How to find cargo van loads

Checked October 2026

The short answer: loads reach a cargo van four ways — the companies whose own goods move (distributors, supply houses, warehouses, and local businesses that ship small things), delivery apps, load boards, and dispatchers. The strongest door is the first one: the companies themselves. Everything else takes a cut, a monthly fee, or both.

1. The companies themselves — the door most drivers miss

Distributors, supply houses, warehouses, and local businesses that ship small goods need cargo vans and sprinter vans every day — parts runs, supply runs, pharmacy and food deliveries. They give the work to drivers they know and can call. You do not find this work on a board. You get it by reaching the person at the company who signs up drivers, and asking.

This is the slow-looking door that pays the longest: set routes, steady days, and a company that calls you first when a driver drops out.

2. Delivery apps and platforms

Apps give spot loads — one job at a time. They are easy to start and easy to sit idle on, because every driver in the city sees the same job at the same time. Use apps to fill gaps, not as your whole plan.

3. Load boards

Boards charge a monthly fee and show you freight that many drivers are fighting over. Some boards are closed to new or small carriers. We wrote the honest board-by-board picture, with real prices, in our load board guide.

4. Dispatchers

A real dispatcher charges about 5 to 10 percent of the load pay, and only on work you run. A fake one asks for money up front on your card. Learn the three tells in our dispatcher scam guide before you send anyone a dollar.

What "free loads" really means

No website hands a stranger free loads. When a site says "free," it means you do the work of finding the companies that give out the loads. That work is the whole job — and it is why this book exists. We find the companies, name the person to call, and keep the list checked. You do the knocking.