DAT and Truckstop: the load boards a dispatcher works on
They are two sites where brokers post loads and carriers book them. The main one is DAT, the second is Truckstop. A dispatcher has them open all day, and every trip starts there.
What these platforms are
The main board
The largest database of loads. Companies take the most expensive plan so that everything shows up. One search can return several thousand offers.
The second board
The same loads, shown differently: the rate and the rate per mile are the first columns. A company provides either both services or one — usually DAT.
What a dispatcher reads in the results
A beginner reads left to right and drowns. An experienced dispatcher reads in order of importance.
- 01
Age of the post
13h, 1h, 24m. The fresher the post, the more alive the load: an old post often gets no answer.
- 02
Rate and rate per mile
How much it pays in total and how much that is per mile. The second number is the measure of whether a load is good.
- 03
From and to
Does the lane suit this driver: where they are now, how many empty miles to the pickup and where they end up.
- 04
Weight, length, trailer type
Will the load physically fit, and is it legal by weight. Then — the call to the broker.
Who pays for access
The subscription is bought by the carrier company, not the dispatcher. It is a working tool, like a company phone: access comes with the job.
If an employer asks you to pay for board access out of your own pocket, that is a red flag, not normal market practice.
On the course the board is shown live, from the instructor’s working account: real results, real loads, the columns explained in order. Students don’t get logins — it is someone else’s working account.