Backhaul
What is backhaul? A backhaul is a return load that fills a truck on the trip back to its home base after delivering an outbound load, eliminating deadhead.
Full definition
Backhauls turn deadhead into revenue. The economics of trucking heavily favor carriers who can find paying freight in both directions on a lane.
Some lanes are structurally imbalanced — California-out is high-rate, California-in is heavily backhauled and softer. Smart owner-operators learn the imbalance map and price accordingly, sometimes accepting lower rates outbound to position for stronger backhauls.
Brokers and dispatch services compete on their ability to surface high-paying backhauls. For a single owner-operator, building broker relationships in destination markets is the cheapest backhaul tool.