Backhaul
A backhaul is a load that fills the truck on the return leg so the carrier is not deadheading home empty.
Last updated 11 October 2026.
The headhaul pulled the truck out. The backhaul pays the trip home. Carriers ask for it because empty miles home are a cost with no revenue. A broker who can offer a reload, or who knows which carriers already need freight into their market, covers with trucks that will take a fair rate.
It is still a real load. It has a shipper, a rate confirmation, and a POD. Calling it a backhaul only describes where it sits in the truck's day. The vetting does not get lighter because the carrier is already out there. Authority, insurance, and identity still get checked before you put your customer's freight on that trailer.
The planning version is a lane pair: freight out and freight back. The spot version is whatever reload you can find before the driver unloads. Same idea. The truck should not roll home empty if you have freight going that way and a carrier you would actually book.
FreightScout looks for carriers that fit the load you have to cover, including a truck whose position makes your freight the reload, and it stops at the max pay you set. The carrier still gets vetted before a rate. A backhaul is not a reason to skip the check. How FreightScout covers a load.
Questions people actually ask
Does a backhaul skip carrier vetting?
No. Authority and insurance still get checked before a rate is discussed. A truck that needs a reload is a fit. It is not a waiver.
How is a backhaul different from a deadhead?
A deadhead is the empty move. A backhaul is the load that fills the trailer so the truck is not empty on the way home. The backhaul still gets its own rate confirmation and POD.