DAT Services of Portland, Ore., is poised for a major business move onto the Internet.
DAT, the oldest and largest load-matching service in North America, is working with DRIVERNet of Kansas City, Mo., to make the extensive DAT load-matching database widely available online. The DAT-DRIVERNet partnership kicked off June 30 when DAT loads became available for interactive search at DRIVERNet kiosks at more than 400 truckstops.

According to Robert Hughes, Business Development Manager for DAT, the DAT database will be available for search on the DRIVERNet web site in approximately two months. When it is finally available on the Internet, DAT will more closely compete with exclusively web-based load-matching services such as Internet Truckstop and the many freight auctions and online logistics operations launching this summer.
DAT listings are currently distributed to clients via fax, phone and private network, among other methods. They are also available to drivers on DAT TV monitors at some 1,100 truckstops.
According to Hughes, DRIVERNet kiosks now allow drivers to enter a point of origin, a destination and get back a list of 30 loads that best match the two given points. The loads are listed in the order of their distance from the origin point, nearest first. That part of the search is free.
To get contact information for his six first choices, a driver will pay $7.50 using a credit card at the kiosk. Drivers can also pay $30 for five separate groups of six leads apiece or $50 for 10 groups of six leads.
Of course, many of the leads will also be available on DAT truckstop monitors, but on the kiosks drivers will be able to search by specific points. According to Hughes, they will also be able to search DAT’s entire database while monitors only display loads available locally.
Hughes cited the example of a Portland, Ore., truckstop, where monitors only display loads available in the area. But if the driver expects to be in Seattle the next day, Hughes said, he can search for loads originating there by using the kiosk search function.
DAT set up the first load matching system on truckstop monitors in the 1970s.