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; Use this glossary to look up freight industry and Load Work terms in plain language. Terms are listed alphabetically. ## A **Accounts payable (AP)** The billing contact at a brokerage who handles payment for completed loads. The AP contact, email, and phone are shown on broker profiles. Get this info before accepting a load if it is missing. **Authority** See MC number and FMCSA. A carrier or broker must have active FMCSA operating authority to legally operate. Load Work checks and displays broker authority status. ## B **Broker** A company or individual licensed by the FMCSA to arrange freight transportation between shippers and carriers. Brokers post loads on the board; carriers contact them to negotiate and book. ## C **Carrier** A company or individual who physically moves freight using their own trucks. The primary user of Load Work. **Claim** A self-reported signal in Load Work that you or a teammate is pursuing a saved load. Visible to everyone in your org. Does not reserve the load with the broker. **Conestoga** A flatbed trailer with a rolling tarp system that provides enclosure. Often used for loads that need weather protection but are not suited to a dry van. ## D **Deadhead** Driving empty miles, without cargo, to reposition your truck. Minimizing deadhead is key to profitability. **De-duplication** Load Work's process of merging identical loads posted in multiple places into a single entry on the board. One load = one card, even if the same broker posted it in 3 places. **Double-brokering** When a broker who accepted a load illegally re-brokers it to another carrier without the shipper's knowledge. A form of freight fraud. Watch for brokers asking you to re-broker a load. ## F **FMCSA** Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The US agency that licenses and regulates carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders. Load Work uses FMCSA data to check broker authority. Website: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. ## H **Hotshot** A trucking service using a heavy-duty pickup truck pulling a flatbed or gooseneck trailer, typically for time-sensitive smaller loads. ## L **Lane** A specific origin-to-destination freight route. For example, "Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN" is a lane. **Liftgate** A hydraulic platform mounted to the back of a truck that raises and lowers freight. Required by some shippers for loading and unloading without a loading dock. **Load board** A marketplace where brokers post available freight and carriers search for loads. Load Work is a load board that aggregates postings from multiple sources and adds scoring. **Lowboy** A flatbed trailer with a very low deck height, used for oversized or tall equipment that cannot fit on a standard flatbed. ## M **MC number (Motor Carrier number)** A unique identifier issued by FMCSA to licensed motor carriers and brokers. Also called an "operating authority" number. Used to verify a broker's legitimacy. ## P **Power only** When a carrier provides only the truck (tractor) and the shipper or broker provides the trailer. Common for drop-and-hook operations. **Posting completeness** A Load Work metric showing how consistently a broker fills in key fields (weight, dates, contact info) on their load postings. Higher = more useful data. Does NOT indicate legitimacy. ## Q **Quiet hours** A setting in Load Work that pauses non-urgent notifications during a daily time window you define. Applies to all notification rules. ## R **Rate confirmation (rate con)** The written agreement between carrier and broker confirming the rate, lane, and terms of a load. Get this before you move any freight. **RGN (Removable Gooseneck)** A trailer with a detachable front section, allowing heavy equipment to drive on from the front. Used for very heavy or oversized loads. **RPM (Rate per mile)** Total load rate divided by loaded miles. The primary profitability metric for comparing loads. For example, $500 rate / 200 miles = $2.50 RPM. **Reefer** A refrigerated trailer used for temperature-sensitive freight (food, pharmaceuticals, etc.). ## S **Seat** A user account slot within a Load Work organization. Essential = 1 seat, Pro = 5 seats, Enterprise = 10 seats. **Step deck (drop deck)** A flatbed trailer with two deck levels, an upper and a lower, allowing taller freight than a standard flatbed without a height permit. ## T **Tanker** A trailer designed to carry liquids or gases in bulk. **Time to fill** The average time a broker's loads remain on the board before being covered. A Load Work stat on broker profiles. Short time to fill = competitive broker, move quickly. ## U **USDOT number** A unique identifier issued by FMCSA to commercial vehicles operating in interstate commerce. Different from the MC number. ## Related articles