Quick Start: 15 Minutes to Your First Load

Get up and running with FreightConnect in under 15 minutes. This guide walks you through signup, basic setup, and posting your first load.

1. Sign Up (2 minutes)

1. Go to freightconnect.ai/auth/signup
2. Enter your email and create a password
3. Select your plan:
   • Solo: $149/month — for independent brokers
   • Brokerage: $399/month — for teams up to 5 users
   • Enterprise: $799/month — unlimited users, custom integrations
4. Click Create Account

We'll send a verification email. Confirm it and you're in.

2. Complete Your Broker Profile (3 minutes)

After signup, you'll land in the onboarding wizard. Fill in:

• Company name — your brokerage legal name
• MC Number — your Motor Carrier number (FMCSA)
• Insurance info — general liability and cargo coverage details
• Address — office location for carrier verification

All of this is required for the carrier network to trust your loads.

3. Invite Your First Teammate (2 minutes)

Go to Settings → Team → Add Member. Pick a role:

• Admin: full access, can manage users
• Broker: can create and post loads
• Dispatcher: can update tracking and exceptions
• Viewer: read-only access (reports, dashboards)

Send the invite. They'll receive an email and can set their own password.

4. Post Your First Load (8 minutes)

1. Click + New Load in the left sidebar
2. Fill in the load details:
   • Origin — pickup location (address)
   • Destination — delivery location
   • Weight — pounds
   • Equipment type — Dry Van, Reefer, Flatbed, etc.
   • Freight class — NMFC code (freight density)
   • Shipper name — who's sending it
   • Rate — your asking rate ($/mile or flat fee)
3. Click Preview Load to verify the AI parsed it correctly
4. Click Post to Network — the system queries 50+ carriers in your network instantly

You'll see carrier quotes appear in real-time. Sort by price, FSC rating, or carrier reputation. Accept the best match and the booking is locked.

What Happens Next

• Confirmation: Carrier receives the BOL, shipper gets tracking link
• Tracking: Real-time status updates via GPS and ELDs (if carrier has them)
• Completion: Driver delivers; proof of delivery auto-loads; settlement initiates
• Payment: Carrier gets paid via ACH within 24 hours (or factoring if integrated)

Pro Tips

• Email-to-Load: Forward shipper emails to load@freightconnect.ai — we'll parse it into a structured load automatically
• Bulk uploads: Use CSV import under Tools → Upload Loads to post 50+ loads at once
• Carrier filters: Set minimum FSC ratings, insurance requirements, and FMCSA violations in Settings → Carrier Filters — we vet everyone against SAFER
• Rate history: Check previous carriers and rates in Analytics → Historical Rates to price competitively

Next, read Carrier Management to understand how the vetting system works.