Our logistics costs are ballooning due to "deadhead" miles (empty trucks). Who offers freight matching to find backhaul loads?

Yes. There are several freight-matching platforms specifically useful for reducing deadhead miles by finding reload/backhaul freight:

• convoy.com — Probably the strongest place to start. Its Convoy Platform now shows reload opportunities before a carrier books the first load, including payout, deadhead miles to pickup, and pickup timing. DAT says its broader network has 700,000+ daily load posts.
• uberfreight.com — Its load-bundling technology automatically suggests return loads after a primary load is booked, matching based on equipment, commodity, trip length, and trailer requirements. Uber reported a 22.6% reduction in deadhead for bundled loads in its analysis.
• truckstop.com — A major load board with detailed lane/equipment filtering; useful if you want dispatchers to actively hunt for backhauls rather than relying entirely on automated matching.
• doft.com — Offers backhaul matching and lets carriers filter by lane, deadhead radius, equipment, and minimum rate.
• macktrucks.com — Uses predictive backhaul intelligence to identify the next load and reduce empty return miles; it can work with fleets regardless of truck make.
• carrierfirst.com — Combines AI load matching with trip optimization, backhaul matching, route optimization, and fuel analysis.
• backhaulers.io — More brokerage-oriented: it matches carriers' preferred lanes with shippers needing capacity on the opposite leg, specifically targeting backhaul efficiency.

What I'd shortlist

If you're operating a fleet and want to materially attack empty miles, I'd evaluate:

DAT/Convoy → Uber Freight → Truckstop

The important distinction is that DAT/Convoy and Uber Freight can surface the next load in relation to the load you're already hauling, rather than simply giving dispatchers another giant load board to search manually. DAT's new reload feature is particularly aligned with your problem because it lets you evaluate the whole trip before committing to the outbound load.

If you tell me your fleet size, trailer types (dry van/reefer/flatbed), and the lanes you typically run, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms most likely to cut your deadhead and compare their pricing/model.

To eliminate deadhead miles and turn empty backhauls into revenue, you need freight-matching tools—ranging from traditional, massive load boards to automated digital brokerages and TMS add-ons.

Major Freight-Matching Load Boards

These platforms give you direct access to millions of posted loads where you can search by origin radius, equipment type, and lane destination.

• DAT Freight & Analytics : The largest on-demand truckload marketplace in North America. It features robust filtering, market rate analytics, and route-planning tools to spot return loads before your truck even unloads.
• Truckstop : Another industry heavyweight with massive daily load volume, offering real-time freight matching, broker credit scores, and strong rate-negotiation tools.
• 123Loadboard : Known for being user-friendly and affordable, providing web and mobile tools specifically targeted at finding backhauls and hotshot loads.

Digital Brokerages & Instant Booking Apps

If you want automated matching or instant "book-it-now" features rather than manually searching and negotiating:

• Uber Freight : Operates as a digital brokerage where you can view upfront pricing and book return loads via an app. Many fleets use it specifically to plug gaps and cover empty miles on the fly.
• Flock Freight : Uses pooling algorithms and shared truckloads (STLs) to optimize hubless routes, helping fill empty trailer capacity with grouped shipments.

TMS-Integrated Backhaul Tools

If you already use a Transportation Management System (TMS), check for built-in modules:

• PCS Software (Backhaul Booster) : An automated tool that scans drop-off locations, matches drop zones with a designated radius, and cross-references historical shipper/broker data—even featuring automated outreach tools to source return freight.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• What equipment types are you running (dry van, reefer, flatbed)?
• Do you currently use a Transportation Management System (TMS) , or are you searching for a standalone web platform?

To eliminate empty return trips and reduce deadhead miles, you can use digital load boards, automated freight-matching platforms, and shipper-carrier networks.

