How much does the DAT load board cost?

DAT's published carrier plans run from $54 to $329 per month on the vendor's own pricing page, tiered mainly by search capacity and how fresh the lane-rate averages are. Every figure is a list price the vendor can change without notice.

How much does the Truckstop load board cost?

Truckstop's published plans run from $42 to $299 on its pricing page, with most tiers billed per user. Truckstop's pricing page lists a non-refundable application fee on all plans, credited toward the first month if the application is approved.

Is there a free version of DAT or Truckstop?

Neither pricing page listed a free carrier plan on the date we accessed it; both boards sell monthly subscriptions. If the subscription is the obstacle, the wider load-sourcing playbook covers lower-cost boards and channels that cost time instead of money.

Which is better for a new authority, DAT or Truckstop?

Neither board publishes anything that makes it the answer for every new carrier, and we do not rank vendors. Compare the published facts against your operation: how each plan bills, what the up-front cost is, which tiers carry the rate data you need, and which brokers you plan to work with post their freight where.

Can I run both boards at once?

Nothing in either subscription prevents it, and both bill monthly at the published prices. Running both doubles the subscription cost, so most small fleets trial each board against their own lanes before paying for two.

Post-grant operations

DAT vs Truckstop

DAT and Truckstop are the two load boards most new carriers compare first, and both publish their plans and list prices. This page puts those published facts side by side: what each plan costs, how each board bills, and which criteria actually separate them. We rank neither, and nobody pays to appear here.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 22, 2026

The published numbers, side by side

Every figure below is the vendor's own list price from its pricing page on the accessed date. Vendors change list prices and plan names without notice, which is why each cell carries its source.

Published fact	DAT One	Truckstop Load Board
Entry plan	Standard: $54 per month	Basic: $42 per user per month
Top listed plan	Office: $329 per month	Heavy Haul Pro: $299 per month, up to 3 users
Plans listed	5	4
Application fee	None listed	$42

Plan by plan, from each vendor

DAT One

DAT's published figure claims more than 291 million loads and trucks posted annually across its network. That is the vendor's claim, not ours.

Standard: $54 per month (two search tabs on the web; spot market rates averaged over the trailing 15 days)
Enhanced: $119 per month (three search tabs on the web; spot market rates averaged over the trailing 7 days; trihaul alternate-routing tool; preferred and blocked company lists)
Pro: $169 per month (ten search tabs on the web; best-available average rates; market conditions tool)
Select: $239 per month (same search capacity as pro; premium lanemakers access)
Office: $329 per month (workgroups for multi-seat offices)

Truckstop Load Board

Basic: $42 per user per month (unlimited load search; post trucks and lanes; private loads from approved brokers; backhaul search)
Advanced: $135 per user per month (everything in basic; broker ratings; fuel tools and routing)
Pro: $159 per user per month (everything in advanced; rate insights; live loads; lane planning tools)
Heavy Haul Pro: $299 per month, up to 3 users (heavy-haul focused load search; expanded search radius; permit quotes with escort details)

Truckstop's pricing page lists a non-refundable application fee on all plans, credited toward the first month if the application is approved.

The criteria that actually separate them

Feature lists converge; the structural differences in the published pricing are what hold up over time:

Billing unit. DAT lists its plans per month while most Truckstop tiers are listed per user per month. For a one-truck operation the difference is cosmetic; the moment a second person needs a login, per-user billing changes the math, so price the seats you will actually run.
Up-front cost. One board lists an application fee and the other does not, per the table above. That changes what the first month costs even when the monthly prices look close.
What the upper tiers buy.Both vendors tier on rate intelligence: DAT's published plan highlights track how fresh the rate averages are, and Truckstop's track rate insights and broker vetting tools. Decide which of those you will use weekly before paying for a top tier.
Broker vetting. Per the plan highlights above, Truckstop lists broker ratings on its mid tier, while DAT lists preferred and blocked company lists on its. For a new carrier that cannot absorb an unpaid invoice, weigh this criterion heaviest and pair it with a plan for getting invoices paid while broker terms run their course.
Where your freight lives. No published spec answers the question that matters most: which board carries more of the freight in your lanes and equipment. Both vendors publish network-size claims, and a network-wide total says nothing about reefer loads out of your home market on a Tuesday.

Where boards fit in the bigger picture

Whichever board wins your subscription, most of what it shows you is broker-posted freight, so the board decision is really the first half of a channel decision. How boards, brokers, and direct shippers compare as places to find revenue is covered in load boards vs brokers vs direct shippers, and the wider launch sequence lives in your first 30 days with new authority.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the DAT load board cost?: DAT's published carrier plans run from $54 to $329 per month on the vendor's own pricing page, tiered mainly by search capacity and how fresh the lane-rate averages are. Every figure is a list price the vendor can change without notice.
How much does the Truckstop load board cost?: Truckstop's published plans run from $42 to $299 on its pricing page, with most tiers billed per user. Truckstop's pricing page lists a non-refundable application fee on all plans, credited toward the first month if the application is approved.
Is there a free version of DAT or Truckstop?: Neither pricing page listed a free carrier plan on the date we accessed it; both boards sell monthly subscriptions. If the subscription is the obstacle, the wider load-sourcing playbook covers lower-cost boards and channels that cost time instead of money.
Which is better for a new authority, DAT or Truckstop?: Neither board publishes anything that makes it the answer for every new carrier, and we do not rank vendors. Compare the published facts against your operation: how each plan bills, what the up-front cost is, which tiers carry the rate data you need, and which brokers you plan to work with post their freight where.
Can I run both boards at once?: Nothing in either subscription prevents it, and both bill monthly at the published prices. Running both doubles the subscription cost, so most small fleets trial each board against their own lanes before paying for two.

Sources

Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.

DAT Load Boards: Plans and Pricing · DAT Freight & Analytics
Truckstop Load Board Pricing · Truckstop

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