HGV return loads
Return loads and backloads in the UK
A return load collects near where you deliver, so the wagon is loaded on the way back. A backload is the same job by another name. HaulNet shows those open jobs on the load you are looking at.
One free account. Post a load and quote on work from the same login.
What return loads and backloads are
A return load collects near where you have delivered, or where you are about to deliver. The wagon is already there. The miles back are loaded miles instead of empty running.
A backload means the same thing. It is the load on the way back. You will also hear it called a back load. On HaulNet it is an open job whose collection sits near the delivery of the job you have open.
HGV return loads cover artics and rigids. Van and courier work sits on the same board. So do part loads, when the freight only needs some of the trailer.
How HaulNet finds a load near your drop
Open a job. Under the route map, HaulNet can show a strip headed "Return loads near delivery". The line under the heading says: "Open jobs collecting near this delivery, so you can look for a return."
The list is built from other open jobs. Hidden listings are left out, and so are jobs from suspended accounts. HaulNet takes the next 50 by collection date. While quoting is open, a job also has to still be inside its collection window. From that list it keeps collections within 40 miles of this delivery, and shows up to 5, nearest first.
The miles are a straight line, not the road. They are rounded, and they are shown as at least 1 mile. If the map coordinates are missing but the other job collects in the same postcode district as this delivery, it is included and treated as about 1 mile away.
Each row shows the town and postcode district at each end, the approximate miles from this delivery, and a short summary of the vehicle, body, weight and full or part load when those were filled in. If nothing in that list is close enough, the strip is left off the page.
You can use it two ways. If you are already on the job, open it and see what collects near the drop. If you are pricing the outbound, look before you send your price. The strip is the same either way.
The longer version, written the way you would talk about it in the yard, is in how to find return loads and stop running empty.
How it works
STEP 1
Create a free account
One login. You can post a load and quote on other people's work from it. There is no subscription.
STEP 2
Open a job
The strip uses that job's delivery as the place to measure from. You will find it under the route map.
STEP 3
Read what collects nearby
Up to 5 open jobs, within 40 miles, nearest first. You see the town and postcode district, and the full address stays hidden until a quote is accepted.
STEP 4
Quote, or post your own load
Sending a quote is free. If you need something moved, post it free so drivers dropping nearby can see it on their job.
What it costs
Posting a load is free. Sending a quote is free. There is no subscription and no monthly fee. If nobody quotes, or the quote is not accepted, nothing is paid to HaulNet. The haulage price is paid separately to the person doing the job. No fee on any job until 1 January 2027. After that, the first introduction is a flat £5, then 3% (£5 minimum, £30 maximum), paid by the poster only when they accept a quote.
No fee on any job until 1 January 2027. After that, on a £250 job the fee would be £7.50. On a £600 job it's £18. On anything over £1,000 it's £30, and that's the most it'll ever be. Your first one is just £5 whatever the job.
Standard fee examples from 1 January 2027
- £100 job = £5 fee (minimum)
- £250 job = £7.50
- £600 job = £18
- Anything over £1,000 = £30 (the most you'll pay)
The work: artics, rigids, vans and the rest
When a load is posted it can be given a vehicle size and a body. These are the ones people mean when they look for a backload.
Artic
A 13.6m artic trailer, or a longer semi-trailer, for trunk work and full loads.
Rigid
An 18t or a 26t rigid, when the site will not take an artic.
7.5t
A 7.5t rigid for smaller drops, tighter yards and lighter freight.
Van and courier
A small van or a large van (Luton) for parcels, a few pallets and light work.
Low loader
Plant and machinery.
Car transporter
Describe the cars in the load, then choose the vehicle size and body that will carry them.
Curtainsider
Pallets, parcels and general freight.
Flatbed
Open decks for steel, timber, plant and awkward lengths.
Tipper, walking floor, fridge, tanker, box, skeletal and Luton are on the body list as well. Pick the one that will actually do the job.
A job can be marked full load or part load. The return strip keeps part loads in the list. The summary shows part load when it was set. Say how many pallet spaces or how much weight you have room for.
Why you want to avoid running empty
An empty trailer still burns fuel, still uses the driver's hours, and still puts miles on the tyres. The day pays when something is on the back.
Where the lorry finishes matters as much as the miles out. A shorter run into a place with nothing coming back can be a worse day than a longer run you can reload.
If you cannot see a return, price the outbound so the job still works on its own. A cheap trip only stays cheap when the wagon is not running home empty.
A part load will not fill the trailer. It still beats fresh air when the dates fit and the body is right.
Questions about return loads
What is a return load?
A return load is a job that collects near where you deliver, so the miles back are loaded instead of empty running. On HaulNet you look for one from the job you are already viewing.
What is a backload?
A backload is a return load. It is freight for the way back. People also say back load. On HaulNet it is an open job whose collection sits near the delivery of the job you have open.
How does HaulNet find a load near my drop?
Open a job and look under the route map for "Return loads near delivery". HaulNet takes the next 50 other open jobs by collection date, keeps collections within 40 miles of that delivery, and shows up to 5, nearest first. While quoting is open, those jobs also have to still be inside their collection window. Hidden listings and jobs from suspended accounts are left out. The miles are a straight line. If nothing in that list is close enough, the strip is left off the page.
What does it cost to post a load or send a quote?
Posting a load is free. Sending a quote is free. There is no subscription and no monthly fee. If nobody quotes, or the quote is not accepted, nothing is paid to HaulNet. The haulage price is paid separately to the person doing the job. No fee on any job until 1 January 2027. After that, the first introduction is a flat £5, then 3% (£5 minimum, £30 maximum), paid by the poster only when they accept a quote.
What can people see before a quote is accepted?
Before a quote is accepted, a job shows the town and postcode district only, such as Leeds LS9. The street, the building and the full postcode stay off the public page. Contact details are shared with the person whose quote is accepted. Until 1 January 2027 there is no introduction fee, so that happens when the quote is accepted. From 1 January 2027, contact details are shared once the introduction fee payment is confirmed. If that payment does not go through, the quote is not accepted and the details stay hidden.
Do I need two accounts, one to post and one to quote?
No. There is one account. The same free login can post a load and quote on other people's work. You can do both from the day you register.
Can I find part loads as well as full trailers?
Yes. A job can be marked full load or part load. The return strip keeps both. The summary on each row shows part load when the person who posted it set that. A part load suits a wagon that has space left and dates that can move a little.
Will there always be a return load?
No. The strip is shown when another open job in that list of 50 collects within 40 miles. If none do, the strip is left off the page. HaulNet only lists jobs people have posted.