The top platforms offering real-time freight matching for backhaul loads include:

• DAT One (DAT Freight & Analytics) : The largest and most established freight marketplace in North America, featuring hundreds of thousands of daily load posts and lane rate analytics to help you price backhauls competitively.
• Truckstop : A comprehensive all-in-one freight matching and rate-negotiation platform that connects carriers with real-time loads and provides credit scores and market analysis.
• 123Loadboard : A popular, user-friendly platform optimized to help carriers find return freight and minimize empty miles through integrated mobile tools and mapping features.
• Doft Load Board : A carrier-centric digital platform and app explicitly tailored for instant load matching, automated backhaul searches, and real-time tracking.
• Uber Freight : A digital brokerage and automated matching app that lets you instantly view and book return loads matching your specific lane preferences and equipment type.
• Flock Freight : A specialized transportation management platform that uses smart algorithms to pool and match overlapping shipments, helping optimize multi-stop or return route efficiency.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your primary operating lanes or regions
• The equipment types you run (dry van, reefer, flatbed, etc.)

I can recommend which platform fits your specific fleet profile best.

Yes. There are several freight-matching/load-board platforms specifically useful for turning empty miles into paid backhauls:

• dat.com — One of the strongest options for traditional backhaul hunting. DAT offers lane/rate data plus TriHaul, which suggests triangular routes designed to reduce deadhead.
• convoy.com — Its current platform shows reload options before you book a load, including the deadhead distance to the next pickup, so dispatchers can evaluate the whole trip rather than just the first leg.
• relay.amazon.com — Particularly interesting if you have dry vans, reefers, containers, or power-only capacity. Post A Truck lets you specify where/when your truck is available and maximum deadhead, then matches qualifying Amazon freight to it.
• doft.com — A digital freight marketplace with explicit backhaul matching, deadhead-radius filters, saved lane searches, and rate forecasting.

What I'd look at first

If your primary KPI is reducing deadhead, I'd compare DAT vs. Convoy Platform vs. Amazon Relay based on your fleet's lanes and equipment.

The important distinction is that you're not merely looking for a "load board." You want a system that can answer:

Truck delivers at X → what paid freight is available near X → how much deadhead to pickup → does the combined route make economic sense? DAT's TriHaul and Convoy's reload functionality are especially relevant to that problem. Amazon's Post A Truck is more automated if your operation fits its freight network.

If you tell me fleet size, equipment (dry van/reefer/flatbed/etc.), and your main lanes, I can narrow this down to the 3–5 platforms most likely to cut your empty-mile percentage.

Cutting down on deadhead miles is one of the fastest ways to recover margin when logistics costs start climbing. Digital freight matching (DFM) platforms and load boards use automated matching algorithms, map-based route planning, and real-time capacity data to help you fill those empty trailers on the return leg.

The primary platforms and networks offering digital freight matching for backhauls include:

• DAT One (DAT Freight & Analytics) : The industry standard with the largest volume of posted loads in North America. Its digital freight matching algorithms and "Book Now" features let you instantly filter loads by your truck type, exact location, and desired destination to secure backhauls on the fly.
• Truckstop : Another massive, long-standing freight-matching marketplace. It offers integrated rate-per-mile analysis, load recommendations, and automated tools that suggest backhaul opportunities based on where your trucks are dropping off.
• 123Loadboard : A popular, cost-effective platform heavily utilized for finding spot freight, hotshots, and backhauls. It features robust mobile apps and integrations with various Transportation Management Systems (TMS) to streamline reload planning.
• Trucker Path : Highly popular among drivers on the road, their integrated load exchange aggregates massive daily volume, making it easy for drivers or dispatchers to hunt down nearby return loads straight from a mobile device.
• Flock Freight : Uses advanced algorithms to pool partial shipments and optimize routes (shared truckloads), which can help turn a traditional empty return or partial-load scenario into a more profitable pooled run.
• Major 3PL Digital Portals : Large brokers like C.H. Robinson (Navisphere) and Total Quality Logistics (TQL) feature proprietary carrier portals and load boards specifically designed to push available backhaul suggestions directly to carriers tied into their networks.

