Review loads held for rate review and approve them
A flat-rate load whose margin from max pay falls under your agency's threshold is held off Truckstop and DAT. An admin opens Rate Review, checks Target pay and Max pay, and clicks Approve. Tick Always apply to reuse the margin for that customer and lane.
Rate Review is for admins. Its invoice figures are never shown to dispatchers.
What gets held
Your agency can have a margin threshold. SmartLoads sets it for you. When it is off, nothing is held and Rate Review says so.
When it is on, a flat-rate load is held if its margin is under the threshold. The margin is the invoice minus Max pay, divided by the invoice. Per-ton loads are never held.
A held load shows a Rate review tag on the board. It stays off Truckstop and DAT until an admin approves it.
- Target pay is the starting rate carriers hear.
- Max pay is the most you will pay the carrier.
Find the held loads
When loads are held, admins on the board get a message that says how many are held for rate review. It shows once per session and again only when the held count grows. Click Review now in it to open Rate Review.
To open it again later:
- Click Review rates in the Export to DAT window when it lists loads held for rate.
- Click a rate review hold in the notification bell, which opens Rate Review.
Approve a load
- On Rate Review, find the load by Load #, Route and Customer.
- Check the Invoice, Target pay and Max pay. Type over any of them to change them.
- To fill both pay boxes from a margin, pick a percentage in Profit margin (10%, 15%, 20%, 25% or Off). A percentage sets Target pay to the invoice less that percentage, and Max pay to $50 under the target. Off leaves the pay boxes as they are. You can still edit both afterward.
- Click Approve.
The row shows Approved. If your agency uses Truckstop auto-post and the load is open and active, SmartLoads then posts or updates it on Truckstop and shows Posted, Updated or Post failed on the row.
If you changed a pay figure, it counts as a manual edit, so a later import does not overwrite it.
Reuse a margin with Always apply
- Before you click Approve, tick Always apply.
- Click Approve.
SmartLoads saves your target and max as percentages of the invoice for that customer and lane. Later loads on the same customer and lane are priced from it and skip the hold. The saved rules are listed under Saved margins, each with a trash icon to delete it.
Always apply shows only for a flat-rate load that has a customer and both cities and states.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn Rate Review on or change the threshold?
You can't from the app. SmartLoads sets the threshold for your agency. Ask support.
Does a held load disappear from the board?
No. It stays on the board with a Rate review tag and stays off Truckstop and DAT until it is approved.
Where do the default target and max pay come from?
Each load source has a pay formula. See Set your own pay formula.