Every empty mile costs a driver money. Experienced owner operators start planning their trip home before they even deliver the load they're hauling now. Find a good backhaul and you cut deadhead miles, keep your truck loaded, and earn more on every trip.

In this guide, we'll cover the strategies drivers use to find backhauls, the load board filters that matter most, and how TruckSmarter's free load board helps you line up your next load before you've dropped the current one.

What Is a Backhaul and Why Does It Matter?

A backhaul is a load that moves your truck back toward home (or another good freight market) after you deliver.

Say you haul freight from Chicago to Atlanta. Once you deliver, you've got two options:

• Drive 800 empty miles back to Chicago

• Book a 500-mile load heading north and turn those empty miles into paid ones

A backhaul that doesn't take you all the way home can still set you up for a stronger next load. One driver we spoke to said they always weigh backhaul options before accepting the outbound load, sometimes taking a lower outbound rate if it means a better return trip.

Backhaul availability depends on your equipment:

No matter what you pull, the goal is the same: minimize empty miles and stay positioned for the next profitable load. 

How to Search for Backhauls on the Free Load Board

The biggest mistake owner operators make is waiting until the truck is empty to start searching. By then, the best loads are already booked. Start looking for your next load while you're still hauling the current one. You'll have more time to compare options, negotiate rates, and cut down on deadhead.

Here's a simple workflow to follow:

1. Open the Load Board

Open the TruckSmarter app and tap Loads on the navigation bar. Starting your search before delivery means you're choosing from the best available loads, not settling for leftovers.

2. Search From Your Delivery Location

Set your origin to where you're delivering your current load. For destination, enter your home region or the market you want to reposition to.

Pro Tip: A backhaul doesn't have to take you all the way home. Two shorter, well-paying loads often beat waiting around for one perfect return trip.

3. Filter the Results

The right filters depend on how you run your operation. Some drivers stay close to home. Others go farther for the right rate. Either way, know what actually drives your profitability:

• Rate per mile: A quick comparison tool, but never look at it alone. Know your operating costs first, then factor in haul length. $4.00/mile sounds great until you realize it's only a 50-mile load.

• Pickup window: Compare it against your delivery schedule. Great pay doesn't matter if you can't make the appointment.

• Weight: Same rate per mile, different take-home pay. Heavier loads mean more fuel and more wear on your truck.

• Length of haul: A shorter trip can set up another booking the same day. A longer haul might mean fewer loads that week. Think about how each load fits your bigger plan.

• Broker payment speed and credit: Getting booked is half the job. Getting paid on time is the other half. Check the broker's payment history before you commit.

4. Review the Complete Load

Don't book off the listing alone. Open the full details and check:

• Rate per mile

• Pickup and delivery appointments

• Total deadhead to pickup

• Broker payment speed and credit

• Special requirements or equipment restrictions

The full picture often reveals loads that look good at first but aren't as profitable once you dig in.

5. Check the Backhaul Suggestions

TruckSmarter's free load board automatically surfaces backhaul options when you open a load. Reviewing a Chicago-to-Atlanta load? You'll automatically see options for loads heading from Atlanta back toward Chicago or nearby markets. Seeing both directions at once makes it easy to judge the full earning potential before you accept the outbound load.

6. Contact the Broker

Found a load that fits? Call or message the broker right from the app. Backhaul lanes move fast, especially in busy markets. Being first to reach the broker can be the difference between booking the load and losing it.

7. Review the Rate Confirmation

Before you accept, read the rate confirmation. Pay close attention to:

• Detention pay

• TONU terms

• Appointment times

• Special instructions

A minute of review now can save you a headache later.

8. Set lane alerts

If you run the same corridors often, save your regular return routes and get notified when new freight hits the board. No more constant checking. Just early alerts and more time to compare before other carriers book the load.

Finding Backhauls with TruckSmarter Dispatch

Dispatch is the AI assistant built right into TruckSmarter free load board. Instead of scrolling through load board filters, you just describe what you need in a chat window and Dispatch does the searching, researching, and comparison for you.

Here's how it works:

• You tell it what you need. Tell Dispatch your lane, equipment type, and the lowest rate you're willing to take. No need to build out a complicated filter every time.

• It finds your way home. Dispatch automatically surfaces backhaul options starting from your delivery point, so you don't have to run a second search once you drop the load.

• It ranks and compares for you. Instead of clicking into ten different loads, Dispatch pulls the details that matter, rate per mile, pickup windows, and mileage, so you can compare your options at a glance.

• It connects you to the broker. Once you've found a load worth pursuing, Dispatch hands you off to bid or book directly, so you're not toggling between apps.

The more specific you are, the better the results you’ll get. Try a prompt like:

• “I'm delivering in Atlanta tomorrow morning, available by 10am. I need a dry van load heading back toward Chicago or Indianapolis. What's available that pays at least $2.50 per mile?”

• “I'm in Dallas and freight is slow. Show me the top three backhaul options heading west or northwest in the next 24 hours, ranked by rate per mile.”

• “I'm looking at a load from Charlotte to Miami. Before I book it, what backhaul options typically come out of Miami for dry van, and what lanes pay the best?”

• “Compare this outbound load and my best backhaul options for one trip. Show me total loaded miles, deadhead miles, total revenue, and average rate per mile.”

Dispatch is free to try, with Dispatch Unlimited available for $49/month if you need more. Most new drivers find the free version is enough for planning a handful of backhauls a week, but if you're running lanes daily, you may want to consider Dispatch Unlimited.

Common Backhaul Lanes

Freight tends to flow in predictable patterns between certain cities. While freight conditions can change, these are some common lanes drivers mention they watch to help plan ahead.

Flatbed backhauls lean more on repeat brokers and direct shippers than dry van. Check the load board for these lanes first, then pair it with the relationships you've already built.

Here are three tips to help flatbed drivers position themselves: 

1. Check backhaul density at your destination before accepting the outbound load.

2. Save brokers who consistently move your lanes so you can call them first next time.

3. Look for freight tied to regional industries, like construction, steel, or ag equipment. It can point you toward loads before they hit the board.

Mistakes Drivers Make When Searching for Backhauls

A few things drivers told us they wish they'd known earlier:

• Waiting until delivery to search. By the time you're empty, other carriers have already booked the best-paying loads on your lane. Starting your search while you're still en route gives you first pick instead of leftovers.

• Chasing total pay instead of rate per mile. A load that pays more overall isn't always the better deal if it takes twice as many miles to earn it. Rate per mile tells you how efficiently you're earning, not just how big the number looks.

• Ignoring broker payment speed. Booking a load is only part of the work. If a broker takes 30+ days to pay, that “good rate” doesn't feel so good when you're covering fuel and expenses.

• Not accounting for deadhead to pickup. A backhaul might pay well once you're loaded, but if the pickup is 100 miles out of your way, those unpaid miles eat into the profit before you even start the trip.

• Skipping the rate confirmation review. Detention pay, TONU terms, and appointment windows are usually spelled out in the rate confirmation. Skimming past it can mean missing details that cost you money if something goes wrong on the load.

• Waiting for the perfect backhaul. A load doesn't always need to take you straight home. A shorter load toward a stronger freight market can sometimes beat sitting for hours waiting for the perfect return trip.

Conclusion

Drivers who plan the backhaul as part of the outbound decision, not an afterthought, keep more loaded miles and make more money. It doesn't take a complicated system, just a habit of checking your options before you deliver.

Download TruckSmarter for free, set up lane alerts for your home region, and try the Dispatch prompts on your next run. A few minutes of planning now can mean a lot fewer empty miles later.