How to Post a Load on a Load Board (and Get It Covered)
By TruckerPro · Published 2026-07-28 · Updated 2026-09-13 · 7 min read · 752 words
Posting a load is not hard. Posting a load that gets covered at a fair rate without burning carriers takes a little discipline. This guide is for brokers and shippers using any board, with concrete steps for free posting on TruckerPro.
Before you post
Know the freight. Commodity, weight, dimensions if tight, appointment or FCFS, temperature if reefer, tarp if flatbed, and whether the receiver will be ready.
Know the money. Line haul, fuel treatment, detention rules, and who pays accessorials. If you leave that fuzzy, carriers either ghost you or pad the rate.
Know the clock. Pickup date and any delivery appointment. A post without a real pickup window is how boards fill with junk.
What every strong posting includes
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Origin city + province/state | Carriers filter empties by where they are |
| Destination city + province/state | Round-trip math starts here |
| Equipment | Wrong equipment = wasted calls |
| Pickup date | Past or vague dates get ignored |
| Weight / commodity | Legality and fit |
| Rate (CAD for Canada domestic) | Sets the conversation |
| Phone that answers | Email-only posts die on the vine |
| Notes | Appointments, team, drop trailer, border |
If you cannot fill most of that table, you are not ready to post - you are ready to gather facts.
How to post free on TruckerPro
- Create a free company account with your name, company-domain email, phone and company name, then verify your email. Complete your profile and company review. Canadian carriers and brokers provide Canadian authority or registration details; U.S. carriers provide USDOT and MC, and U.S. brokers provide MC. These are the platform's account requirements; shipper accounts do not need carrier authority. Personal Gmail-style addresses are not accepted.
- Open Post a Load.
- Enter origin and destination with 2-letter province or state codes (ON, AB, MI).
- Choose equipment and a future pickup date.
- Add rate, currency (CAD or USD), total/per-distance basis, weight, distance and commodity when you have them.
- Confirm name, company and phone (email is your account email).
- Submit. The load goes live on the board immediately by default (unless review mode is enabled on the server).
- Save the manage link on the thank-you page, or use My Loads and the dashboard. Anyone with the manage link can mark the load covered or remove it.
Carriers find it under Load Board and open the detail page. Signed-in carriers with verified company accounts can reveal direct contact details. Other signed-in accounts can send a protected inquiry.
When the freight is covered and you need dispatch, customer invoices or driver settlements, that is ops software — optional TruckerPro load management — not the board.
Pricing the post
Posting "call for rate" works when your freight is scarce and specialised. For commodity dry van, a CAD number gets more serious calls. Anchor against:
- Your customer rate and the margin you need
- Lane balance (will the carrier reload?)
- Board rate averages and rate guide context
Do not post a fantasy number to generate phone traffic. Carriers remember.
After the phone rings
- Confirm equipment, empty location and hours available.
- Confirm rate, detention, layover and lumper in writing (email is fine).
- Send clear facility info and appointment details.
- Mark the load covered on the board the moment it is committed.
On TruckerPro, use your /manage/... link → Mark covered. Leaving covered
freight on a public board is how you get angry calls and ignored next time.
Common posting mistakes
- Yesterday's pickup date. Looks like spam; many carriers skip it.
- Province only, no city. Too vague for empty planning.
- No phone. Inquiry forms help; a voice still covers faster.
- Duplicate posts of the same load on five boards without updating any of them.
- Ghosting carriers after they bid. Word travels.
Broker vs shipper notes
Brokers should keep authority, bond and payment expectations straight when asked. Shippers posting direct should expect questions about credit, facility wait times and whether this is a one-off or a lane. See broker vs direct freight.
Bottom line
A good post is complete, priced honestly, answered quickly and taken down when covered. That is true on paid networks and on a free board. If you want the free path today: post a load and keep the manage link private.
FAQ
How do I post a load for free?
Create a free company account, verify your email, complete your company profile and review, then open Post a Load. Canadian and U.S. authority requirements depend on your role. Enter the lane, equipment, pickup date, rate and contact details.
What information should a load posting include?
Origin and destination city plus province/state, equipment type, pickup date, weight, commodity, CAD or USD rate with its total/per-distance basis, and a phone number that answers.
When should I remove a load from the board?
As soon as it is covered or cancelled. Stale postings waste carrier time and damage your response rate on the next post.
Do carriers see my phone number?
Signed-in carriers with a verified company account can see your direct contact details on live listings. Public visitors can use the protected inquiry form without seeing your email address.