# Claim, book and cover a load

> Click a load on the board to open it. Click Claim to work it, Book when you have a carrier, then Cover… and enter the Confirmed Rate. Booked and covered loads move to the Booked and Covered tabs.

Source: https://help.smartloads.io/claim-book-and-cover-a-load · Updated 2026-10-12

A load moves from open to claimed, booked and covered. A person books and covers. To ask a customer if a load is still available, claim it, click **Confirm Email** and then **Send email**. Their answer shows on the load, and you still click **Book**. SmartLoads' super intelligence (SI) never books or covers.

Brokers and admins work loads on the board. Dispatchers can claim, book and close loads as covered from the dispatch page.

## Claim a load

1. In the left menu, click **Smart Loads**.
2. Click a load on the **Active Loads** tab to open it.
3. Click **Claim**.

The load moves to the **Claimed** tab, and your teammates see your name under **Claimed by**. To give it back, click **More**, then **Release claim**.

## Book it

1. Open the claimed load.
2. To note the carrier first, click **More**, then **Driver details**.
3. Click **Book**.

The load moves to the **Booked** tab. If you can't take it after all, click **More**, then **Release booked load…**.

## Cover it

1. Open the booked load and click **Cover…**.
2. In **Cover Load**, check the **Confirmed Rate**. SmartLoads fills it in from the load when it can. Add **Notes (optional)** if you like.
3. Click **Confirm & Cover**.

The load moves to the **Covered** tab. For some loads, SmartLoads then asks if you want to add another copy back to the open board for rebooking.

If your agency turned on **Automatically request driver photos**, clicking **Confirm & Cover** opens **Driver verification before cover**. Check who gets the photo links, then click **Continue to cover**.

## Book from the dispatch page

1. On the dispatch page, click **Book load**.
2. Click **Book existing load** to pick a load from the board, or **Manual book** for a lane that isn't on it.
3. Fill in the carrier: **Dispatcher name**, **Dispatcher phone**, **Company name**, **MC#**, **Equipment**, **Equipment length** and **Rate agreed**. Pick at least one name under **Brokers to notify**. The driver's name and email are optional. For **Manual book**, also enter the lane: **From city**, **ST**, **To city** and **ST**.
4. Click **Confirm Booking**.

Once the **MC#** has five digits, a Carrier check box appears. See [Check a carrier](https://help.smartloads.io/check-a-carrier).

## Cover from a rate con

When the carrier's rate con comes in, you can cover from it with **Mark covered**. See [Rate cons and the Delivery tab](https://help.smartloads.io/rate-cons-and-the-delivery-tab). Covering is always a person's click.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who can claim, book and cover?

Brokers and admins, on the board. Dispatchers can claim, book and close loads as covered from the dispatch page. A customer's answer to **Confirm Email** doesn't book the load: you click **Book**. SI never books or covers a load.

### Do load boards ever show what the customer pays?

No. DAT and Truckstop get a carrier pay figure, and only when the customer's **Show rate on load boards** switch is on.