Choosing the right load board can make a $50,000+ difference in your annual revenue. With DAT, Truckstop, and LoadLink dominating the market, which one should you choose?
We’ve spent 6 months testing all three platforms with real carriers to bring you this comprehensive comparison. Whether you’re a new owner-operator or running a small fleet, this guide will help you make the right choice.
Quick Verdict
TL;DR:
- DAT: Best for established carriers wanting maximum load options
- Truckstop: Best value for owner-operators and small fleets
- LoadLink: Best for regional carriers and simple needs
Now let’s dive into the details.
Comparison Table
| Feature | DAT | Truckstop | LoadLink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $149-199/mo | $89-179/mo | $89-149/mo |
| Loads/Year | 400M+ | 150M+ | 100M+ |
| Mobile App | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Basic |
| Search Speed | ✅ Fast | ✅ Fast | ✅ Fast |
| Credit Checks | ✅ Included | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Rate Analysis | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Good | ⚠️ Basic |
| Learning Curve | Hard | Medium | Easy |
| Best For | All equipment | All equipment | Regional |
| Free Trial | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
Detailed Comparison
1. Pricing & Plans
DAT Load Board
Power Plan: $149/month
- Access to full load board
- Basic search and filters
- Mobile app access
- Credit reports
Premium Plan: $199/month
- Everything in Power
- Rate analysis tools
- Advanced search filters
- Market insights
- Historical data
Best For: Carriers grossing $250K+/year
Truckstop.com
Basic Plan: $89/month
- Full load board access
- Standard search
- Mobile app
- Credit checks
Pro Plan: $149/month
- Everything in Basic
- Lane analysis
- Fuel finder
- Load alerts
- Priority support
Best For: Owner-operators and small fleets
LoadLink
Standard Plan: $89/month
- Load board access
- Basic search
- Credit checks
- Mobile app
Plus Plan: $149/month
- Everything in Standard
- Enhanced search
- Load tracking
- Priority listings
Best For: Regional carriers, simple needs
2. Number of Loads
DAT: 400+ million loads per year
- Largest database
- Best for long-haul
- Most competitive
Truckstop: 150+ million loads per year
- Good coverage nationwide
- Less competition
- Better for owner-operators
LoadLink: 100+ million loads per year
- Fewer loads overall
- Strong in certain regions
- Less saturated
Verdict: DAT wins on sheer volume, but Truckstop offers better load-to-carrier ratio.
3. Search & Filtering
DAT
- Most Advanced: 20+ filter options
- Search by equipment, origin, destination, dates, rate, weight
- Save custom searches
- Real-time updates every 30 seconds
- Learning curve: 2-3 days to master
Truckstop
- Well-Balanced: 15+ filter options
- Similar to DAT but simpler interface
- Good mobile search experience
- Updates every 60 seconds
- Learning curve: 1 day to master
LoadLink
- Simplest: 10+ filter options
- Clean, intuitive interface
- Fast search results
- Updates every 60 seconds
- Learning curve: 1-2 hours to master
Verdict: DAT for power users, LoadLink for simplicity, Truckstop for balance.
4. Mobile Apps
DAT Mobile
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars
- Full desktop features
- Fast load searching
- Easy booking
- GPS integration
- Best mobile app overall
Truckstop Mobile
- Rating: 4.2/5 stars
- Good functionality
- Slightly slower than DAT
- All essential features
- Occasional bugs
LoadLink Mobile
- Rating: 3.8/5 stars
- Basic features only
- Slower performance
- Limited advanced search
- Gets the job done
Verdict: DAT has the best mobile experience.
5. Credit Checks & Safety
All three include broker credit checks, but with different levels of detail:
DAT
- Most Comprehensive
- Payment history
- Credit score
- Days to pay
- Fraud alerts
- Company info
- Reviews from other carriers
Truckstop
- Good Coverage
- Credit score
- Payment terms
- Company details
- Basic reviews
LoadLink
- Basic Info
- Credit score
- Payment history
- Company contacts
Verdict: DAT offers most detailed broker intelligence.
6. Additional Features
DAT Exclusive Features
- ✅ Rate analysis (see market rates for any lane)
- ✅ Fuel prices along routes
- ✅ Historical rate data
- ✅ Market trends reports
- ✅ Capacity insights
Truckstop Exclusive Features
- ✅ Integrated fuel finder
- ✅ Truck stop directory
- ✅ Weather alerts
- ✅ Route optimization
- ✅ Load matching algorithm
LoadLink Exclusive Features
- ✅ Simple interface (actually a feature!)
- ✅ Quick post truck
- ✅ Easy load tracking
Verdict: DAT and Truckstop offer more tools, LoadLink keeps it simple.
7. Customer Support
DAT
- Good: Phone, email, chat support
- Response time: 15-30 minutes
- Helpful resources and training
- Active community forum
Truckstop
- Excellent: Phone, email, chat
- Response time: 5-15 minutes
- Dedicated account managers for Pro plan
- Best customer service of the three
LoadLink
- Average: Phone and email
- Response time: 30-60 minutes
- Basic help center
- Limited training resources
Verdict: Truckstop wins on customer support.
