Free during launch
For hauliers, couriers and owner driversReturn loads and backloads, so you don't run home empty.
Every empty mile home costs fuel, time and wear. Laydn suggests loads that start near your drop, tells you when work lands in your area, and shows the rate on every load, with no commission.
- Suggestions near your drop
- Alerts for your area
- 0% commission
In short
What are return loads?
A return load, or backload, is a job you collect near where you've just delivered, so your vehicle earns on the way back instead of running empty. Hauliers find them through freight exchanges, their own contacts and by planning routes around them. On Laydn, open any load and you'll see suggested return loads near its drop, weighed up on distance, timing, money and your vehicle.
Backloads
Loads that start near your drop.
Open any load on the board and Laydn lists live loads that could follow it, closest to where you'll deliver first. Each one is weighed up on its distance from your drop, whether the timing works, the money and your vehicle.
The wrong vehicle is ruled out, and near-fit bodies still show. It's a shortlist, not a booking: you still put your hand up for each backload, and the shipper still chooses.
- Distance from your drop comes first
- Timing, money and vehicle weighed up
- Turn a one-way job into a round trip
Laydr alerts
Set an alert where you'll finish.
Know where you'll be at the end of the run? Set a Laydr alert with that postcode, how far you'll drive to collect, your vehicle and your hours. Laydr checks new loads against it and sends a push notification when one matches.
Alerts tidy themselves away when their time is up, so you can set one for where you'll finish and get on with the drive.
- Postcode, distance, vehicle and hours
- Straight away or batched
- Several alerts at once
Planr
Plan the day around the way back.
Give Planr your starting point, the date and your vehicle, and it chains live loads into a day's route that heads back towards home, keeping the empty miles between jobs down.
You see what the day adds up to before you commit, then put your hand up for each load. Away for a few days? Roamr is a planning guide for multi-day trips.
- Heads you back towards home
- Empty miles shown up front
- The day's total before you commit
Why it matters
Empty miles cost more than fuel.
Fuel and wear
An empty run still burns diesel and wears tyres and brakes, with nothing paying for it.
Your hours
Driving time is limited. An empty hour is an hour you could have been paid for.
Your rate
With a load home lined up, a job out you'd otherwise turn down can start to pay.
How to find return loads in the UK
Most hauliers find backloads in a mix of ways: regular customers, other hauliers they know, and freight exchanges. The trick is to plan the load home before you set off, not after you've tipped.
Plan the load home first
Before you accept a job out, look at what's available near the delivery point. If there's work near the drop, the outbound rate you need can come down. On Laydn, the backload suggestions on each load do that search for you.
Use alerts, not refreshes
Refreshing a board between drops eats into your break. A Laydr alert for your delivery area and vehicle means matching loads come to your phone.
Be flexible on timing
A backload collecting a few hours later can still beat running empty. Laydn's suggestions weigh the timing against each collection window, so you can see what fits.
Know the rate before you commit
Laydn only publishes priced loads, so you know what a backload pays before you put your hand up. There's no bidding, and no commission is taken from the rate.
Ready to look? Join free during launch, see how finding loads works, or read about owner driver work.
Questions
Return loads and backloads
What is a backload?
A backload is a load you collect near your last delivery, so your vehicle earns on the way back instead of running empty. It's another name for a return load.
How do I find return loads?
Plan them before you set off. On Laydn, open any load to see suggested return loads near its drop, set a Laydr alert for where you'll finish, or use Planr to chain loads into a day that heads home.
How do I stop my trucks running empty on the way back?
Plan the load home before you take the job out, use alerts for your delivery areas, and be flexible on collection times. Laydn's backload suggestions, Laydr alerts and Planr are built for exactly that.
Does Laydn book the backload for me?
No. Laydn suggests loads that could work. You put your hand up for each one, and the shipper chooses who moves it.
How much does it cost?
Nothing during launch. After that it's one flat membership of £44.99 a month for everyone, with no commission, and you'll get a month's notice before anything is charged.
Do I need a lorry to use it?
No. Laydn covers vans and Lutons as well as rigids and artics, so couriers can find work for the way back too.
Keep reading
More on finding work
Stop running home empty. Find the load back.
Join free while we grow the board. See backloads on every load and let Laydr watch where you finish.