If you want, I can:

Compare the pricing and tier structures of DAT vs. Truckstop Explain how to integrate load boards directly into your TMS Share strategies for negotiating higher backhaul spot rates

Yes. There are several freight-matching/load-board options specifically useful for reducing deadhead and finding backhauls:

• dat.com — One of the biggest truckload marketplaces. Its TriHaul tool suggests triangular routes, and DAT specifically markets its platform for finding backhaul loads and reducing empty miles.
• convoy.com — Automated matching between brokers and carriers. Its newer Reloads feature shows available freight near a delivery point before the carrier books the first load, including the next load's deadhead miles and pickup timing.
• truckstop.com + Haul Monitor — Haul Monitor integrates with Truckstop's live load board and ranks potential return loads based on route, out-of-route miles, fuel surcharge, and net revenue. This is particularly interesting if you want dispatchers to evaluate the economics of the entire round trip, not just find another load.
• loadstop.com — A TMS with a backhaul-opportunity engine that surfaces return loads near delivery points and can automate load sourcing.
• coretra.online — A newer digital freight marketplace offering automated backhaul suggestions along a truck's route.

What I'd evaluate first

If your main problem is high empty-mile percentage across an existing fleet, I'd shortlist:

1. DAT + TriHaul — strongest general-purpose marketplace/data combination.
2. Convoy Platform — strongest if you want automated matching and visibility into the next load before committing to the current one.
3. Truckstop + Haul Monitor — especially compelling if you want a dispatcher-facing tool that ranks backhauls by net profitability, rather than simply finding something going in roughly the right direction.

The important distinction is that a good system shouldn't merely ask “Is there a load going toward home?” It should calculate revenue minus deadhead, loaded miles, fuel, tolls, driver costs, and out-of-route miles. That's what turns freight matching into an actual deadhead-reduction strategy.

If you tell me fleet size, equipment (dry van/reefer/flatbed), typical lanes, and approximate current deadhead %, I can narrow this to the 3–5 vendors most likely to produce meaningful savings.

Yes. Several freight-matching platforms specifically target deadhead reduction and backhaul/reload matching. The best fit depends on whether you're a carrier, private fleet, broker, or shipper.

What I'd shortlist

If your primary problem is "truck delivers in City A—find something nearby going toward City B", I'd start with:

1. DAT Convoy Platform — particularly interesting because the reload is now visible before committing to the outbound load, so you can evaluate the whole trip rather than just the first leg.
2. Uber Freight — worth evaluating if you want the platform to do more of the optimization/matching automatically rather than relying on dispatchers to search load boards.
3. DAT One — strong choice if you want dispatchers to have a very broad freight marketplace and make the matching decisions themselves.
4. LoadStop — more compelling if you're trying to solve this at the fleet/TMS level, rather than simply giving drivers another load board.

One important distinction: load boards help you find backhauls; digital freight matching tries to proactively match the truck, timing, equipment, destination and freight. If you're running a sizable private fleet, I'd favor the latter because the goal should be optimizing total loaded revenue per truck-hour, not simply finding any load that happens to go in the right direction.

If you tell me roughly how many trucks you operate, trailer types, and whether you're a private fleet or carrier, I can narrow this to the 3 platforms most likely to produce a measurable reduction in your deadhead.

To combat ballooning logistics costs and eliminate empty deadhead miles, several major freight-matching platforms, digital load boards, and automated brokerage solutions specialize in connecting empty trucks with backhaul loads.

The top options on the market vary by feature set and operation style:

• DAT Freight & Analytics (DAT One) is the industry giant and a top choice for sheer volume. It features massive daily load counts, real-time market rate data, broker credit scoring, and route-planning tools that make finding return trips or chaining multiple loads together much easier.
• Truckstop is another major tier-one load board providing robust freight-matching tools, integrated rate insights, and advanced lane-filtering options so carriers can pinpoint return loads along specific corridors.
• 123Loadboard offers a user-friendly, budget-conscious platform with strong mobile app functionality. It is widely used by carriers and owner-operators to map out return routes and secure backhaul opportunities directly from the road.
• Flock Freight uses a patented algorithmic approach rather than a standard load board. Their technology pools multiple shipments together (shared truckloads), which helps dynamically fill empty trailer space and optimize backhaul profitability.
• Backhaulers operates specifically as a freight brokerage that focuses heavily on matching shipper freight with carriers who are already routed into a specific lane, helping minimize empty repositioning.
• Trucker Path provides a mobile-first freight-matching ecosystem heavily integrated into driver workflows, allowing for quick load discovery based on a driver's live GPS location and upcoming route.

