Aug 23, 2010 10:57 AM

Based on a recent survey of more than 500 carriers, TransCore’s 2010 Carrier Benchmark Survey found that carriers using load boards for more than 40% of their loads earned $800 more per truck every month than carriers that used load boards less frequently.

The survey also showed all carriers’ revenues had trended up by almost $1,500 per truck per month over 2009 as the economy improved, freight increased, and rates trended up.

“There is a myth that carriers don’t need to use load boards when freight is abundant,” said David Schrader, senior vice-president, TransCore Freight Business Services. “But this survey calls that into question. Thousands of small carriers use our services as a kind of 24/7 sales department that helps them compete with larger carriers that have in-house sales staff.”

Of the companies surveyed, 60% reported they had 10 or fewer trucks, and 87% reported having 50 or fewer.

The survey also revealed this information about frequent load board users (those companies with 40% or more of their loads coming from load boards):

•They averaged 3 cents more in revenue per mile in 2010 than less frequent users.

•Frequent load board users averaged 309 more load miles per truck every month than less frequent users.

•As a group, they averaged 4.2% fewer empty miles every month than carriers that used load boards less often.

Brokers, 3PLs, carriers, and owner-operators in North America are expected to list more than 60 million loads and trucks this year across a variety of services feeding TransCore’s DAT Network. As a result of this high volume, TransCore’s North American Freight Index is representative of the ups and downs in spot market freight availability throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit www.transcorefreightsolutions.com for complete survey results.