What is a Freight Lane?
In the simplest terms, a freight lane, sometimes called a carrier lane, is a transportation route carriers use to transport cargo from point A to point B.
In the trucking industry, freight lanes involve moving freight from one point to another using using preferred routes including interstates, highways, and other DOT approved roads. Of course, finding the best freight lanes is much more complex than that and there are many factors to be considered before establishing a freight lane.
Most freight lanes are made up of multiple legs with varying distances. Often times, the first or last leg of the freight lane is deadheaded, meaning the truck is empty, which cuts into load profits. The best freight lanes are those where loads can be secured for each leg, eliminating the deadhead, though there are times that just isn’t possible.
In cases where a leg must be deadheaded it is important to secure loads that will generate enough profit to minimize the cost of the deadhead leg.
Not all Freight Lanes are Created Equal
The advantage of finding and operating within specific freight lanes is having the ability to secure loads for each leg to maximize carrier earnings. A good freight lane has fewer deadhead values since the freight is more available, making it easier to find loads for each leg of the freight lane.
When establishing freight lanes, there are many factors to be considered, such as: freight availability, truck to load ratio, geography and terrain, traffic and population density, state regulations, highway systems, and tolls.
JF Express Fr8 dispatchers work hard to find the right mix of shippers and brokers within the best freight lanes to keep owner/operators loaded during each leg, reducing deadheading and maximizing owner/operator profits.
Some carriers only operate within a fixed region of the country where they have established freight lanes. National carriers, like JF Express Fr8 establish freight lanes that operate within defined regions, as well as long haul lanes that go nationwide.
Are you a HotShot owner/operator, operating under your own authority, looking for help in securing the best loads and freight lanes? Check out our dispatching service to see if it may be the right fit for you.
Are you a HotShot owner/operator looking for a career opportunity with JF Express FR8? Check out our HotShot trucking jobs page to learn more.
Our Mission
At JF Express Fr8, our mission is to provide safe, timely transportation of goods, nationwide.
JF Express Fr8, LLC is a woman-owned, family-run trucking company based in Marysville, OH. Our core values are to operate with honesty and integrity, and to respect others and the goods they entrust us with transporting.
There are a lot of nationwide hotshot trucking companies and we believe our core values are what sets this successful, woman-owned, family-run hotshot trucking company apart from all the rest.