What do you need help with?
Pick the one eating your cash flow right now. Each pillar is a standalone guide with real prices, honest pros and cons, and a clear next step. New here? Start with the DOT number lookup at the top, it is the free federal tool every carrier should run before hauling for a broker they do not know.
Start here · Free FMCSA lookupDOT Number Lookup: verify any freight broker before you haul
You are about to take a load from a broker you have never met. Run their MC or USDOT number through the official FMCSA SAFER system first. Free, takes under two minutes, and it is the single most effective way to spot a fake broker. We link you straight to the federal source and walk you through reading the record.
Open the free DOT number lookup →Freight factoring Partner
Compare six reputable trucking factors by advance rate, fee, and recourse terms. The broker wants 30 to 45 days to pay. Factoring gets you most of your money within a day. Summar Financial is our referral partner.
Compare factoring companies → Find freight · DAT vs TruckstopLoad boards Partner
DAT One versus Truckstop versus the free boards that actually work. Real prices from each board's own pricing page, the DAT-vs-Truckstop verdict by trailer type, what happened to Convoy, and how to avoid double-brokering scams.
Compare load boards → Do the math · Free, no signupTrucking calculators
Three decision tools that run in your browser: factoring cost calculator (what does factoring actually cost you), cost-per-mile calculator (your break-even rate), and a lane rate estimator. No email wall, no login. The calculator just calculates.
Open the calculators → Cut costs · Pay less for fuelFuel cards Coming soon
Fuel is your biggest variable cost. The right card knocks real cents off every gallon with rebates and network discounts. We are building a comparison of fuel cards for truckers, including the RTS card. Sign up to know when it lands.
Fuel card guide (in progress) → Just starting · Fresh MCNew authority & MC Coming soon
Brand-new MC holder? There is a stack of federal compliance that has to be in place before your first dispatch, and an inadequate drug-and-alcohol program fails the New Entrant Safety Audit. We are building the checklist.
New-authority guide (in progress) →Freight fraud is at record highs. Read this before your next load.
TriumphPay estimates $500M to $700M a year now flows to double brokers (TriumphPay analysis, via the Wall Street Journal). That figure is the total fraud flowing through the system; carriers separately lose roughly $100 million a year in measured non-payments, per WSJ reporting. Our complete guide covers double brokering, fake-DAT phishing, phantom loads, slot-fee and EFS MoneyCode fraud, the 7-step FMCSA SAFER broker check, the January 2026 $75K bond rule, and how cargo theft rings operate. Pair it with the free DOT number lookup. No affiliate links. Just how to not get burned.
Who this is for
Get Paid Per Load is written for the carrier and owner-operator. Not the broker, not the dispatcher, not the shipper.
The new MC holder
Your authority just went active. You have no track record, thin reserves, and brokers you do not know yet. Start with factoring for new carriers and the free load board pick, then add a paid board once loads are rolling.
The running owner-operator
You are hauling and getting paid, but cash flow is tight and costs are climbing. The factoring comparison and the DAT vs Truckstop breakdown are your two highest-leverage reads.
If you only read two things
Read what freight factoring actually is (5 minutes, no jargon), then the load board comparison. Those two pieces cover the biggest cash-flow levers for almost every owner-operator: how fast you get paid, and how reliably you find the next load.
What "independent" actually means here
Three rules we hold to on every page, because the trucking tool space is full of fake reviews and stale advice.
1. We cite where the number came from.
Every price, rate, and score is either pulled from the company's own website (with a link) or honestly marked "confirm" when the company does not publish it. We will not invent a number to fill a table cell. If we do not know, we say so.
2. We label every paid relationship.
Summar Financial (factoring) and Truckstop (load boards) pay us if you sign up through our links. The other companies on those pages, we do not get paid for, and we say that on the page. The payment comes out of the partner's margin, not your pocket.
3. We correct stale advice when we find it.
A huge amount of "best load boards 2026" content still lists Convoy, which shut down in 2023. A lot of "best free load board" lists claim 123Loadboard has a free tier when it only offers a 10-day trial. We flag those because being right when others are wrong is how trust gets built.
Not sure where to start?
If cash flow is your problem, factoring is usually the fastest lever. If finding freight is your problem, a load board is. Pick the one that matches what is keeping you up and start there.
See factoring options → See load boards →Questions carriers ask us
What is Get Paid Per Load?
An independent review site for trucking carriers and owner-operators. We compare the tools that get you paid faster and keep more of what you earn: factoring companies, load boards, fuel cards, and the steps to get your own authority. We make money through referral and affiliate partnerships with some companies, and we say which.
Who is this site for?
Carriers and owner-operators. If you drive, haul freight, and get paid per load, the tools here are for you. That includes new MC holders, owner-operators running one to five trucks, and small fleets. Not aimed at brokers, dispatchers, or shippers.
How does the site make money?
Through referral and affiliate partnerships. Summar pays us a recurring referral fee if you sign through our factoring intro. Truckstop pays us a recurring commission if you sign up for a load board plan through our link. The payments come out of the partner's margin, not your price. We label every paid relationship on the page where it applies.
Do I need factoring if I have a load board?
They solve different problems. A load board helps you find freight. Factoring helps you get paid for freight you already hauled, usually within a day instead of waiting 30 to 45 days. Most owner-operators use both.
How do I verify a freight broker before I haul?
Run the broker's MC or USDOT number through the free FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Our DOT number lookup page links you straight to the federal tool and walks you through the 7-step check (Operating Status, Broker of Property authority, the $75,000 bond, insurance on file, contact-details match). For the full fraud breakdown, see our scams and warnings guide.
I just got my MC authority. Where do I start?
Start with the compliance items that must be in place before your first load, then sort out cash flow. For cash flow, read factoring for new carriers and the load board guide. New carriers typically need a paid board for broker-credit tools and a non-recourse factor for the risk of hauling for unknown brokers.
Are the reviews on this site real?
We do not collect or invent star ratings. When we cite a Trustpilot or app-store score, it is the published third-party number, attributed to that source and dated. We do not publish aggregateRating schema. If a company does not publish a number we need, we mark it "confirm" and tell you to get a quote.