Carrier Guide/Getting Started
Getting Started

How CargoVans Works

Follow a load from the CargoVans Loadboard through your offer, broker communication, delivery, and payment.

CargoVans is built to help carriers find fresh freight quickly, evaluate opportunities, and contact brokers with a prepared offer. The process is simple, but the freight market moves quickly, so knowing what happens at each stage can help you act with confidence.

The CargoVans Journey

A typical load moves through three broad phases: finding the right opportunity, pursuing the load with the broker, and completing the transaction directly with the broker.

1

Find the Freight

Use CargoVans to discover and evaluate fresh opportunities.

01

Check the Loadboard

Start with the CargoVans Loadboard. Loads are displayed newest first, so recently posted freight appears toward the top of the results.

02

Narrow Your Search

Use the available filters to narrow the results by vehicle type, pickup state, and delivery state. Desktop users can switch between Table and Card views, while mobile uses the Card view.

03

Open the Load

When you find an opportunity that looks suitable, select View to open the full Load Information page and review the details before deciding whether to pursue it.

2

Make the Offer

Turn a promising load into a direct conversation with the broker.

01

Review the Complete Load

Check the pickup and delivery locations, times, weight, distance, vehicle requirements, rate information, and other available details. Look at the complete trip rather than judging the load from one number alone.

02

Prepare Your Offer

If the load fits your operation, select Prepare Offer. Enter your proposed price, distance, dimensions, and transit time. Your MC number, email, and phone are populated from your profile but can be edited before preparing the email.

03

Prepare and Send the Email

Select Prepare Email and CargoVans prepares the offer using the information you entered. Your email client then opens with the message ready for you to review and send to the broker.

04

Talk Directly With the Broker

After the offer is sent, the broker may contact you if they are interested. Any questions, negotiation, availability checks, and final agreement happen directly between you and the broker.

3

Complete the Load

Once you and the broker agree, the remaining transaction takes place outside CargoVans.

01

Confirm the Agreement

The exact process varies by broker. A broker may require a carrier packet, broker-carrier agreement, insurance or authority information, or other documents. Once the rate and terms are agreed, the broker commonly provides a rate confirmation or similar written confirmation before pickup.

02

Pick Up and Deliver

After the load is confirmed, follow the broker's pickup and delivery instructions and keep the required shipment documentation.

03

Submit Your Documents

After delivery, the broker may require documents such as a signed proof of delivery or bill of lading, along with an invoice and any other documents specified in your agreement.

04

Receive Payment

CargoVans does not collect or distribute payment for loads. The broker pays the carrier according to the payment terms agreed between them. Payment timing and accelerated-payment options can vary, so confirm the broker's terms before committing to the load.

What Happens Inside CargoVans vs. Outside

Inside CargoVans

  • Discover available freight
  • Search and filter loads
  • Review load information
  • Prepare an offer
  • Prepare an email to the broker

Between You and the Broker

  • Offer discussion and negotiation
  • Carrier onboarding and required documents
  • Final rate and load confirmation
  • Pickup and delivery
  • Invoicing and payment

Preparing an Offer Does Not Book the Load

Preparing an offer starts the conversation with the broker. It does not mean the load has been booked or awarded to you. The load is only something you should treat as confirmed after you and the broker have agreed on the applicable terms and completed whatever confirmation process the broker requires.

Do not assume an offer is a booking

Always confirm that the broker has accepted your offer and follow the broker's required confirmation process before heading to pickup.

Freight Moves Fast

CargoVans is designed around fresh freight. Loads are available on the Loadboard for up to two hours and are removed after that window. In practice, many loads may be booked within the first 15–30 minutes, although this is not a guarantee and some loads may remain available longer.

Freshness matters

CargoVans keeps the Loadboard focused on fresh freight. A load that looks attractive now may already be unavailable shortly afterward.

Check regularly

Freight moves quickly, so check the Loadboard periodically when you are looking for your next opportunity. New searches can reveal loads that were posted recently.

Load volume changes

Available freight can change significantly throughout the day. Depending on market activity, you may see thousands of loads at one time and only a few hundred at another.

Newest first

Loads are displayed with the newest postings first. This makes it easier to spot fresh opportunities before older loads further down the list.

A Simple Operating Loop

Once you understand the process, your daily workflow becomes a repeatable loop:

  1. 1Check the Loadboard for fresh freight.
  2. 2Filter the results to match your vehicle and preferred markets.
  3. 3Open promising loads and evaluate the complete trip.
  4. 4Prepare and send an offer when the opportunity makes sense.
  5. 5Communicate directly with the broker.
  6. 6Confirm the agreed terms before pickup.
  7. 7Complete the load and submit the required documents.
  8. 8Receive payment according to your agreement with the broker.
  9. 9Return to CargoVans and look for your next opportunity.

The goal is speed with discipline

CargoVans helps you find fresh opportunities quickly. Your job is to evaluate each load carefully, make a competitive offer, confirm the agreement, and keep moving.