experience in its load board, including an authority age filter, a "backhaul" search and more.Truckstop
Available now:
- Authority age filter: This feature directly addresses the frustration of new authorities by allowing carriers to filter loads based on the broker’s authority age requirement. This saves carriers time by helping them only view loads from brokers they're likely eligible to work with.
- Load popularity: Recognizing the challenge of competing for popular loads, this feature allows carriers to assess load postings by the number of times they have been viewed. The feature helps identify opportunities with less competition, leading to stronger negotiation power and potentially better rates.
- "Backhaul" search: Understanding the importance of securing the return trip, a convenient swap icon allows carriers to quickly reverse their origin and destination search, simplifying the search for return loads from a current location.
- Similar loads recommendations: To address the issue of limited load results in low-volume lanes, this feature intelligently suggests similar loads that align with the carrier’s search criteria, helping them discover more relevant opportunities.
[Related: 'Fraud apocalypse': Brokers circling the wagons, shutting carriers out of freight]
The features planned to be released this summer are:
- Lane suggestions: For carriers with flexible destinations, this feature provides intelligent lane suggestions, offering guidance and reducing the overwhelming feeling of too many “anywhere” options.
- Factorability data: This fraud-mitigating feature allows factoring customers to quickly determine if a broker is financially stable and Truckstop Factorable directly from the load summary page. This eliminates the need to navigate away from the load board to check a broker’s status, saving crucial time in a competitive market.
- RMIS onboarded loads: Recognizing the value of established relationships, this filter allows carriers to easily identify loads posted by brokers they have already onboarded with. This streamlines the booking process and reduces the risk associated with working with unknown brokers.
“At Truckstop, we’re always innovating to better serve carriers, and these advancements reflect our commitment to listening to our customers and addressing the challenges of today’s competitive freight market,” said Sam Peterson, chief technology officer, Truckstop. “These new features provide significant benefits to carriers, enabling them to operate more efficiently, make informed decisions, and ultimately improve their bottom line.”
[Related: Fickle freight on spot loads boards can't build the customer base for you]
