How to Find Conestoga Loads: Load Boards, Brokers & Direct Freight
Finding Conestoga freight requires a different approach than standard flatbed load sourcing. The pool of Conestoga-specific loads is smaller, many shippers do not even know the term, and load boards often bury Conestoga as a filter option. But the loads that do exist pay premium rates with less competition. This guide shows you exactly where and how to find consistent Conestoga freight.
Key Takeaways
- Most Conestoga-suitable freight is posted as flatbed with tarping or weather-protection language, not under the Conestoga filter.
- Search both Conestoga and flatbed loads, then convert tarp-required flatbed listings to higher-rate Conestoga bookings.
- Educating brokers about the rolling-tarp advantage turns you into their go-to Conestoga carrier and unlocks loads that never hit public boards.
- Building materials, steel, paper, machinery, government, and furniture are the highest-density industries for Conestoga freight.
- Run standard flatbed backhauls (retract the tarp) instead of deadheading to keep the truck loaded both directions.
Ahmad Qazi
Founder & CEO, O Trucking LLC
Fact-Checked by O Trucking Dispatch Team
5+ years sourcing specialty flatbed loads including Conestoga freight, building direct shipper relationships for carriers
Sources:
Written by Ahmad Qazi, founder of O Trucking LLC, drawing on 9+ years dispatching for owner-operators. Learn more about us.
O TruckingHow to Find Conestoga Loads: Load Boards, Brokers & Direct Freight (2026)
Load Board Strategies for Conestoga Freight
The two major load boards — DAT and Truckstop — both allow filtering by Conestoga as an equipment type, but the process is not always straightforward. Here is how to maximize your results on each:
DAT Load Board
In DAT, you can select “Conestoga” as an equipment type filter. However, the results are typically limited because many shippers and brokers post Conestoga-suitable loads under “Flatbed” with a note about tarping requirements. For best results, search both “Conestoga” and “Flatbed” in your desired lanes. On flatbed results, look for keywords in the comments like “tarp required,” “covered trailer,” “weather protection needed,” or “no tarp fee.” These are often Conestoga-suitable loads at flatbed rates that you can convert to Conestoga rates.
Truckstop
Truckstop also offers a Conestoga equipment filter. Use the same dual-search strategy — filter for both Conestoga and Flatbed loads. Truckstop's Rate Insights tool can help you benchmark Conestoga rates against flatbed rates on specific lanes to determine the fair premium. When calling on flatbed loads that need tarps, use the Rate Insights data to justify your Conestoga premium.
Set Up Conestoga-Specific Alerts
Finding “Hidden” Conestoga Loads
The majority of Conestoga-suitable freight is never posted as “Conestoga” on load boards. Instead, it appears under different labels. Here is how to find these hidden opportunities:
Search flatbed loads with “tarp required” — Any flatbed load that specifies tarping is a potential Conestoga conversion. Call the broker, explain your Conestoga, and negotiate a higher rate based on the speed and quality of your weather protection versus manual tarping.
Look for “covered flatbed” or “enclosed flatbed” — Some shippers use these terms when they mean Conestoga. They want flatbed-style loading with weather protection but do not know the specific term. You are exactly what they need.
Monitor weather-sensitive freight categories — Building materials, paper products, finished metal, and outdoor equipment loads often need tarping even if the listing does not mention it. Proactively call and offer your Conestoga as a solution.
Check loads posted as “no tarp fee” — Some brokers post loads specifically noting that no tarp fee will be paid. This usually means they want enclosed equipment (dry van or Conestoga) rather than a tarped flatbed. Your Conestoga fits perfectly and you do not need the tarp fee because your rate premium covers it.
Educating Brokers About Conestoga Equipment
Many freight brokers do not know what a Conestoga trailer is or how it differs from a standard flatbed with tarps. This unfamiliarity is actually an opportunity — once you educate a broker, you become their go-to Conestoga carrier. Here is how to approach it:
Keep the explanation simple — “A Conestoga is a flatbed with a retractable rolling tarp. It covers the load completely — like a covered wagon — and takes 2 minutes instead of an hour to deploy. Your shipper gets better weather protection with faster loading.” That is all most brokers need to hear.
Frame the premium as savings for the shipper — “My Conestoga eliminates the tarp fee ($75), saves 45 minutes of dock time at loading and unloading, and provides better protection against freight damage claims. The rate premium pays for itself in time and risk reduction.”
Follow up after the first load — After a broker books your Conestoga for the first time, follow up and ask how the shipper and receiver responded. If feedback is positive (it usually is), remind the broker you are available for future Conestoga loads. Build the relationship so they think of you first.
Build a List of Conestoga-Aware Brokers
Building Direct Shipper Relationships
Direct shipper relationships are the holy grail of Conestoga load sourcing. When you ship directly for a manufacturer or distributor, you cut out broker margins, build consistent freight lanes, and establish yourself as an irreplaceable partner.
Prospecting Methods
Visit industrial parks, building material suppliers, steel distributors, and manufacturing plants in your area. Introduce yourself and your Conestoga capability. Leave a business card or packet with your MC number, insurance info, and a brief description of what a Conestoga does. Many shippers have never seen one and are immediately interested.
Demonstrate at the Dock
When you deliver to a new receiver, take 30 seconds to demonstrate the tarp system to the dock manager. Retract and extend the tarp while they watch. The visual impact is powerful — most dock managers have never seen a rolling tarp system and are impressed by the speed and simplicity. Ask if they ship outbound freight that needs weather protection. This is prospecting at its most effective.
