Create Your First Load in Load Manager

Before You Use This Article

• Access needed: Load Manager login and permission to use this screen, report, setting, or workflow.
• Best starting path: Start from Freight Brokers, Carriers, Owner-Operators, and Trucking Companies, or Dispatch Services based on your company type.
• If this is not your setup: If this is not your company type, choose Freight Brokers, Carriers, Owner-Operators, and Trucking Companies, or Dispatch Services.

Use this article to create a basic load from start to finish. A load stores the customer, pickup and delivery stops, carrier or driver assignment, rates, notes, documents, status, and billing details for one shipment.

Before You Begin

Have the main load details ready before you start:

• Customer or payer name.
• Pickup and delivery locations.
• Pickup and delivery dates and appointment times.
• Customer PO, BOL, pickup number, delivery number, or other reference numbers.
• Customer rate and carrier or driver rate.
• Carrier or driver assignment, if already known.
• Commodity, weight, class, and accessorial details, if needed.

Start a New Load

1. Go to My Loads, All Loads, or the Dispatch Board.
2. Select Add Load.
3. Confirm the load status, dispatcher, and sales rep information.
4. Enter any required internal reference fields your company uses.

Select the Customer

1. Go to the customer or bill-to section of the Load Screen.
2. Start typing the customer name.
3. Select the correct customer from the list.
4. Confirm the customer contact, billing, PO, and reference details.

If the customer is missing or the customer information is wrong, update the customer profile from the Customers tab instead of creating duplicate customer records.

Enter Pickup and Delivery Stops

1. Enter the pickup location, address, contact, date, and appointment time.
2. Enter the delivery location, address, contact, date, and appointment time.
3. Add pickup or delivery reference numbers when needed.
4. Enter stop instructions that should be used for dispatch or paperwork.
5. Add more stops if the load has multiple pickups or deliveries.

Assign the Carrier or Driver

The assignment section depends on your TMS type:

• Freight Broker: Select the carrier. The carrier's driver may be entered as a carrier contact or load-specific driver detail. The carrier-facing document is a Rate Confirmation.
• Dispatch Service: Select the carrier. The carrier's driver may be entered as a carrier contact or load-specific driver detail. The carrier-facing document is a Dispatch Report.
• Carrier or Trucking Company: Select the driver from the Driver tab. The driver-facing document is a Dispatch Report.

Enter Rates and Charges

1. Enter the customer flat rate or customer rate per mile.
2. Enter the carrier or driver flat rate or rate per mile.
3. Add commodity and accessorial rows when the load needs freight details, additional charges, payment advances, or direct costs.
4. Review the totals and profit area before saving.

Save the Load

1. Select Save to save and stay on the load.
2. Select Save & Exit to save and return to the load list.
3. Watch for required-field messages if the load does not save.

After a load is saved, additional buttons can appear for documents, emails, attachments, GPS/location tools, copying, mapping, and billing.

What to Do Next

• Assign or confirm the carrier or driver.
• Send the Rate Confirmation or Dispatch Report.
• Send mobile dispatch or GPS tracking when your workflow uses it.
• Attach documents as the load moves through the workflow.
• Update the load status as pickup, delivery, POD, invoice, payment, and completion happen.

Troubleshooting

• The customer, carrier, or driver is not found: Confirm the profile is active and entered in the correct tab for your TMS type.
• A field is missing: Your company setup or user role may hide fields you do not use.
• You cannot see pricing: Your role may hide customer pricing, carrier/driver pricing, totals, or profit.
• The load will not save: Check required fields, invalid dates, missing status, missing customer, or lock messages.
• The wrong dispatch document appears: Confirm your TMS type and document workflow. Freight Brokers use Rate Confirmations; Dispatch Services and Carrier/Trucking companies use Dispatch Reports.

Related Articles

• Choose the Right Load Manager Articles for Your TMS Setup
• Use the Load Screen to Build and Manage a Load
• How to Dispatch a Load: Beginner Workflow
• Assign a Carrier or Driver to a Load
• Set Up Commodity and Accessorial Types
• Customer Invoice and Quote Layout