Carrier First Management vs LoadMatch

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.

LoadMatch connects buyers and sellers of intermodal and import/export transportation services across North America, matching loads with truck capacity, intermodal equipment, and terminal locations. Its customers include freight forwarders, brokers, intermodal marketing companies, beneficial owners, motor carriers, and equipment suppliers. Members can post availability through a web form, batch file, FTP, or a direct connection; both free and paid members can also post from dispatch software. Batch uploads support text, Excel, and Access files, with XML accepted and tab-delimited text preferred. The free plan allows posting loads, equipment or power, and jobs, but excludes viewing loads and equipment and receiving email alerts. Paid membership costs $600 a year and adds full access and visibility, alerts, load and equipment viewing, and a company logo and directory link. New paid-account customers receive a 30 day free trial. LoadMatch says there is no contract and members can cancel at any time, but payments are non-refundable after payment. It is a web service, and the company was incorporated in 1999.