What Is a Load Broker? How Freight Brokers Work

By TruckerPro · Published 2026-10-10 · Updated 2026-10-12 · 16 min read · 3950 words

Load brokers at a glance

What does a load broker do?

A load broker matches a shipper's freight with a carrier's truck and manages the deal between them, without running trucks of its own. U.S. federal law defines a broker as a person, other than a motor carrier or its employee or agent, that sells, negotiates or arranges truck transportation for pay (49 U.S.C. 13102). Statistics Canada classifies this work as freight transportation arrangement: businesses that act as intermediaries between shippers and carriers. Its examples include transportation brokers.

A brokered load runs through these steps:

1. The shipper gives the broker the lane, dates, equipment, commodity, weight and any special handling.
2. The broker quotes the shipper a rate.
3. The broker finds a carrier from its own carrier list, a load posting or a posted truck.
4. The broker and the carrier agree on the rate and terms, ideally in a written rate confirmation.
5. The carrier hauls the load, and the broker tracks it and handles the paperwork.
6. The shipper pays the broker, and the broker pays the carrier on the agreed terms.

How is a load broker different from a carrier, shipper, dispatcher or freight forwarder?

A load broker sits between the shipper and the carrier: it arranges the move for pay but neither owns the goods nor hauls them.

A dispatcher works for the carrier. FMCSA's 2023 guidance lists working exclusively for motor carriers, not shippers, among the features of dispatch services. Factors that suggest a dispatch service does not need broker authority include a written contract with the carrier, payment from that carrier, not seeking shippers, and arranging each load for that carrier only. FMCSA says a dispatch service that works for several carriers and decides which of them gets a load (allocation of traffic) is not a bona fide agent of a carrier and must get broker authority. Other signs that a dispatch service needs broker authority include negotiating freight directly with a shipper, taking payment for a load from a broker or factoring company, and accepting a shipment before it has a truck (88 FR 39368).

A freight forwarder takes on more responsibility than a broker. Under U.S. law, a freight forwarder assembles and consolidates shipments, takes responsibility for the transportation from pickup to destination, and uses carriers for the haul (49 U.S.C. 13102). In Quebec, the CTQ treats freight forwarders and load brokers alike as transport service intermediaries.

Customs brokerage is a separate service. In Canada, only a customs broker licensed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) may account for imported goods and pay duties for an importer, as its agent, under section 32 of the Customs Act (CBSA). A load board is different again: it lists loads and trucks so these roles can find each other, and it does not haul freight. See what a load board is.

How do carriers and load brokers find each other?

Load brokers find trucks through their own carrier lists, load postings and trucks that carriers post as available. Carriers find brokers the same way in reverse: they search the loads brokers post, post their own empty trucks and keep working with brokers that pay as agreed.

• Carrier lists. A broker's list of carriers it has already checked and used, often for repeat lanes.
• Load postings. The broker posts the lane, equipment, pickup date and rate on a load board. Carriers with a matching empty truck call or send an inquiry. See load boards for brokers.
• Truck postings. Carriers post where and when an empty truck will be available, and brokers search those postings for a match.

On TruckerPro, a Carrier + Broker account with a completed verification checklist can search posted loads and see each poster's company name and contact details. It can also post an available truck and get email alerts for a lane. A Broker account cannot search the board (what each account can do). Search results depend on what companies have posted at that moment, and this guide does not list or rate brokerages.

For carriers, broker freight is one source of loads. The trade-offs against hauling for shippers directly are covered in broker freight vs direct shippers.

What information do brokers need before posting a load?

Before posting a load to a board, a broker needs the facts a carrier uses to decide whether the load fits its truck, route and schedule. Those facts are the lane, dates, equipment, freight details, rate and a contact who answers. The table lists each detail and why a carrier needs it.

Ask the shipper about temperature, dimensions, tarping and hazardous materials before posting, because a trailer type alone does not settle whether a load fits. The step-by-step posting guide walks through the TruckerPro post form.

How do load brokers get paid?

A load broker earns the difference between the rate the shipper pays the broker and the rate the broker pays the carrier. That difference is the broker's gross margin, and the broker's own costs come out of it. The broker negotiates the shipper rate and the carrier rate separately, so the size of the margin depends on those two negotiations. Brokers told FMCSA that their shipper contracts often run for a set period, such as a year, while carrier rates are often set load by load. As a result, the margin on a single load can be higher, lower or even negative. FMCSA says it does not regulate freight rates or broker margins (89 FR 91648).

Illustrative example, with invented numbers: not available freight, a market average or a recommended rate.

Payment timing is whatever the broker and the carrier agree. Put these terms in the written rate confirmation: the rate, currency and basis; accessorials such as detention, layover and lumper fees; the payment terms; and the documents needed for payment. For the carrier, the question is whether the carrier rate covers its own costs on the round trip. To test a carrier rate against your own costs, including empty kilometres, use the deadhead calculator.

U.S. rules require a broker to keep a record of each transaction for three years. The record must show:

• The name and address of the shipper (consignor).
• The name, address and registration number of the originating carrier.
• The bill of lading or freight bill number.
• What the broker was paid for the brokerage, and who paid it.
• A description of any non-brokerage services, what the broker was paid for them, and who paid.
• Any freight charges the broker collected, and the date it paid the carrier.

