Deadhead miles are money out of your pocket on every trip. Reducing empty miles through smarter lane planning is one of the most effective ways to increase your net income without driving a single extra mile. Here is how to do it. Map Your Freight Corridors — Identify the freight corridors where you consistently find the most loads in both directions. Bidirectional freight markets dramatically reduce your deadhead exposure. Use Round Trip Planning — Before accepting any outbound load confirm with your dispatcher that a quality return load is available. Never commit to a one way market without a backhaul plan. Build Relationships in Key Markets — The more broker relationships you have in your primary markets the easier it is to find backhaul freight quickly after every delivery. Use Technology — Load boards and lane analysis tools from DAT and Truckstop show you exactly where freight is available so you can make smarter routing decisions. Avoid Known Dead End Markets — Certain areas are consistently difficult to get loaded out of. Learn which markets to avoid and factor deadhead risk into your rate requirements before accepting loads into these areas. Charge More Into Deadhead Markets — If you must accept a load into a difficult backhaul market make sure you are charging enough on the outbound to cover your anticipated deadhead cost on the return. At BlackCheetah LLC our dispatchers plan every load with deadhead reduction as a primary objective. We track backhaul opportunities proactively so our clients spend more time loaded and less time empty. Call 347-832-8251 today.
