What is a freight exchange? Complete guide 2026

In short: A freight exchange is an online platform where shippers and freight forwarders post loads that need to be moved, while hauliers find jobs and new customers, cutting down on empty miles. The collaboration is formalized through a transport order, a document with the value of a contract that specifies the goods, the loading/unloading locations and dates, the rate, and the payment term. In Romania in 2026, the main freight exchanges are BursaTransport (around 16,000 active transport companies), Cargopedia (free account, over 155,000 members), Trans.eu, TIMOCOM (up to 1 million offers a day from 46 countries), Teleroute, and EasyCargo, most of which run on a paid monthly subscription.

The freight exchange was developed to help hauliers. In this industry, it can sometimes be hard to find jobs that fit your business or the ideal load for your trucks’ capacity.

This is a source of stress both for running your business efficiently and for your drivers, who need jobs to be able to work.

This is where the freight exchange comes in: a tool designed to help you solve these problems.

What Is a Freight Exchange?

A freight exchange is an online platform or website where listings for available loads are posted, and where hauliers can contact the customers whose goods need to be transported.

In short, a freight exchange is a space where hauliers can find customers, and customers can find transport for their goods.

How Does the Process of Getting a Load Work?

Although the term freight exchange may sound complicated, these platforms are easy for hauliers to use and are a helpful tool for finding loads.

Here is how the process works:

1. The customer posts a listing on the exchange with the goods to be transported.
2. The customer or shipper posts a listing for goods that need transport.
3. The haulier sees the listing and contacts the customer.
4. The customer is contacted about the listing. They discuss the details of the goods to be transported, the price of the transport, and other aspects.
5. The two parties agree on the price and the other details.
6. The customer sends the haulier the transport order.
7. The haulier picks up the goods on the date and within the time window agreed and set out in the order.
8. After the order is completed, the haulier must hand over (in person or by courier) the original transport documents (invoice, CMR, delivery note etc.).
9. Once the documents are received, the customer makes the payment – either on unloading or by the due date, according to the terms agreed in the order.

What Is a Transport Order?

A transport order is the document or agreement through which the shipper (freight forwarder, trader, or manufacturer) asks a haulier to carry out a freight transport under specified conditions.

It substantiates and proves the shipper’s agreement to send the goods with the haulier. It is a contract between the shipper and the haulier that clearly sets out each party’s responsibilities and prevents misunderstandings.

The transport order contains essential details such as:

• The shipper and the consignee of the goods
• The type, weight, and volume of the goods
• The place and date of loading/unloading
• The transport rate and payment terms
• Special instructions regarding the transport

If you want to see what a transport order looks like, you can view an example if you click here.

Why Is It Important to Have a Transport Order?

This document is essentially a contract between you, as the haulier, and the customer, setting out mutual rights and obligations.

Both parties have certain obligations that must be met, such as deadlines, loading/unloading locations, the weight and type of goods, etc.

All of these aspects are specified in the transport order, and if they are not met, the penalties or clauses in the order apply.

Pay close attention!

There are also cases where hauliers choose to carry out a transport without a transport order. It is important to remember that if you choose to do this, you have no legal contract.

So if problems or unpleasant incidents occur (such as the customer not paying for the transport), you have no legal basis to protect you.

Top Freight Exchanges in Romania in 2026

The Romanian freight exchange market has matured considerably, and in 2026 hauliers can choose between well-established local platforms and European exchanges with millions of offers. Below is an analysis of the most important freight exchanges active in Romania, with concrete details on what each one offers and who it is best suited for.

BursaTransport (Alpega Group)

Launched in 2001 and operated by Dacodasoft SRL, a member of the European Alpega group, BursaTransport remains the best-known freight exchange in Romania. The platform regularly displays tens of thousands of available loads (over 66,000 active listings at any given time) and brings together approximately 16,000 active transport companies and over 21,000 users.

Its strengths are its safety tools: vetting of Romanian companies (transport licenses, tax status, insolvency), a record of payment incidents, and an invoice collection guarantee service through which the haulier can recover the value of the job via a compensation procedure. Access is based on a paid monthly subscription, whose cost the platform compares to “30 km of empty running” per month — the exact price is provided upon registration.

Best suited for: hauliers and freight forwarders who work mainly on the domestic market and on Romania–Europe routes and who value partner vetting.

123cargo

123cargo is BursaTransport’s international brand — the same platform, aimed at markets outside Romania, with a focus on Southeast Europe. It offers posting and searching for loads and trucks, real-time auctions for jobs, a directory of companies and fleets, plus the “123Încasare rapidă” service for recovering unpaid invoices: the platform reports that 89% of non-payment claims are resolved within 8 days.

Best suited for: Romanian hauliers who run international jobs and want access to the same offer base as BursaTransport, but with an interface and partners from multiple countries.

Cargopedia

Active since 2014 and available in over 10 languages, Cargopedia is the most accessible exchange for those just starting out, thanks to its freemium model: the Free account costs nothing and lets you post loads and trucks, while the Standard and Premium subscriptions (paid, with prices shown on the platform) unlock advanced features. The platform reports over 155,000 registered members and over 25,000 weekly active members.

Features include real-time e-mail/SMS notifications for loads that match your trucks, a route calculator with cost and road toll estimates, built-in chat with automatic translation, and identity verification of registered companies.

Best suited for: small companies and hauliers just starting out who want to try a freight exchange with no upfront costs.