Each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review that record (49 CFR 371.3). FMCSA notes that broker-carrier contracts frequently contain waivers of this right, so read the contract before you sign it (89 FR 91648). Keeping that record for every load is one reason brokers run brokerage software rather than a carrier's dispatch system; carrier TMS vs broker TMS compares what each one tracks.

For U.S. brokers, the required USD 75,000 surety bond or trust fund exists to pay shippers or motor carriers if the broker fails to carry out its contracts. When FMCSA publishes a notice of a broker's financial failure in the FMCSA Register, the surety or financial institution must accept claims for 60 calendar days after that notice (49 CFR 387.307).

Do load brokers need a licence in Canada?

Canada's federal Motor Vehicle Transport Act does not set up a licence for load brokers, but Quebec requires load brokers offering services in Quebec to register with the CTQ. The federal Act generally requires trucking businesses that operate across a provincial or national border to hold a safety fitness certificate from a provincial authority. That certificate is valid throughout Canada. The Act does not mention brokers (Motor Vehicle Transport Act, current to September 21, 2026).

Quebec has a specific rule. Its Act respecting owners, operators and drivers of heavy vehicles regulates transport service intermediaries. The Act defines one as anyone who, for pay, acts directly or indirectly as an intermediary in a deal between other parties to move people or goods by heavy vehicle. For trucks, a heavy vehicle has a gross vehicle or combination weight rating of 4,500 kg or more. The CTQ names the load broker and the freight forwarder as examples. It adds that a heavy vehicle operator that acts as an intermediary, regularly or occasionally, also counts (CTQ, in French). In Quebec:

• Only intermediaries on the CTQ's public list may provide those services, and each must register and renew with the CTQ (sections 15 and 16).
• If an intermediary fails to register or renew, any contract it enters into is without effect (section 16).
• An intermediary that offers services without being registered, or falsely claims to be registered, faces a fine of CAD 350 to CAD 1,050, or CAD 700 to CAD 2,100 for a later offence. The same fine applies to a heavy vehicle operator, such as a carrier, that makes a contract with an unregistered intermediary (section 47).
• The CTQ's online service "Dossier d'une entreprise ou d'un individu" looks up an intermediary by name or intermediary number (NI).
• Brokering bulk trucking services (camionnage en vrac) on Quebec public contracts (marchés publics) also needs a separate CTQ brokerage permit, on top of registration on the intermediaries list. Under Quebec's Transport Act, only a non-profit company or a co-operative made up of operators in the bulk trucking register can hold that permit (section 39.1).

Ontario used to license load brokers. Its Truck Transportation Act generally required anyone providing a load brokerage service to hold a load brokerage certificate. The Load Brokers regulation under that Act (O. Reg. 556/92) defined a load broker as a person who arranges, for compensation, for goods owned by one person to be carried by a carrier. It also required each load broker to file proof of a surety bond of at least CAD 10,000 and to hold the carriage money it received in trust for the carriers it owed. Ontario repealed the Act, and revoked the regulation, on January 1, 2006 (Truck Transportation Act and O. Reg. 556/92, Ontario e-Laws).

The Quebec Acts cited here are up to date as of August 12, 2026. For current rules outside Quebec, ask the transport ministry of each province where the broker operates. This guide does not cover every province.

What does a U.S. freight broker need from FMCSA?

A U.S. freight broker needs broker operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and USD 75,000 in financial security before arranging interstate truck freight. FMCSA's broker registration page lists these steps for property brokers:

• Apply to FMCSA for broker authority.
• File a USD 75,000 surety bond (Form BMC-84) or trust fund agreement (Form BMC-85).
• File Form BOC-3 to designate process agents.
• Pay a USD 300 non-refundable application fee.

FMCSA will not register a broker until the bond or trust fund is in effect, and the registration stays in effect only while the bond or trust fund does. When the surety or financial institution reports that payments have taken, or expected claims will take, the bond or trust fund below USD 75,000, FMCSA notifies the broker. The broker's authority is then suspended within 7 business days of that notice. To avoid that, the broker must show in writing that the report was an error, restore the full USD 75,000 or pay the pending claims without using the bond or trust fund (49 CFR 387.307).

Two more U.S. rules matter to carriers and shippers:

• A broker may not present its operation as a carrier, and its advertising must show that it is a broker (49 CFR 371.7).
• Providing interstate brokerage without registration and the required financial security is unlawful. The companies involved, and their officers, directors and principals, can each be held fully liable, including for valid claims by injured parties (49 U.S.C. 14916). FMCSA's penalty schedule lists up to USD 13,676 per violation for knowingly brokering without that registration or financial security (49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B).

U.S. federal jurisdiction covers truck transportation, and the procurement of that transportation, for the U.S. part of a trip between the United States and another country (49 U.S.C. 13501). A broker for transportation under that jurisdiction must be registered (49 U.S.C. 13901). A Canadian broker that arranges loads into or out of the United States, or between U.S. states, should confirm its U.S. registration requirements with FMCSA. Carriers hauling those loads can use the broker questions in the cross-border freight guide.

