Terms of Service

Last updated: June 19, 2026

1. What DeadHeader is

DeadHeader is a "reverse" load board for auto transport: carriers post trips with priced, available spots; brokers browse available carriers and send order requests to book a spot; carriers accept, reject, or counter. The Service also offers supporting tools, including FMCSA-based carrier and broker vetting, a capacity map, messaging, and automatically generated operational documents (such as dispatch sheets, bills of lading, invoices, and due-diligence reports). DeadHeader provides the platform that helps you connect and coordinate - nothing more.

2. What DeadHeader is not

This is important. DeadHeader is a neutral technology venue. DeadHeader is not:

• a motor carrier, freight broker, freight forwarder, shipper, or transportation provider of any kind;
• a party to, guarantor of, or agent for any transportation contract, order, or other agreement between users;
• a payment processor, escrow agent, bank, or money-services business; and
• a consumer reporting agency, and the information we display is not a "consumer report" (see Section 8).

DeadHeader does not take possession of, transport, inspect, or take responsibility for any vehicle or cargo. We do not direct, supervise, or control carriers or brokers, and we have no obligation to monitor or enforce the conduct of, or any agreement between, users. Any contract you form with another user is solely between you and that user.

3. Eligibility

The Service is for licensed, business users in the auto-transport industry. You must be at least 18 years old, able to form a binding contract, and (for carriers and brokers) hold and maintain all operating authority, registration, insurance, and licensing required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ("FMCSA"), the U.S. Department of Transportation, and applicable state and federal law. The Service is intended for use in the United States.

4. Accounts and sign-in

DeadHeader uses passwordless sign-in: we email a single-use, time-limited magic link to verify your identity. You are responsible for keeping your email account secure and for all activity that occurs under your account. As an anti-fraud measure, when you set up your company we compare your sign-up email to the email your company has on file with the FMCSA; a match verifies you instantly, otherwise your account is reviewed before you receive full marketplace access. You agree to provide accurate information and to keep it current. Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to, and not to allow anyone to:

• misrepresent your identity, authority, insurance, safety record, or any other fact, or impersonate any person or company;
• post false, fraudulent, duplicate, or misleading trips, orders, prices, or other content;
• engage in unauthorized re-brokering or "double-brokering" - reassigning, re-posting, or tendering a booked load to another carrier without the other party's written authorization;
• post a trip or send an order request without a genuine intent to transact, including to "fish" for pricing, capacity, or contact information;
• use the Service to arrange the transport of unlawful goods, or in violation of any law or regulation;
• harass, defraud, or harm another user, or interfere with their use of the Service;
• scrape, crawl, harvest, or systematically extract data from the Service, or use it to build a competing product;
• circumvent, disable, or interfere with security, access controls, rate limits, or fees;
• reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive source code, except as permitted by law; or
• introduce malware or otherwise disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service.

We may investigate suspected violations and may suspend, flag, restrict, or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, but we have no obligation to do so.

6. Dealings between users

DeadHeader helps you find and communicate with potential counterparties; the resulting relationship is entirely between you and the other user. We do not guarantee that any trip will be posted accurately, that any spot will be booked, that any vehicle will be picked up or delivered (on time or at all), that any party will perform, or that any payment will be made. You are solely responsible for evaluating, negotiating, contracting with, and performing for the parties you deal with, and for any dispute, loss, damage, claim, or liability arising out of those dealings. Ratings and notes on the Service reflect users' own opinions; we do not endorse or verify them.

By posting a trip or booking a spot, you certify that you hold the operating authority, registration, and insurance required to perform; that you are authorized to tender or transport the vehicle(s) at issue; and that you will not re-broker or reassign a booked load without the other party's written consent. Any contract, certification, or arrangement between users is solely between those users - DeadHeader is not a party to it and assumes no obligation or liability under it.

7. No money handling

DeadHeader does not process, collect, hold, escrow, disburse, or guarantee any payment between carriers and brokers, and does not store payment-card or bank-account details for shipment settlement. Brokers and carriers settle directly with each other on whatever terms they agree. Payment-method and payment-term fields in the Service are informational only and are not an offer, agreement, or processing of payment by DeadHeader. We are not responsible for any non-payment, underpayment, chargeback, or financial dispute between users.

8. FMCSA and third-party data; vetting tools

The Service displays information sourced from third parties, including the FMCSA (authority, insurance, safety, and out-of-service data) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA," for VIN decoding), as well as information provided by users. This information is provided "as is" and "as available," may be incomplete, inaccurate, or out of date, and may change at any time. DeadHeader does not independently verify it and does not warrant its accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose.

Our vetting features, trust chips, "verified" indicators, monitoring alerts, and due-diligence reports are informational tools to assist your own due diligence - they are not a guarantee, endorsement, certification, or recommendation of any carrier's or broker's identity, fitness, safety, solvency, or legitimacy, and they do not relieve you of your responsibility to investigate and decide for yourself before you book or accept a load. DeadHeader is not a consumer reporting agency, the information is not a "consumer report," and you may not use the Service for any purpose governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act or for any unlawful purpose.

9. Documents generated by the Service

The Service can generate operational documents and records (for example, dispatch sheets, bills of lading, invoices, delivery receipts, online BOLs, driver-capture records, and due-diligence reports) from the information you and your counterparties enter. These are tools to help you run your business and create your own records; DeadHeader is not a party to them and does not warrant that any document is accurate, complete, legally sufficient, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for reviewing them and for your own recordkeeping and legal obligations. Nothing in the Service or these Terms is legal, tax, insurance, or compliance advice.

