Carrier First Management vs Direct Freight
Carrier First Management
carrierfirst.com
Direct Freight
directfreight.comSide by side
| Figure | Carrier First Management | Direct Freight |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $15/mo | $32.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 7 |
| Spec score · Load Board Software | 8.3 (#5) | 8.2 (#8) |
| Headquarters | Mesquite, Texas, United States | P.O. Box 131, Chillicothe, MO 64601, United States |
| Support | The About page lists 24/7 platform support. | The FAQ gives support by phone at 888-894-4198 and email at [email protected], and lists office hours as Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm CST. |
Plans
Carrier First Management
- Broker PlanFree
- Carrier Plan$15 a month
- Shipper Plan$15 a month
Direct Freight
- FreeFree
- Basic Carrier$39 a month
- Enhanced Carrier$49 a month
- Professional Carrier$69 a month
- Basic Carrier$390 a year
- Enhanced Carrier$490 a year
- Professional Carrier$690 a year
In their own words
Carrier First Management
Carrier First Management is a freight marketplace connecting carriers, brokers and shippers. Carriers can filter open loads by lane, equipment and rate, then submit bids for broker approval; approved loads are booked and assigned. Participants can view statuses from booking through pickup and transit to delivery. Quotes use real lane data for market-based rates, and invoices are generated automatically when a load is marked delivered. The document vault associates insurance certificates, authority letters and contracts with an account. Brokers can see a shipper’s credit limit, balance and payment terms, while role-based controls determine which loads, bids and documents each user can access. Listed equipment includes flatbed, dry van, stepdeck and hot shot. The broker plan is free. Carrier and shipper plans each cost $15 per month, with billing starting immediately and cancellation available from the dashboard. The service is available on Android, iOS and web, and lists 24/7 platform support.
Direct Freight
Direct Freight Services connects carriers with loads posted mostly by brokers, with some direct shippers also posting. Its load board supports searching and posting loads and trucks, and matching load alerts, mileage, and maps are available. The company says its Driver app searches more than 300K loads daily. A lane pricing tool uses millions of load records to provide spot market rates for thousands of lanes. Professional Carrier adds current and historical freight rates, toll costs, saved lanes, and team management; Enhanced Carrier and Professional Carrier also include credit scores, days to pay, and full credit reports. The service is available on the web and through iOS and Android apps. The Free plan costs nothing and allows three load searches per day. Basic Carrier costs $39 a month after 15 days for $1; Enhanced Carrier costs $49 a month and Professional Carrier $69 a month, each after 15 days for $1. The FAQ notes that unavailable loads may remain listed and most loads do not show pay rates.