Headhaul

In practice

Freight doesn't flow evenly. Some areas ship far more than they receive, so trucks leaving them are in demand and rates are higher. Trucks heading into areas that receive more than they ship find plenty of trucks and fewer loads waiting. The load out of the strong market is the headhaul.

Headhaul A pays

$2,600 into a weak market

Best backhaul from A

$1,100

Headhaul B pays

$2,300 into a busy market

Best backhaul from B

$1,900

Round trip A

$3,700

Round trip B

$4,200

EXAMPLE numbers with similar miles. The lower headhaul wins the round trip.

In the example, the higher-paying headhaul loses the round trip by $500 because it delivers somewhere with poor freight out. It's a common pricing mistake: judging a load only by what it pays to get there.

Using the headhaul well

• Check the delivery market first. What leaves that area, for your equipment, this week?
• Price the pair. Treat headhaul and backhaul as one trip; the load profitability calculator helps.
• Watch the season. Strong and weak markets shift with harvests, construction and retail peaks; see the freight seasonality calendar.
• Hold your rate on headhauls. When capacity is tight leaving a market, the first offer usually isn't the best one.

Is the headhaul always the higher-paying leg?

Usually, but not always. A busy week in the delivery region can make the return load pay as much. The terms describe direction, and the rates follow supply and demand.

Do dispatchers plan headhauls and backhauls together?

Good ones do. The goal is a strong rate for the whole loop, with as few empty miles as possible.