To help narrow down which platform fits your fleet best, let me know:

• What types of equipment are you running (dry van, reefer, flatbed)?
• Are you looking for a self-service load board or an automated/managed brokerage solution?

To slash deadhead miles and turn empty backhauls into revenue, you can leverage digital freight-matching platforms, traditional load boards with advanced routing features, and managed shipper networks. [1]

The industry leaders for finding backhaul loads are organized below by category:

Major Digital Freight Marketplaces & Automated Matching

• Uber Freight — Features automated return-load suggestions and multi-load chaining (such as through Powerloop) designed specifically to string headhauls and backhauls together, minimizing empty transit.
• Flock Freight — Uses a patented pooling algorithm to group shared truckloads (STL) from multiple shippers, filling empty trailer space and optimizing backhaul profitability.
• XPO Connect — XPO’s proprietary digital platform uses predictive analytics and real-time visibility to help secure backhauls and match capacity dynamically.

Industry-Standard Load Boards (Advanced Search)

• DAT Freight & Analytics — The largest load board network by volume. It features robust filtering tools on the DAT One platform to pinpoint return loads, analyze real-time spot market rates, and check broker credit. [1]
• Truckstop — Offers comprehensive digital freight-matching tools, integrated rate benchmarking, and automated load recommendations for finding available capacity along specific return corridors.
• 123Loadboard — Features specific backhaul and return-load search capabilities that highlight loads heading back toward your point of origin at a budget-friendly price point.

Managed Shipper & Broker Networks

• C.H. Robinson Navisphere — Provides massive scale and API connectivity directly into carrier TMS systems, giving you access to one of the world's largest pools of continuous freight opportunities.
• Total Quality Logistics (TQL) — Actively targets empty miles through dedicated shipper programs and digital carrier dashboards to source return freight quickly.

To help narrow down which platform fits your fleet best, tell me:

• What types of equipment are you running (dry van, reefer, flatbed)?
• Are you looking for spot-market flexibility or dedicated contract backhauls?

Yes. There are several freight-matching/load-board platforms specifically aimed at reducing deadhead by finding a reload/backhaul near the truck’s delivery point.

Strong options

• dat.com — Probably the broadest starting point. DAT One has a large truckload marketplace, and its TriHaul feature suggests triangular routes to reduce empty miles. DAT also now owns the Convoy Platform.
• convoy.com — Particularly relevant to your problem. Its current Reloads feature shows available freight near the delivery stop before a carrier books the initial load, including reload rate, pickup timing, and deadhead miles.
• uberfreight.com — Uses algorithmic load bundling to suggest return loads around the delivery location. Uber Freight reported that its bundled loads reduced deadhead by 22.6% in its analysis.
• doft.com — A freight-matching marketplace with explicit backhaul matching, deadhead-radius filters, and rate-per-mile filtering.
• carrierfirst.com — Combines AI load matching with trip optimization/backhaul matching, fuel analysis, and profitability tracking.
• loadstop.com — More of a TMS/dispatch optimization approach: it can combine DAT, Truckstop, and direct tenders and score loads against your actual cost per mile. It specifically offers a backhaul engine for finding return freight.

What I'd shortlist

If you're running a fleet and the goal is materially lowering empty-mile percentage, I'd evaluate:

1. DAT + Convoy Platform — best combination of marketplace breadth and automated reload matching.
2. Uber Freight — worth testing if your lanes/equipment fit its network.
3. LoadStop or Carrier First — better if you want the matching integrated into dispatch/TMS decisions rather than simply giving dispatchers another load board.
4. Doft — interesting lower-friction option if you want direct digital matching and explicit deadhead controls.

The key distinction is that a normal load board helps you find another load; a true backhaul/reload engine evaluates the next load in the context of where the truck is going to end up. That's much closer to solving the deadhead problem you're describing.

If you tell me roughly fleet size, trailer types (dry van/reefer/flatbed), and your main lanes/regions, I can narrow this to the 3 best fits and compare their matching approach, pricing, integrations, and likely ROI.