Understanding how truckers find backhaul loads can make a huge difference in your bottom line. 43% of truckloads moved partially empty in 2023. Carriers are losing money on return trips. Without backhaul, you might make a profit of $350 on a delivery. With a backhaul load at 80% of your delivery rate, your profit jumps to $1,030. Companies can lower transportation costs between 9% and 15% through backhauls. This piece covers what backhaul is, why reducing empty miles matters and strategies to find freight. You’ll learn about the best backhaul load boards and building relationships with brokers. Planning ahead helps secure profitable return loads.
Key Takeaways
Understanding how to find and secure backhaul loads is essential for maximizing profitability in trucking operations. Here’s what every carrier needs to know:
• Backhaul loads dramatically boost profitability: With a backhaul at 80% of delivery rate, profit jumps from $350 to $1,030 per trip, while companies reduce transportation costs by 9-15%.
• Start searching 200 miles before delivery: The best backhaul loads get booked quickly, so proactive planning while still in transit prevents idle time and secures better-paying freight.
• Build direct relationships beyond load boards: Working consistently with brokers and shippers gives you access to freight before it posts publicly, eliminating competition and securing preferred carrier status.
• Any paying backhaul beats deadheading: Even lower-paying return loads protect your outbound profit by offsetting fuel and driver costs, since 20.6% of carrier miles are currently empty and generating zero revenue.
• Use multiple strategies simultaneously: Combine load boards (DAT, Truckstop), broker networks, dispatcher services, and factoring companies to create a comprehensive system for finding consistent return freight.
The trucking industry loses significant revenue to empty miles, but carriers who master backhaul strategies turn potential losses into profit opportunities while maximizing equipment utilization.
What Is Backhaul in Freight
Backhaul Meaning and Simple Concept
A backhaul is a load you take on the return trip after completing a delivery. You haul freight from Chicago to Atlanta. Rather than driving back empty, a backhaul load gets your truck moving again on the way home or toward your next pickup.
The term comes from the physical direction of the freight. You hauled the primary load outbound. The return load gets hauled back and creates the backhaul. This practice applies whether you’re moving full truckloads, partial loads, or less-than-truckload shipments on your return route.
To cite an instance, you might deliver corn from Minneapolis to Orlando. You then drive to nearby Kissimmee to pick up oranges from another shipper and backhaul them to Minnesota. The backhaul doesn’t have to follow the exact same route. It just needs to move freight in your return direction and recover the cost of those return miles.
How Backhaul Is Different From Deadhead Miles
Deadheading means running your truck with no freight on board. Deadhead miles measure how far you travel without a paying load. These miles still cost you fuel and driver time, but they generate zero revenue to offset those costs.
A backhaul converts what would be a deadhead run into revenue miles. Empty miles represent 15% to 20% of total miles driven in the trucking industry. Deadhead miles represented 20.6% of miles among all carriers in 2020. You drive 120,000 miles a year and 18% are empty. That’s 21,600 miles generating zero revenue while accumulating full operating costs.
Why Backhaul Loads Matter to Profitability
Carriers pay fixed costs per route whether or not you have a load on your return trip. These costs include fuel, insurance, leases and wages. Think over a driver running a strong outbound load from Dallas to Memphis. They deadhead back and the full cost of that return leg comes out of the profit from the outbound run. You factor in fuel costs and driver time. The effective rate on that haul drops.
A lower-paying return load almost always beats driving empty, as long as the rate still clears your cost per mile. Securing a backhaul offsets some costs of the outbound trip and leads to higher profitability. Backhauling increases revenue by ensuring trucks carry cargo both ways and makes the most of your truck’s capacity.
How to Find Backhaul Loads Using Load Boards
“Having API integration with C.H. Robinson has streamlined our booking operations and saved us countless hours. Being able to find and book C.H. Robinson loads in our system is a huge win.” — Andrew Katz, GM Operations at CloudTrucks
Load boards connect carriers with available freight through online platforms. These digital marketplaces let you search thousands of loads posted by shippers and brokers, filter by location and equipment type, and book freight that matches your return route.
Best Backhaul Load Boards for Truckers
DAT One ranks as the largest load board and posts over 800,000 listings each day. The platform provides up-to-the-minute updates, broker credit scores and market rate data. Truckstop.com, founded in 1955, offers near-instant load updates and has been serving the industry for over 25 years.
Direct Freight Services lists over 300,000 loads each day across equipment types of all kinds. 123LoadBoard gives you access to more than 150,000 loads per day with credit scores, mileage calculators and mobile app features. Trucker Path TruckLoads provides 150,000+ loads each day from over 800 broker companies, plus a profit calculator and up-to-the-minute market rates.
Free boards give simple access to smaller carriers, while paid platforms provide advanced tools like rate history and broker vetting. Monthly costs range from $35 to $150. Paid subscriptions often deliver better-paying freight and more search options.
How to Search Load Boards Effectively
Start by filtering loads based on your delivery location. Set your pickup radius to match how far you’re willing to deadhead for a backhaul. Select your equipment type, whether you haul dry van, reefer or flatbed. Narrow results by delivery timeframe to match your schedule.
Reading Load Board Listings and Rate Information
Each listing shows pickup and delivery cities, loaded miles between points and the freight rate. Rates appear as total revenue or rate per mile. Check the equipment code (V for van, R for reefer, F for flatbed) to confirm the load matches your trailer. Review pickup and delivery dates. Note whether times are appointments or flexible windows. Post age tells you how long the load has been available. Broker credit scores indicate payment reliability. DAT brokers average 94 out of 100 and pay within 28 days.