How can a carrier check a load broker before hauling?

A carrier should confirm a broker's identity, registration, payment terms and written rate confirmation before the first load. Work through these checks:

1. Confirm who you are dealing with. Find the broker's phone number yourself instead of relying on the one in an email or posting. For U.S. brokers, FMCSA recommends checking the number in its SAFER system and calling the listed number if the two differ (FMCSA).
2. Check the registration that applies. For a U.S. broker, look up its operating authority (active MC number), insurance and process agent in FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system (FMCSA). For a broker offering services in Quebec, look it up by name or intermediary number (NI) in the CTQ's "Dossier d'une entreprise ou d'un individu" service.
3. Get a written rate confirmation. Confirm the rate, currency and basis, pickup and delivery details, accessorials, payment terms and the documents needed for payment before dispatch.
4. Ask about payment. Ask for payment terms and trade references, and ask other carriers how the broker pays. A broker without U.S. authority may have no bond to claim against if it does not pay.
5. Verify documents with the issuer. FMCSA warns that even insurance certificates can be fraudulent, so call the issuing company using a number you find yourself.
6. Stop on FMCSA's red flags. FMCSA says to stop the transaction if a broker asks you to present yourself as a carrier with a different name or asks your driver to lie about who they work for. The same applies if the broker calls the load a "blind load" when you question its destination, is quick to agree to pay you more, or offers a rate far above the current market.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describes a "supplier/contractor swindle" aimed at businesses with an existing supplier or contractor: a spoofed email announces new banking details for future payments (CAFC). Confirm any change to payment details by calling a number you already have.

In its 2023 guidance, FMCSA noted that "double brokering" is not defined in statute or regulation and that commenters use the term for several different activities. Most commenters who raised it meant ways some companies act as brokers without proper authority (88 FR 39368). If a load you hauled turns out to be fraudulently brokered, FMCSA advises finding out who is paying the freight and contacting their brokerage. It also warns that holding loads hostage until you get paid is illegal.

Report suspected fraud in Canada to local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre through its online reporting system. In the United States, FMCSA points fraud victims to the Federal Trade Commission, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and local police or the state attorney general's office. It also lists the FMCSA Contact Center, the USDOT Office of Inspector General hotline and FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database (FMCSA).

How do brokers use TruckerPro?

Brokers use TruckerPro to post loads on a Canadian load board where verified Carrier + Broker companies search by lane and equipment. A Broker account posts and manages its own loads (no setup fee) and cannot search the board. A Carrier + Broker account also sees other companies' loads and trucks, books loads, gets alerts and rate averages, and pays the one-time fee before the board opens. TruckerPro has no monthly subscription, no per-search fee and no per-post fee; Carrier + Broker accounts pay a one-time setup fee (Broker accounts have none).

Listings, rates, inquiries, contact details and alerts need a signed-in verified company account with a completed verification checklist. A Carrier + Broker account with a completed checklist can open a listing, see the poster's contact details, send an inquiry or ask to book. The poster accepts or declines each booking request. Accepting a booking request takes the load off the board automatically; if a load is booked another way, such as by phone or email, mark it covered right away. Before each post, the poster confirms it is authorized to publish that load on the board. A posting does not guarantee that a carrier will respond.

Start with TruckerPro for brokers or go to Post a Load. The load board FAQ answers account questions.

Official sources

Each source below was checked on October 10, 2026.

• Act respecting owners, operators and drivers of heavy vehicles, CQLR c P-30.3, sections 2, 15, 16 and 47, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• Transport Act, CQLR c T-12, section 39.1, up to date as of August 12, 2026
• CTQ: Intermédiaires en services de transport and Courtage en services de camionnage en vrac (French)
• Motor Vehicle Transport Act, sections 2, 7 and 8, current to September 21, 2026
• Truck Transportation Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. T.22, section 3.1, repealed January 1, 2006, and O. Reg. 556/92, Load Brokers, sections 1, 12 and 15, revoked January 1, 2006 (Ontario e-Laws)
• Statistics Canada, NAICS Canada 2022 Version 1.0: 48851 Freight transportation arrangement
• Canada Border Services Agency: Licensed customs brokers
• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Spear phishing and Report fraud and cybercrime
• FMCSA: Broker registration (last updated May 22, 2023), Broker and carrier fraud and identity theft (last updated April 7, 2025) and where to look up operating authority (last updated May 26, 2023)
• 49 CFR 371.3, 49 CFR 371.7, 49 CFR 387.307 and 49 CFR Part 386, Appendix B, eCFR up to date as of October 7, 2026
• 49 U.S.C. 13102, 49 U.S.C. 13501, 49 U.S.C. 13901 and 49 U.S.C. 14916, United States Code, 2024 edition
• FMCSA, Definitions of Broker and Bona Fide Agents, 88 FR 39368 (June 16, 2023)
• FMCSA, Transparency in Property Broker Transactions, proposed rule, 89 FR 91648 (November 20, 2024)