Carriers: Unlock more profits with DAT LaneMakers
Finding consistent, reliable freight is key. Why can it be so difficult? We talk to carriers all the time who say they spend too much time searching for loads and struggling to find brokers who are active on their preferred lanes. This leads to a bloat of deadhead miles, unpredictable revenue, and missed opportunities. It doesn’t have to be like this.
What if you had a tool that could show you exactly which brokers are posting the most on a lane you’re trying to run?
That’s where DAT LaneMakers comes in. Now included with every DAT load board subscription, LaneMakes is your guide to building a stronger, more profitable business. LaneMakers helps you identify the brokers who consistently post freight on your key routes. This allows you to build relationships on new lanes you’re breaking into and potentially securing repeat business.
The power of basic LaneMakers features
Every DAT subscription now includes LaneMakers. With it, you’re poised to move from a reactive load-finding process to a proactive business-building strategy.
Reduce empty miles and deadhead
Empty miles are a major drain on profitability. LaneMakers is an essential tool for securing backhauls and minimizing deadhead. Before you even book a headhaul, you can use LaneMakers to research your backhaul route and identify brokers who are active on that lane. This proactive approach helps you line up your next load in advance, ensuring you have a paying trip on the return journey and keeping your truck loaded and earning.
Plan loads more effectively
It’s not just finding a load here or there, though. LaneMakers can lead to carriers securing contract freight opportunities, turning one-off jobs into steady revenue streams. By understanding who moves what and where, you can fill gaps in your schedule and build a more reliable route plan.
But wait, there’s more
For carriers looking to gain an even bigger advantage, the premium version of LaneMakers offers even more powerful data and insights. Take a look.
Access broker search history
The premium experience goes beyond showing you who has been posting loads. It also reveals which brokers have been searching for trucks on your lanes. This is a game-changer. By seeing this activity, you can prioritize your calls to the brokers who are actively looking for the services you provide, increasing your chances of securing a great load.
Leverage a 365-day lookback
While the basic version provides a 30-day view of lane activity, the premium version extends this to a full 365 days. This year-long history gives you a much broader understanding of seasonal trends and broker behavior. You can identify partners who have been reliable over the long term, not just in the last month. This expanded pool of proven partners helps you build a resilient business that can thrive in any market condition.
Target partners with precision
With more data at your fingertips, you can be more selective about who you work with. Premium LaneMakers allows you to focus your outreach on brokers with demonstrated, consistent lane activity. You can also use other DAT tools in tandem, like checking broker credit scores and days-to-pay ratings, to prioritize partners who are not only active but also reliable and financially sound. This helps stabilize your cash flow and raises the overall quality of your business.
A quick playbook for increasing your profit
Ready to put LaneMakers to work? Here’s what it looks like.
- Identify priority lanes: Choose two or three of your most important lanes, or lanes you’re looking to break into. Run a LaneMakers search for headhaul and backhaul to create a list of the most active brokers. Call these brokers a week ahead of when you’d like to run those routes.
- Strengthen backhauls with TriHaul: For stronger backhauls, use DAT’s TriHaul tool to identify a more profitable triangular route. Search each leg of the route in LaneMakers to identify brokers that you could source loads from on your next trip. We recommend utilizing this combo of tools as a planning tool, rather than a live load resource.
- Get discovered by brokers: LaneMakers works both ways. Regularly posting your truck and searching for loads in your target lanes will increase your match rate with the right brokers for you.
Ready to make more?
By giving you direct insight into broker activity on your most important lanes, LaneMakers empowers you to move beyond simply finding the next load and start building lasting, valuable business relationships.
Since LaneMakers is now included with every DAT subscription, you can start using it immediately to make your business more resilient and successful. No additional charges. Here’s to your success.
