👥 Primary Audience: Admins, Partner Admins, Office Admins, Operation Managers , Dispatchers
The Marketplace Permissions category in Alvys controls access to the system's load Marketplace functionality. The Carrier Marketplace is an integrated load board built directly into the TMS. It lets carriers and brokers search for available freight, book or bid on them and post their own loads for other carriers to pick up all without leaving Alvys.
In the freight industry, load marketplaces (also known as load boards) are central to how brokers and carriers find each other. A broker with available freight posts loads to the marketplace, and carriers search for loads that match their equipment and desired lanes. When a carrier finds a suitable load, they can either book it at the listed rate or bid on it with a counter-offer. For more details on marketplace see the following help center articles; Understanding the Marketplace and Alvys Internal Marketplace.
⚠️ Please note that to use the Marketplace, the subsidiary must have an active integration with one of the following sources: Alvys Marketplace, DAT Marketplace, Uber Freight, or Truckstop Marketplace.
Because the Marketplace connects your organization to external brokers and carriers, access is managed through dedicated permissions that define exactly what each user can see and do. This article explains each Marketplace permission, what it enables, why it is important, and which roles typically require it.
Where to Manage Marketplace Permissions
⚠️ To modify these permissions, the logged-in user, preferably an administrator, must possess the “Set Permission” permission located within the Management category. Without “Set Permission”, a user can view the user profile or form but cannot adjust any permissions. For additional information regarding the “Set Permission”, please refer to the Management & Privacy Permissions article.
General Permissions are configured at the individual user level within the User Management interface. To adjust these settings:
Select your Username in the bottom left corner.
Navigate to Company Profile and select the Users tab.
Select an existing user to Edit or click Create New User.
Scroll to the Permissions section and locate the Marketplace category.
You will see four (4) individual checkboxes:
View Marketplace Loads,Book Marketplace Loads,Bid on Marketplace Loads, andPost Loads to Marketplace
Marketplace Permissions Breakdown
View Marketplace Loads
The View Marketplace Loads is a read only permission, it grants users the ability to access the marketplace to search for and view available loads from the carrier-side marketplace, the exchange where carriers discover and respond to freight opportunities. This is the foundational marketplace permission; without it, a user has no visibility into the load marketplace. With this permission, a user can browse available loads, view load details (origin, destination, equipment type, rate), and evaluate whether loads match their capacity needs, but cannot take any action on a load. The marketplace can be accessed from the left navigation by selecting Loads & Trips, then the Marketplace menu item.
💡 Having this permission or any of the following marketplace permissions, Book Marketplace Loads or Bid on Marketplace Loads, causes the Marketplace sidebar item to appear, allowing the user to access the marketplace page. This permission is ideal when the admin intends to grant view only access to the marketplace.
By default, this authorization is extended to the Partner Admin, Admin, Operation Manager, Dispatcher, and Office Admin roles. Conversely, this permission is not assigned by default to the Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, or Driver roles.
✅ Best Practice: Grant View Marketplace Loads to all users who actively search for and evaluate available loads in the marketplace, such as Dispatchers, Load Planners, and Operations Managers. Ensure that any user with Book, Bid, or Post permissions also has View Marketplace Loads. This permission should serve as the baseline whenever granting any other Marketplace permission.
Book Marketplace Loads
The Book Marketplace Loads permission determines whether a user can book (accept) a load from various marketplace sources at the listed rate in a single action, bypassing negotiation. Users with this permission can click the "Book Now" button to submit a booking request immediately without entering a bid or negotiation process. Booking a load commits the company to haul the freight at the specified price and terms. This permission ensures that only users with the authority to commit the company to hauling obligations can book loads. Dispatchers typically hold this authority, as load booking is a central part of their workflow.
On the Marketplace page, the "Book Now" button (or "Submit Booking" for DAT sources) appears in the marketplace table for each result. The button is also available in the side panel action controls when a user selects a load to view its details.
By default, this authorization is extended to the Partner Admin, Admin, Operation Manager, Dispatcher, and Office Admin roles. Conversely, this permission is not assigned by default to the Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, or Driver roles.
✅ Book Marketplace Loads permission to users, such as Dispatchers and Operations Managers, who have the authority to commit the company to hauling freight. Users with the Bid on Marketplace Loads permission inherently also have booking capability.