10. Your content

You retain ownership of the content you submit to the Service (such as trips, orders, vehicle and shipper details, messages, photos, signatures, and documents). You grant DeadHeader a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, process, display, and transmit your content as needed to operate, provide, secure, and improve the Service and as described in our Privacy Policy. You represent that you have all rights and permissions necessary to submit your content - including any information about third parties such as shippers, owners, or drivers - and that doing so does not violate any law or the rights of any person.

11. Fees and trial

DeadHeader may offer the Service on a free trial and on paid subscription plans. Fees, if any, are for access to the platform - not for any freight transaction - and are described at sign-up or on our pricing page. Unless stated otherwise, fees are billed in advance, are non-refundable except where required by law, and may change on prospective notice. You are responsible for any taxes other than DeadHeader's income taxes. If a payment method is required for a paid plan, you authorize us (or our payment provider) to charge it for the applicable fees.

12. Intellectual property

The Service, including its software, design, text, graphics, logos, and the "DeadHeader" name and marks, is owned by DeadHeader or its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for your internal business purposes. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, or create derivative works from the Service except as expressly permitted.

13. Third-party services

The Service relies on and links to third-party services and data (for example, FMCSA data services, NHTSA, and mapping providers such as Google Maps). Your use of those services may be subject to their own terms, and DeadHeader is not responsible for them. We may add, change, or remove third-party integrations at any time.

14. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT AND DATA ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. DEADHEADER DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DATA WILL BE ACCURATE, OR THAT ANY CARRIER, BROKER, OR TRANSACTION WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

15. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DEADHEADER AND ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY. THIS INCLUDES ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, OR LIABILITY ARISING FROM A TRANSACTION OR DEALING BETWEEN USERS, FROM ANY VEHICLE OR CARGO, FROM ANY NON-PAYMENT, OR FROM RELIANCE ON FMCSA OR OTHER DATA. DEADHEADER'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE FEES YOU PAID DEADHEADER IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM OR ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THESE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

16. Indemnification

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless DeadHeader and its officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your use of the Service, your content, your dealings or transactions with other users, your transportation of any vehicle or cargo, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

17. Suspension and termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, including for a violation of these Terms or to protect the Service or other users. On termination, the licenses granted to you end, but Sections that by their nature should survive (including Sections 2, 6-10, and 14-19) will survive.

18. Dispute resolution; arbitration; class waiver

Please read this section carefully - it affects how disputes between you and DeadHeader are resolved and limits the ways you can seek relief from us. It is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act.

(a) Informal resolution first. Before starting an arbitration, you and DeadHeader agree to try to resolve the dispute informally for at least 60 days. To begin, send a written "Notice of Dispute" describing the dispute and the relief you seek to DeadHeader Inc., Attn: Legal Department, 11471 W Sample Road, Suite 32, Coral Springs, FL 33065 (DeadHeader will send any notice to you at your account email). If the dispute is not resolved within 60 days, either party may start arbitration.

(b) Binding arbitration. Except for the matters in (c), any dispute, claim, or controversy between you and DeadHeader arising out of or relating to the Service or these Terms will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Commercial Arbitration Rules - or, where the AAA determines a party is a consumer, its Consumer Arbitration Rules - as modified by these Terms. A single arbitrator will decide; the arbitration will be conducted in English and seated in Broward County, Florida; and judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction.

(c) Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court if it qualifies, and either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to protect its intellectual property or to stop unauthorized access to or misuse of the Service. Seeking that relief is not a waiver of this arbitration agreement.

(d) Jury and class waiver. You and DeadHeader each waive any right to a jury trial and agree to bring claims only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative action. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims or preside over any class or representative proceeding. If this class waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will be severed and heard in court while the rest proceeds in arbitration.

(e) 30-day right to opt out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days after you first accept these Terms by emailing support@deadheader.com - or writing to the address in (a) - with your name, the email on your account, and a clear statement that you opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, neither you nor DeadHeader may require the other to arbitrate; the rest of these Terms still apply. Opting out does not affect any separate arbitration agreement you may have with us.

(f) Fees. Filing, administration, and arbitrator fees are governed by the AAA's rules, except that DeadHeader will pay or reimburse those fees to the extent the applicable rules or the law require. Each party otherwise bears its own attorneys' fees and costs, unless the law or the arbitrator provides otherwise.

(g) Survival and severability. This Section 18 survives termination of these Terms. If any part of this section other than the class waiver in (d) is found unenforceable, that part will be severed and the rest will remain in effect. This section does not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law.

19. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and, where applicable, by the Federal Arbitration Act. Subject to Section 18, the state and federal courts located in Broward County, Florida will have exclusive jurisdiction over any matter not subject to arbitration.

20. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and, for material changes, provide reasonable notice (for example, in-app or by email). Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

21. General

These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and DeadHeader regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements. If any provision is held unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Nothing in these Terms creates any partnership, agency, employment, or joint-venture relationship between you and DeadHeader. Nothing in the Service or these Terms is legal, tax, insurance, or compliance advice; consult your own professionals.

22. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at support@deadheader.com or via our contact page. DeadHeader Inc., 11471 W Sample Road, Suite 32, Coral Springs, FL 33065.

DeadHeader Inc. · DeadHeader is a neutral technology platform. It is not a motor carrier or broker, is not a party to your transactions, and does not handle payment between brokers and carriers - the two settle directly.