Best Industries to Target for Conestoga Freight
Some industries produce consistent Conestoga-suitable freight. Focus your prospecting efforts on these sectors:
Building Materials
Lumber yards, drywall distributors, roofing suppliers, insulation manufacturers, siding companies. Ship daily, need weather protection, use forklifts for loading. The #1 source of Conestoga freight.
Steel & Metal Products
Steel service centers, aluminum distributors, metal fabricators. Finished metal with coatings or machined surfaces requires weather protection to prevent rust and corrosion.
Paper & Packaging
Paper mills, packaging material manufacturers, cardboard stock producers. Paper products are destroyed by any moisture contact, making weather protection essential.
Industrial Machinery
Equipment manufacturers, HVAC companies, generator distributors. Heavy equipment with electronic components or finished surfaces needs crane loading and weather protection.
Military & Government
Defense contractors, military bases, government supply depots. Many government freight contracts specify covered trailer requirements that Conestoga equipment satisfies.
Furniture & Fixtures
Commercial furniture manufacturers, fixture companies, custom millwork shops. Large, assembled pieces that need weather protection and open-deck loading for size.
Using a Dispatch Service for Conestoga Loads
A dispatch service that specializes in flatbed and specialty equipment can be a major asset for Conestoga carriers. Experienced dispatchers have relationships with brokers and shippers who specifically need Conestoga equipment, saving you the time of prospecting and educating the market yourself.
Look for dispatchers who understand the Conestoga value proposition and will negotiate premium rates — not those who book your Conestoga at standard flatbed rates just to get the load covered. A good dispatcher knows the difference and fights for your rate premium. Before you book, check current Conestoga trailer rates and how they compare in our Conestoga vs. flatbed breakdown so you know what a fair premium looks like on your lane.
Backhaul Strategies for Conestoga Carriers
One of the biggest challenges for Conestoga carriers is finding Conestoga loads on the return trip. Here are strategies to minimize deadhead miles:
Run standard flatbed loads as backhauls — Retract the tarp and haul standard flatbed freight on the return trip. You lose the rate premium but avoid deadheading. A $2.50/mile flatbed backhaul beats a 300-mile deadhead every time.
Plan round trips with Conestoga-heavy corridors — Route your outbound and inbound legs through regions with the highest Conestoga freight density (Southeast building materials, Midwest steel corridors). This maximizes the chance of finding Conestoga loads in both directions.
Build return-lane relationships — When you deliver to an area regularly, prospect for direct shippers who can provide backhaul freight on the return trip. Even a lower-rate direct shipper backhaul is better than paying for deadhead fuel.
The 70/30 Rule for Conestoga Operators
Common Mistakes Sourcing Conestoga Loads
- Relying only on the Conestoga filter. The equipment filter shows a fraction of available freight — skipping the flatbed/tarp-required search leaves most loads invisible.
- Booking at flat flatbed rates. Letting a broker or dispatcher cover your Conestoga at a plain flatbed rate gives away the premium your equipment earns. Justify it with the eliminated tarp fee, faster loading, and lower damage risk.
- Not educating brokers. Assuming brokers know what a Conestoga is means you never become their first call. A 30-second explanation builds a repeat-load relationship.
- Holding out for Conestoga-only loads. Refusing flatbed backhauls leads to deadhead miles and empty seats that cost more than the rate difference.
- Never prospecting direct shippers. Leaning entirely on load boards caps your rates and consistency — direct relationships in building materials and steel are where the steady premium freight lives.
How Our Dispatch Team Sources Conestoga Freight
At O Trucking LLC, Conestoga load sourcing is one of our specialties:
Multi-channel load sourcing
We search multiple load boards, call our broker network, and contact direct shippers to find the best Conestoga loads available. We also identify flatbed loads that would benefit from Conestoga equipment and convert them to higher-rate Conestoga bookings.
Broker education and relationship building
We have already educated hundreds of brokers about Conestoga equipment. When they have a load that needs weather protection with flatbed-style loading, they call us first. This network gives our Conestoga carriers access to loads that never appear on public load boards.
Backhaul optimization
We plan round trips that combine Conestoga loads on the outbound with standard flatbed backhauls on the return — keeping our carriers loaded in both directions and maximizing weekly revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Conestoga loads harder to find than flatbed loads?
The pool of loads posted specifically as “Conestoga” is smaller, and many shippers and brokers do not know the term — so suitable freight is often listed as flatbed with a tarp requirement, “covered flatbed,” or “no tarp fee.” The trick is to search flatbed loads with weather-protection language and convert them, rather than relying only on the Conestoga equipment filter.
Do Conestoga loads pay more than flatbed loads?
Conestoga freight typically commands a premium over comparable open-flatbed rates because the rolling tarp eliminates manual tarping time, the tarp fee, and a large share of weather-damage claims. The exact premium varies by lane, season, and commodity — benchmark live numbers in DAT RateView or Truckstop Rate Insights and read our Conestoga rates guide for current ranges before you negotiate.
Can I haul regular flatbed freight with a Conestoga trailer?
Yes. Retract the rolling tarp and the Conestoga loads and hauls like a standard flatbed, which makes it ideal for backhauls. You give up the Conestoga rate premium on those loads, but running a flatbed backhaul almost always beats deadheading the return leg empty.
Need Help Finding Conestoga Loads?
Our dispatchers specialize in sourcing Conestoga and specialty flatbed freight. We educate brokers, prospect direct shippers, and keep our carriers loaded at premium rates.