Bid on Marketplace Loads
The Bid on Marketplace Loads permission allows a user to submit a bid or counter-offer on a marketplace load. Unlike booking, which accepts the listed rate, bidding lets the user propose an alternative rate, which the shipper or broker can accept, reject, or counter. Bidding requires knowledge of market rates, lane costs, equipment availability, and profit margin targets. Unauthorized bids could expose the company to unprofitable rates or create confusion with marketplace partners. This permission ensures that only users with authority to negotiate rates can submit bids. Users who can bid on a load also have the ability to book marketplace loads.
💡 The ability to bid or book directly through Alvys depends on the integration capabilities of each load provider. For instance, Truckstop currently requires offline negotiation, whereas Uber Freight and certain DAT loads support instant booking or bidding.
On the Marketplace page, the "Submit Bid" button appears in the marketplace table within the row of each load result. The "Bid" button is also available in the side panel footer when a user selects a load to view its details.
This permission also controls whether users can access the "Bids" tab within the marketplace and view their bid history, submit new bids with custom rates, and manage counter-offers.
By default, this permission is extended to the Partner Admin, Admin, Operation Manager, Dispatcher, and Office Admin roles. Conversely, this permission is not assigned by default to the Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, or Driver roles.
✅ Grant the Bid on Marketplace Loads permission to Dispatchers, Sales Agents (when applicable), and Operations Managers who are responsible for negotiating rates and managing bids on marketplace loads. Because bidding involves rate negotiation, assign this permission only to staff familiar with your cost structure, fuel expenses, and lane-specific market conditions. Note that granting this permission also provides the ability to book loads, so users with bidding access can automatically book as well.
Post Loads to Marketplace
The Post Loads to Marketplace permission controls whether a user can make the company's loads available on external marketplace load boards for carriers to discover. Unlike the browse-and-book workflow, where users search for loads to haul, this permission allows a user to post the company's freight for others to bid on or accept.
This permission also includes the ability to unpost, or remove, loads from the marketplace. Without it, users cannot make loads visible to external carriers. Restricting access ensures that only authorized users can manage the company’s marketplace presence, preventing accidental exposure of internal loads or posting of incorrect rates.The “Post load” button can be found on the individual load details page at the footer of the Carrier Information card (next to the load details card).
By default, this authorization is extended to the Partner Admin, Admin, Operation Manager, Dispatcher, and Office Admin roles. Conversely, this permission is not assigned by default to the Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, or Driver roles.
✅ Best Practice: Grant Post Loads to Marketplace only to users, such as Dispatchers, Load Planners, or Operations Managers, who are responsible for managing the company’s marketplace load postings. Establish clear internal guidelines for when loads should be posted externally versus handled internally, and define appropriate rate ranges to maintain consistency and control
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do I need to grant all four Marketplace permissions at once, or can I grant them individually? A: You can grant them individually for granular control. For example, you can allow a user to search and bid without giving them the authority to post company freight. However, note that the Bid on Marketplace Loads permission effectively includes booking access.
Q: Which roles are granted Marketplace permissions by default? A: By default, these are granted to Partner Admin, Admin, Operation Manager, Dispatcher, and Office Admin roles. Roles such as Biller, Sales Agent, Data Entry, Safety, and Driver do not receive marketplace access by default.
Q: Why are Sales Agents excluded from default Marketplace permissions?
A: Even though Sales Agents have dispatch permissions, Marketplace access is treated as a separate set of responsibilities. If a Sales Agent needs to interact with the marketplace, these permissions must be explicitly assigned by an administrator.
Q: What does it mean to "unpost" a load, and which permission is required? A: Unposting removes your company’s freight from external boards so it is no longer visible to other carriers. This action is managed by the Post Loads to Marketplace permission, which covers both making a load public and removing it.
Q: Should Marketplace permissions be granted to the Accounting or Biller staff?
A: Generally, no. Marketplace activity is an operational function for finding freight. Since billing is a financial function focused on invoicing and settlements, these staff members rarely require the ability to book or post loads.
Q: What is required at the company level to use Marketplace features? A: Beyond user permissions, the subsidiary must have an active integration with a supported source, such as the Alvys Marketplace, DAT, Uber Freight, or Truckstop.
Next Steps
⏭️ Proceed to the Customer Management Permissions article to learn how to assign and manage permissions for creating, editing, activating, and deleting customer records. This will help ensure that only authorized users handle sensitive customer information and maintain accurate records in Alvys.
Return to Collection