Real Carrier Experiences
DAT User Review
“DAT is expensive but worth it. I book 2-3 more loads per week than I did with just Truckstop. The rate analysis tool alone saves me from taking bad loads.”
- Mike R., Owner-Operator, Texas
Truckstop User Review
“Best value for money. The interface is easy to use and I find plenty of loads. Customer support is fantastic - they always answer quickly.”
- Sarah L., Small Fleet (5 trucks), Ohio
LoadLink User Review
“Perfect for my needs. I run regional routes and don’t need all the fancy features. Simple, affordable, gets the job done.”
- James T., Owner-Operator, California
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose DAT If You:
- ✅ Run a fleet (3+ trucks)
- ✅ Need maximum load options
- ✅ Want advanced analytics
- ✅ Haul nationwide (all 48 states)
- ✅ Can justify the higher cost
Choose Truckstop If You:
- ✅ Are an owner-operator
- ✅ Want best value for money
- ✅ Need good customer support
- ✅ Run a small fleet (1-5 trucks)
- ✅ Want balanced features
Choose LoadLink If You:
- ✅ Run mostly regional routes
- ✅ Want simplicity over features
- ✅ Are new to load boards
- ✅ Have a tight budget
- ✅ Don’t need advanced analytics
Can You Use Multiple Load Boards?
Yes, and you should!
Most successful carriers use 2-3 load boards because:
- More loads = More opportunities
- Different boards have different loads
- Redundancy if one goes down
- Better negotiation leverage
Recommended Combinations:
Budget: Truckstop + LoadLink = $178/month
- Good coverage, affordable
Standard: DAT + Truckstop = $238-348/month
- Maximum loads, best tools
Premium: All three = $327-497/month
- Every load available anywhere
Managing Multiple Boards
Using 2-3 load boards sounds overwhelming, but tools like LoadSnap make it easy:
- Search all boards from one screen
- Send emails to all boards with one click
- Never miss a load update
- Respond 10x faster
Pricing Comparison by Truck Count
1 Truck (Owner-Operator)
- Budget: LoadLink ($89/mo) + LoadSnap ($29/mo) = $118/month
- Standard: Truckstop ($149/mo) + LoadSnap ($29/mo) = $178/month
- Premium: DAT ($199/mo) + Truckstop ($149/mo) + LoadSnap ($29/mo) = $377/month
2-5 Trucks (Small Fleet)
- Standard: DAT + Truckstop = $298-348/month
- Premium: All three boards = $437-497/month
6+ Trucks (Fleet)
- Contact each load board for enterprise pricing
- Typically 10-20% discount for multiple users
ROI Calculator
Example: Owner-Operator using DAT ($199/mo)
- Extra loads found: 2-3 per month
- Average load profit: $800
- Extra monthly revenue: $1,600-2,400
- DAT cost: -$199
- Net benefit: $1,401-2,201/month
- Annual ROI: 8,406-13,206%
The right load board pays for itself many times over.
Free Trials: Test Before You Buy
All three offer free trials:
- DAT: 7-day free trial
- Truckstop: 7-day free trial
- LoadLink: 7-day free trial
Pro Tip: Sign up for all three trials simultaneously to compare them side-by-side over one week.
Final Recommendation
Our Top Pick: Truckstop + LoadSnap
For most owner-operators and small fleets, we recommend:
Truckstop Pro Plan ($149/month)
- Best balance of price and features
- Excellent customer support
- Great mobile app
LoadSnap Chrome Extension ($29/month)
- Automate load board emails
- Respond 10x faster
- Works with Truckstop, DAT, and LoadLink
Total: $178/month for maximum efficiency
This combination gives you:
- ✅ Access to 150M+ loads per year
- ✅ Fast, automated email responses
- ✅ Professional communication
- ✅ More booked loads
- ✅ Higher revenue
Start Your Free Trials Today →
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I try multiple load boards at once? A: Yes! Sign up for all three free trials simultaneously to compare them directly.
Q: Do I need all three load boards? A: No. Most carriers do fine with 1-2 boards. Start with Truckstop, add DAT if you need more loads.
Q: Which load board has the most loads? A: DAT has the most (400M+/year), but Truckstop’s 150M+ is plenty for most carriers.
Q: Are load boards worth the cost? A: Absolutely. One extra load per month pays for any load board subscription.
Q: What about free load boards? A: Free load boards exist but have fewer loads, more competition, and less reliable brokers. Paid boards are worth the investment.
Q: Can I cancel anytime? A: Yes, all three offer month-to-month subscriptions with no long-term contracts.
Ready to find more loads and grow your trucking business?
- Try Truckstop Free (7 days) →
- Try DAT Free (7 days) →
- Try LoadLink Free (7 days) →
- Automate Your Load Booking with LoadSnap →
About LoadSnap: LoadSnap helps freight dispatchers and carriers book more loads with 10x faster email responses. Works with DAT, Truckstop, and LoadLink. Learn more →
Last updated: January 2025