Verifying Broker Credentials on Load Boards
Verify the broker’s authority on the FMCSA SAFER system before you accept a load. Federal law requires brokers to maintain a $75,000 surety bond. Check that their operating authority shows as active, not conditional or revoked. Review their insurance filings and payment history through load board credit scores.
Building Relationships to Find Profitable Freight Lanes
Working With Freight Brokers for Regular Backhaul
Brokers often have backhaul loads that never appear on public boards. Communicate with brokers about your lanes and availability on a consistent basis. You get access to freight before it posts in the open. Ask brokers if they have return loads available at the time you book outbound freight. Brokers move freight in both directions and may offer a backhaul to secure your outbound booking.
Build your broker network by ranking them based on who pays on time and communicates with clarity. Have two to three backup brokers in each lane ready if your main contact cancels. Transparency and clear communication turn you into a preferred carrier who receives first calls on quality loads.
Networking With Shippers and Other Carriers
Shipper relationships produce better rates than spot market loads and more predictable freight. Your fleet runs the same lane on a regular basis. You should know every shipper within 50 miles of your delivery point who moves freight toward your home territory. Shippers know your truck, schedule and reliability. They call you before posting freight in the open. You stop competing and become the standing option.
Ask satisfied customers for referrals to business associates who ship into your territory. Expand your network beyond local contacts. This widens your sources of backhaul freight.
Using Dispatchers to Secure Return Loads
Dispatchers work for carriers to secure loads while you focus on driving. They use load boards, broker networks and shipper contacts to find freight. Good dispatchers start sourcing return loads at 200 miles from delivery. This prevents idle time. Advance planning gives them time to check boards, contact shippers and negotiate rates before your truck sits empty.
Leveraging Customer Relationships for Backhaul Chances
Quality service creates your best asset for finding freight. Talk to customers, develop rapport and request referrals. Satisfied customers will refer you to others who move goods into your home region. Treat every delivery as a chance to build relationships rather than a single transaction. Show up with reliability and communicate in a proactive manner. Shippers remember you for future loads.
Some large retailers and manufacturers run backhaul programs designed to fill return lanes on their freight corridors. These arrangements offer consistent volume but carry specific equipment and compliance requirements.
Additional Strategies to Reduce Empty Miles
Using Freight Factoring Companies for Load Access
Factoring companies buy your unpaid invoices and pay you within 24 hours instead of waiting 30 to 60 days. Cash keeps flowing so you can pay for fuel and maintenance without delay. Most factoring companies provide free broker credit checks before you haul the load. This helps you avoid payment problems. Steady cash flow lets you take more loads and grow your business.
Joining Trucking Associations and Online Communities
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has affiliates in all 50 states and hosts networking events. The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) focuses on dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and tanker carriers. Women in Trucking helps female drivers access networks and information. Veterans in Trucking supports former military personnel entering the industry. These groups connect you with other professionals who can share freight opportunities.
Adjusting Backhaul Rates for Better Load Availability
Cut your rates to win backhaul freight and cover costs. This beats deadheading home. You already made profit on the outbound trip. A lower-paying return load protects that profit by getting your equipment home without unnecessary expense.
Planning Ahead to Secure Backhaul Freight
Start sourcing return loads when you’re 200 miles from delivery. The best loads get booked fast, so you’ll be at a disadvantage if you wait until after delivery. You get time to check boards and negotiate rates before your truck sits idle if you search while still in transit.
Conclusion
Backhaul loads take consistent effort to find, but the payoff is worth it. Start searching 200 miles before delivery, build relationships with reliable brokers and use load boards to fill your return trips. A lower-paying backhaul beats driving empty in most cases, especially when you think about fuel and time costs. Plan ahead, stay flexible on rates and turn those deadhead miles into revenue. Your bottom line will thank you.
FAQs
Q1. What does backhaul mean in trucking?
Backhaul is a logistics strategy where truck drivers transport freight on their return trip after completing a delivery. Instead of driving back empty to their origin point, drivers pick up a load that moves in their return direction, converting what would be unprofitable empty miles into revenue-generating trips.
Q2. How can truckers find backhaul loads?
Truckers can find backhaul loads through several methods: using online load boards like DAT One, Truckstop.com, or Direct Freight Services that list thousands of available loads daily; building relationships with freight brokers who often have unlisted return freight; networking directly with shippers; and working with dispatchers who search for return loads while drivers are still en route to their delivery destination.
Q3. What’s the difference between backhaul and deadhead miles?
Deadhead miles are distances traveled with an empty truck, generating zero revenue while still incurring costs for fuel, maintenance, and driver time. Backhaul converts these empty return miles into revenue-generating trips by carrying freight back toward the origin point or next destination, helping offset operating costs and improve profitability.
Q4. Why are backhaul loads important for trucking profitability?
Backhaul loads significantly improve profitability by generating revenue on return trips that would otherwise be empty. Without backhaul, carriers lose money on deadhead miles while still paying for fuel, insurance, and driver wages. Even a lower-paying backhaul load beats driving empty, as it helps offset fixed costs and can increase overall trip profit by several hundred dollars.
Q5. When should truckers start looking for backhaul freight?
Truckers should start searching for backhaul loads approximately 200 miles before reaching their delivery destination. This advance planning provides enough time to check load boards, contact brokers, and negotiate rates before the truck becomes idle. Waiting until after delivery puts drivers at a disadvantage since the best-paying loads get booked quickly.