Trans.eu

Trans.eu is one of the major European platforms, with hundreds of thousands of domestic and international freight offers posted daily and a network of approximately 25,000 verified hauliers. The platform focuses on automation: load–truck matching algorithms, AI-assisted allocation for shippers, and fast payment options. Access is based on a paid subscription, with pricing available on request.

Best suited for: hauliers with steady international activity, especially on Central and Eastern European routes.

TIMOCOM

TIMOCOM is the largest exchange in Europe by volume: up to 1 million international offers for freight and transport capacity daily, from 46 countries, with access to over 58,000 potential business partners. All users go through a security check before being accepted, and the platform offers real-time shipment tracking, route and cost calculation, and integration with TMS/ERP systems. There is a free trial period, after which access is based on a paid subscription, with pricing on request.

Best suited for: mid-sized and large companies focused on international transport that need a high volume of offers and integration with their own software systems.

Teleroute

Like BursaTransport, Teleroute is part of the Alpega group and publishes over 350,000 transport offers daily, with strong coverage in Western Europe (France, Benelux, Spain). A major advantage: the Alpega group has interconnected its exchanges, so offers flow between Teleroute, BursaTransport, and Wtransnet. Teleroute also offers an invoice payment guarantee service, and access is based on a paid subscription.

Best suited for: Romanian hauliers who frequently work on Western European routes.

EasyCargo

EasyCargo.ro is a Romanian freight marketplace that emphasizes simplicity: posting a load is free for customers, and hauliers (approximately 15,000 registered) can filter listings by route, weight, and type of goods, contacting the shipper directly after registering. It is more of a complement to the large exchanges, useful for domestic jobs and occasional shipments.

Best suited for: hauliers looking for additional domestic jobs and occasional shippers.

Comparison Table: Freight Exchanges in 2026

How to Choose the Right Freight Exchange

There is no single “best” freight exchange for everyone — there is the right exchange for your routes, fleet, and budget. Here are the criteria that really matter:

• Offer volume on your routes. An exchange with a million offers a day won’t help you if most of them are on routes you don’t run. Use the trial period to check how many relevant loads appear on your usual routes.
• Cost relative to earnings. A paid subscription usually pays for itself with a single extra job per month. Calculate how many empty miles you eliminate — that is the real indicator of profitability.
• Partner vetting and payment security. Look for exchanges that verify companies’ licenses, tax status, and payment history, and that offer invoice collection guarantee services or mediation of payment incidents. This criterion may be worth more than all the others combined.
• Integration with your systems. The large exchanges can connect to TMS and fleet tracking systems. If you already use GPS monitoring — such as CargoTrack — you can give customers from the exchange real-time visibility of the shipment, a real advantage in negotiations, and it becomes easier to meet your reporting obligations in the e-Transport system for goods with high fiscal risk.
• Support and language. For international jobs, chat with automatic translation and support in Romanian matter.

Pros and Cons of Freight Exchanges

Pros:

• You reduce empty miles — you can find return loads on almost any route;
• Fast access to thousands of new customers, with no prospecting costs;
• Partner vetting and payment incident history reduce the risk of non-payment;
• Useful built-in tools: route and cost calculators, traffic restrictions, fuel prices;
• Flexibility — you can supplement stable contracts with spot loads when you have spare capacity.

Cons:

• High competition for attractive loads, which puts pressure on rates;
• Paid subscriptions are a fixed cost, no matter how many jobs you get;
• The risk of bad payers does not disappear completely — a signed transport order remains mandatory;
• Spot loads do not offer the predictability of a long-term contract;
• The time spent monitoring offers can be significant without well-configured automatic notifications.

The practical takeaway: a freight exchange is a tool to supplement your business, not a replacement for direct business relationships. Companies that combine the two — stable contracts plus spot loads from the exchange, with a GPS-tracked fleet to prove punctuality — achieve the best truck utilization.

Frequently Asked Questions About Freight Exchanges

How much does access to a freight exchange cost?

It depends on the platform. Cargopedia offers a free account with basic features and paid subscriptions for advanced features, EasyCargo lets you post loads for free, and the large exchanges (BursaTransport, TIMOCOM, Trans.eu, Teleroute) run on a paid monthly subscription, with pricing provided upon registration or on request. Most offer free trial periods.

How do you sign up for a freight exchange?

You fill out an online form with your company details (CUI – Romanian company tax ID, transport license, insurance CMR), and the platform checks the documents before activation — on reputable exchanges, verification is mandatory and can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. After activation, you set up notifications for the routes and truck types you operate.

Is payment for jobs found through a freight exchange safe?

It is safer than working directly with unknown companies, but not automatically guaranteed. The large exchanges vet registered companies, publish payment incidents, and offer invoice collection guarantee services. However, your main protection remains the signed transport order, which has the value of a contract. Never carry out a job based solely on a phone agreement.

What is a transport order and why is it mandatory?

A transport order is the document through which the shipper contracts the haulier for a job, specifying the goods, the loading/unloading locations and dates, the rate, and the payment term. It is your legal basis in the event of non-payment or a dispute — without it, you have practically no contract. We cover this topic in detail in the dedicated section of this article.

Which freight exchange should I choose if I’m just starting out?

Start with a platform that offers a free account, such as Cargopedia, to learn how it works at no cost, then add a large subscription-based exchange (BursaTransport for the domestic market, TIMOCOM or Trans.eu for international) once your job volume justifies the investment. At the same time, prepare your company to be a credible partner: documents in order, valid CMR insurance, and GPS fleet tracking — customers on freight exchanges prefer hauliers who can show in real time where the goods are.

Tania