Freight exchange: how it works and when to book a forwarder
RNJ Transport uses freight exchanges regularly to find extra trucks. A freight exchange is an online market for loads and free trucks, and companies agree prices directly. On the exchanges we use, companies prove their registration before they join. Post a load yourself if you can check and follow the carrier. Book a forwarder for one contact and one invoice.
- The IRU describes a freight exchange as an online service where transport companies search for loads and forwarders offer loads. On an open exchange, the two companies negotiate the contract directly.
- Every company registered with an open exchange sees its offers. A closed exchange is run by a large shipper or forwarder, and only the carriers it selects take part (IRU, 2013).
- To work as a road haulier in the EU, a company needs a real base in an EU country, good repute, financial standing and professional competence (Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009).
- Financial standing means capital and reserves of at least 9,000 EUR for the first vehicle and 5,000 EUR for each additional vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, every year.
- In 2025, trucks registered in the EU drove 19.8% of their kilometres empty, Eurostat data shows. On international trips, the empty share was 11.8%.
Freight exchange: definition and types
A freight exchange is an online market for road freight. Companies post loads that need a truck and trucks that need a load. Other users see the offers and reply. The two companies agree the price and the order between themselves. The exchange shows the offers, but it does not carry the goods or sign the order.
The IRU, the world road transport organisation, describes two types. An open exchange is run independently of any shipper, and every registered user sees the offers. A closed exchange is run by a large shipper or forwarder for its large-volume contracts. Only the carriers and forwarders it selects take part. Most exchanges charge a subscription for posting and searching.
Carriers post free trucks because a truck that has delivered needs its next load nearby. In 2025, trucks registered in the EU drove 19.8% of their kilometres empty, Eurostat data shows. On international trips, the share was 11.8%. The IRU notes that a load found on an exchange can fill the return trip.
| Topic | Open exchange | Closed exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | A service company independent of any shipper | A large shipper or forwarder |
| Who takes part | Every company registered with the service | Only the carriers and forwarders the owner selects |
| What is posted | Loads and free trucks for day-to-day work | Mostly loads under large-volume contracts |
| Who agrees the contract | The two companies, directly | The company that runs it, with the carrier it selects |
How a load moves on a freight exchange
A load moves on a freight exchange in five steps. The shipper or forwarder posts the load. Carriers with a free truck send offers. The company that posted checks the carrier, agrees the price and sends a written transport order. The carrier then confirms the truck and trailer plates before loading. The two companies take each step between themselves.
Freight exchange
How a load moves on a freight exchange
Five steps from the first post to a written order. The two companies agree each step directly.
-
Post the load
Route, dates, pallets or loading metres, weight and trailer type.
-
Receive offers
Carriers with a free truck send a price or a question.
-
Check the company
Rating, reviews, payment record, register entry and EU licence.
-
Agree the price
Price, loading and delivery dates, and payment terms.
-
Send a written order
The carrier confirms the truck and trailer plates before loading.
The exchange shows the offers. It does not carry the goods or sign the transport order.
When you post a load, give the loading and delivery places, the dates, the number of pallets or loading metres, the weight and the trailer type. Carriers search the posts for loads on their route. Carriers also post their free trucks, and you can search those posts too.
Carriers reply with a price or a question. Before you agree, open the company profile. On the exchanges we use, the profile shows the rating, the reviews other users left and whether the company pays on time. Then confirm the company register entry and the EU licence, as the next section explains.
Agree the price, the loading and delivery dates and the payment terms. Then send a written transport order with the route, dates, goods, weight, price and payment terms. The IRU advises standard contracts with clear payment terms. It also advises a proof of delivery with a clear signature and a printed name.
Company checks on a freight exchange
The exchanges we use check companies at two points. Before an account opens, the company sends documents that prove it is a registered transport company, with its licences. After it joins, other users rate it. The profile shows the rating, reviews and payment record. The exchanges also have rules for messages and can restrict an account.
The IRU advises transport companies to choose exchanges that check new members before they admit them. The examples it gives are the company’s finances, its business history and contact details with an address and a fixed phone number.
EU law sets the conditions that road hauliers must meet. Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 lists four conditions: a real base in an EU country, good repute, financial standing and professional competence. The haulier must also name a transport manager. National authorities check these conditions regularly (Article 12), the European Commission says.
A haulier that meets them gets an EU Community licence for trips between EU countries, for up to 10 years (Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009). Each EU country keeps a register of licensed companies. The name, address, transport manager, licence type and number of vehicles must be public.
A rating covers one exchange and the experience of its users. Before you agree a load, confirm the register entry, the licence and the insurance certificate yourself. Our guide on how to check a freight forwarder lists each check and where to run it.
| Item | What it shows | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Admission check | Registration documents and licences, sent before the account opens | The exchange, before it opens the account |
| Rating and reviews | How other users of that exchange rate the company | The company profile on the exchange |
| Payment record | Whether the company pays other users on time | The company profile on the exchange |
| Four EU conditions | A real base in the EU, good repute, financial standing and professional competence | Set in Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009, Article 3. The licensing authority checks them (Articles 11 and 12). |
| Financial standing | At least 9,000 EUR for the first vehicle and 5,000 EUR for each additional vehicle over 3.5 t | Annual accounts certified by an auditor (Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009, Article 7) |
| EU Community licence | The right to carry goods for hire between EU countries, for up to 10 years | The national register. A certified copy is kept in each truck (Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009, Article 4). |
| National register entry | Name, address, transport manager, licence type and number of vehicles | The register of the carrier’s home country (Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009, Article 16) |
How RNJ Transport uses freight exchanges
RNJ Transport uses freight exchanges regularly to find extra trucks. We filter the offers by lane and by the needs of the load. We open the company profile and read the rating, the reviews other users left and whether the company pays on time. Then we ask for the price and negotiate.
