Can you give a brief overview of Truckstop.com? How was it started?
Truckstop.com started in 1995 by solving a problem. Our company founder, Scott Moscrip, wanted to find a better way for trucking companies, predominantly small carriers, owner-operators and brokers, to find loads and find trucks to move loads. He solved the problem by creating an online load board and specialized truck driver tools that offered transparency and greater access to the information needed to run a successful business. Since then, Truckstop.com has become one of the best load boards in the country, helping freight professionals move millions of loads each year.
What industries do you serve?
The freight transport and logistics (trucking) industry accounts for nearly 80 percent of the nation’s freight. Most goods at distribution centers, warehouses, grocery stores, retail facilities, and holding facilities were at one time or another moved on a truck. Simply put, we serve the industry that keeps our country moving.
In terms of direct customers, we serve the carriers and brokers that make up the spot market. On the trucking side, most of our customers come from the estimated 300-350K owner operators with between one and nine trucks. On the logistics side, we serve freight brokers (transportation intermediaries) and third-party logistics companies (3PLs), from the largest in the country down to individuals working out of their house.
What is a load board? How does it work?
At its most basic level, a load board (sometimes referred to as a freight board) is a place where truck drivers and freight brokers can post trucks and search for loads. Think of it like Match.com or Expedia for freight—a carrier can find loads for their truck and a broker can find carriers to move their loads.
More broadly, Truckstop.com is an online marketplace that provides data resources, negotiation tools, real-time spot market rates, instant truck booking, equipment matching, and much more. We are a trusted platform that clears, cleans, and delivers all the data that is needed for two parties to transact with confidence.
What problem does a load board solve for the trucking industry?
By providing greater transparency in the freight booking and freight moving process, load boards increase the volume of freight companies can move in the spot market and the speed at which they can move that freight.
Tell us more about Truckstop.com. What are some of its key features and capabilities? How does it compare to other products available in the market?
For people outside the industry, it’s easy to think that moving freight from point A to point B is like taking a cab to the airport—a truck picks up a load in one city and delivers it to another. In actuality, the process is far more involved, requiring specialized permits, licenses, equipment, insurance, etc., not to mention compliance with a long list of ever-changing regulations. Keeping track of all this information used to require mountains of paperwork, tedious manual process (filing, faxing, phone calls, etc.), and multiple tools and services. Truckstop.com brings all the tools and information needed for a carrier or broker to efficiently run their business into one place. We are one of only a handful of companies that can provide all that data in a single view, making it easier for the customer to evaluate and transact with speed and efficiency. We also qualify the players in the marketplace to make sure they have all their required licensing, permitting, and insurance. Not only does Truckstop.com give customers the tools to run their businesses, we work to create a marketplace with trustworthy partners and reliable, accurate information.
How can a carrier or broker get the most out of using your load board?
One thing we talk about over and over is transparency. Think about when you make a purchase. Do you have all the information you need? Are you sure you’re getting the best price? Is the seller open and honest?
It’s the same with moving freight. Whether you are a carrier or a broker, you want as much information as possible before you agree to move a load. If you’re a broker, make sure you include all the load information in your posting. Include the rate, special docking or holding instructions, average wait times, etc. If you’re a carrier, you need to post all the relevant information about your truck, availability, equipment type, preferred loads, etc. Doing so not only allows both parties to make more informed decisions about the companies they decide to work with, it creates trust and builds better working relationships.
Looking into the future, what’s next for Truckstop.com? How will you meet the demand of the latest market trends?
Our responsibility is to create affordable technology that helps people move freight as fast as they possibly can, at the greatest profit they possibly can. We strive to bring tools to market that help level the playing field, regardless of company size. We are currently working on making it even easier for our customers to make decisions by improving our user interface and customer experience when they come to the load board.
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