Creating a Load

This walkthrough covers the full process of creating a new load in Offload — from the global add button through customer and project setup to entering load details. We’ll use a realistic example: transporting a Liebherr LTM 1300 mobile crane from Houston, TX to a job site in Dallas, TX.

Step 1: Open the Add Loads dialog

Click the “Create new” button in the top navigation bar. This global shortcut is available from any page in Offload.

Select “Load(s)” from the dropdown menu to open the Add Loads dialog.

Step 2: Select or create a customer

The first section of the dialog asks you to assign a customer. Start typing the customer name in the search field. If the customer already exists, select them from the list. If not, Offload offers to create a new one right from this dialog — no need to navigate away.

In our example, we’re working with a new customer. Type “Turner Construction” and click the “Create” option that appears.

Typing a new customer name shows a Create option in the dropdown.

An inline form expands where you can enter the company name, email, phone, and website. Only the company name is required. Click “Continue” when you’re done.

The inline customer creation form with fields for company name, email, phone, and website.

Step 3: Select or create a project

Every load in Offload belongs to a project. Projects group related loads together — for example, all the loads for a single job site or contract.

With your customer set, the project field works the same way. Type a new project name like “Crane Transport - Dallas Job Site” and select the “Create” option.

Typing a new project name shows a Create option, just like the customer field.

Step 4: Enter load details

With the customer and project set, scroll down to the Load Details section. Here you’ll fill in the core information for your shipment.

The load details section with fields for origin, destination, pickup and dropoff dates, and dispatch scheduling options.

Origin and destination

Enter the pickup and dropoff locations using the address search fields. You can type a street address, city, or even paste GPS coordinates in lat, long format.

For our crane transport example:

Origin/Pickup Location: Houston, TX (the crane yard)
Destination/Dropoff Location: Dallas, TX (the construction site)

Pickup and dropoff dates

Set the scheduled pickup and dropoff dates using the date/time pickers. These dates drive the dispatch calendar and help your team plan ahead.

Dispatch start and end

Offload automatically calculates dispatch windows based on your pickup and dropoff dates. You can customize this behavior:

Pickup Date (Start of Business) — dispatch starts on the pickup date at the beginning of business hours (default).
Pre-Load Mobilization — calculate dispatch start based on a specified number of hours before the customer pickup, accounting for yard time and mobilization.
Custom Dispatch Start — set a specific date and time manually.

The same options are available for the dispatch end date.

Step 5: Add commodity details

Click “Add Commodity” to describe what you’re hauling. For our crane example, you’d enter:

Description: Liebherr LTM 1300 Mobile Crane
Weight, dimensions, and any other relevant commodity details

Step 6: Configure equipment and resource requirements

The Equipment Setups & Resource Requirements section lets you specify what’s needed to move this load.

The equipment setup section with driver, truck, and trailer requirement fields, plus loaded dimensions.

Each load starts with a Primary Setup. You can configure:

Driver Requirements — select the driver type(s) needed (e.g., Heavy Haul Driver)
Truck Requirements — select the truck type(s) (e.g., Heavy Haul Tractor)
Trailer Requirements — select the trailer type(s) (e.g., Lowboy, RGN)
Dispatch Notes & Instructions — add any special instructions for the driver or dispatch team

Need multiple equipment configurations? Click “Add Setup” to create additional setups for the same load.

Loaded dimensions

At the bottom, enter the overall loaded dimensions:

Length, Width, Height — in feet and inches (e.g., 85'0" L, 12'6" W, 14'2" H)
Weight — in pounds (e.g., 120,000)
Overhang — front and rear overhang measurements
Ground Clearance — minimum clearance

These dimensions are used during route planning to check clearances against bridges, tunnels, and other restrictions along the route.

Step 7: Create the load

Once all required fields are filled in, the “Create Load” button becomes active. Click it to create your load.

Offload will create the customer (if new), the project (if new), and the load all at once. You’ll be taken to the load detail page where you can continue setting up your shipment — uploading permits, planning routes, and assigning resources.

Tips

Batch creation: Use the “Number of Load Copies” field to create multiple identical loads at once. Each gets auto-numbered (001, 002, 003, etc.). This is handy when you need several loads for the same route and commodity.
Prefill from existing: If you’re adding a load to a project that already has loads, use the “Prefill Load Details from Existing Load” option to copy settings from a previous load and modify as needed.
Quick access: The “Create new” button is always available in the top nav, so you can start a new load from anywhere in the app.