We check every carrier before every load. For a new company, we also read the company register, debts, the exchange rating, the reviews and an AI-assisted report that we check against the register. A carrier from an exchange then gets the same check as our other partners. We do not give your load to a second company without telling you.
Our strongest lane runs from the Netherlands and Belgium to Lithuania and Latvia. Many Lithuanian carriers’ trucks run this lane regularly, so free trucks are often available. Our own 2 MAN TGX trucks carry full loads, mostly between Lithuania and Sweden.
After the price is agreed, the same steps follow for every load. Our transport management system keeps every order, CMR note, document and invoice in one place, so we can trace any load. One contact person follows your load from the order to the invoice.
-
Your written order
You confirm the price and send us a written transport order.
-
Truck confirmed
We confirm the truck with the carrier and enter the order in our transport management system.
-
Truck details
You get the truck and trailer plate numbers before loading.
-
Loading and delivery
Your contact person follows the loading and the unloading.
-
CMR and one invoice
We collect the signed CMR and send one invoice after we receive the documents.
Freight exchange or forwarder: how to choose
Post a load on a freight exchange when your team can check carriers, agree prices and follow each truck. Book a forwarder when you want one contact person and one invoice, with the carrier check done for you. Both options can use the same trucks. The difference is who does the work and who signs with the carrier.
On an exchange, your company opens an account with its documents and pays the subscription. For each load, you check the carrier, send the order, follow the truck, collect the CMR and pay the carrier. The IRU advises placing valuable loads only with known partners.
A forwarder organises the transport and books the carrier for you. You send one order. The forwarder finds the truck, checks the carrier, follows the load and sends you the documents. Our guide on forwarders and carriers explains who answers for the goods.
Our repeat customers often call us directly with next week’s volume, for example several trucks. We arrange all of them, so they do not need to search exchanges. For higher-value goods, such as clothing, perfume or electronics, our customers care most about delivery on time.
Decision table: freight exchange or forwarder
Find the row that fits your load and your team. For high-value goods, the last row decides, whatever the size of your team.
| Your situation | Usual choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your team books trucks every week and checks carriers | Freight exchange | You have the account, the checks and the time to follow each truck |
| You want to choose and pay the carrier yourself | Freight exchange | You sign the order directly with the carrier |
| You ship now and then, or you have no transport team | Forwarder | One contact person finds, checks and follows the truck |
| Several trucks in one week | Forwarder | One call for all the trucks, and one invoice |
| Loads on several routes | Forwarder | One company for every route, with the same checks |
| High-value goods | A carrier or forwarder you already know | The IRU advises placing valuable loads only with known partners |
Frequently asked questions
-
What is a freight exchange?
A freight exchange is an online market for road freight. Shippers, forwarders and carriers post loads and free trucks, and other users reply with offers. The two companies agree the price and the transport order directly. Most exchanges charge a subscription. The exchange shows the offers, but it does not carry the goods or sign the order.
-
Can a shipper post a load on a freight exchange?
Yes, if the exchange accepts shippers. Read its terms of use before you register. The exchanges we use ask for company documents before an account opens, and most exchanges charge a subscription. For each load, you then check the carrier, agree the price, send a written order, follow the truck and collect the CMR yourself.
-
How do freight exchanges check companies?
The exchanges we use check companies at two points. Before an account opens, the company sends documents that prove it is a registered transport company, with its licences. After it joins, other users rate it, and its profile shows reviews and whether it pays on time. Before you agree a load, also check the register and the EU licence yourself.
-
What is the difference between an open and a closed freight exchange?
An open exchange is open to every registered company, and a closed one only to the companies its owner selects. A large shipper or forwarder runs a closed exchange for its large-volume contracts. An open exchange carries day-to-day loads and free trucks from many companies. The IRU describes both types in its guidelines from 2013.
-
Is a freight exchange cheaper than a forwarder?
Not always. On an exchange, you pay the carrier and the subscription, and your team does the work: the checks, the order, the tracking, the documents and the payment. A forwarder’s price covers the carrier and that work. Compare the full cost, including your team’s time. For a price on your route, send us the route, the date and the load size in the price form.
-
Does RNJ Transport use freight exchanges?
Yes. We use freight exchanges regularly to find extra trucks. We check every carrier before every load. For a new company, we also read an AI report and its exchange rating. We do not give your load to a second company without telling you. You keep one contact person and get one invoice. Send us the route, the date and the load size in the price form.
Sources (5)
- IRU, Guidelines for the safe use of freight exchanges, adopted by the IRU Goods Transport Council, Geneva, 7 November 2013
- Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator, consolidated text of 21 February 2022
- Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 on common rules for access to the international road haulage market, consolidated text of 21 February 2022
- Rules governing access to the profession, European Commission, Mobility and Transport
- Road freight transport by type of operation and type of transport (road_go_ta_tott), Eurostat, updated 30 July 2026
We checked these sources on 19 October 2026.
Book your next load with one contact person
Send the route, the date and the load size in the price form. We call you back. You can also call us during working hours. We find and check the truck, and you get one invoice.
+370 698 38573A person in our Klaipėda office answers your call.
Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00, Lithuanian time
Get a price
Send your route and your phone number. We call you back about the price.