How truck dispatch works when the dispatcher works for you
If you've only been dispatched by a company, outside dispatch can feel like handing your truck to a stranger. It isn't. You set the rules, we search and negotiate, and every load comes back to you for a yes or a no. Here's the market you're walking into, every onboarding step, and what we will never ask you for.
What the freight market looked like recently, in plain numbers
| Equipment | Spot, all-in | Spot, minus fuel | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry van | $3.00 | $2.37 | $2.89 |
| Reefer | $3.39 | $2.70 | $3.22 |
| Flatbed | $3.69 | $2.94 | $3.80 |
Source: DAT Freight & Analytics, national averages for June 2026 (released July 9, 2026) · checked Oct 2026
Average cost to run a truck: $2.336 per mile in 2025
$1.854 per mile of that was everything except fuel.
Source: ATRI, An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking, 2026 update (2025 data) · checked Oct 2026
Put those two numbers side by side and you see the job. Averages across the country put the spot all-in rate not far above what an average truck costs to run per mile. A few cents of negotiation, a shorter deadhead or one avoided empty day is the difference between a week that pays and one that doesn't.
Averages also hide a lot. Rates swing week to week, by lane, by season and by the direction you're headed. Outbound from a busy market pays differently than the trip back. That's why we plan the reload before we book the first leg, and why your floor rate matters more than any national number.
What a first month looks like for you depends on your equipment, your lanes, your authority age and that month's market. We won't promise a number of loads or a weekly gross, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What we can promise is the process below. Brand-new MC? Read how new authority dispatch works first.
Dispatch onboarding, one container at a time
Carrier setup with a dispatcher comes down to five steps, stacked from the bottom up. Tap each container to open its doors: what you do, what we do, and how long it usually takes. Where timing depends on things neither of us controls, like broker approvals, we say so instead of guessing.
Want the full picture of the job first? Read what a truck dispatcher does for a carrier.
Fees, briefly: 7% of gross while your MC is under 6 months, 5% standard, 4% for 2 or more trucks (limited time). Same for every equipment type. All pricing and terms.
You do
Answer four short steps: your truck, your authority, how to reach you, and a final check.
We do
Read it, match you with a dispatcher, and note the fee tier that applies to you.
How long
About 2 minutes for you.
You do
Tell us your home base, lanes you like and won't run, home time, and the lowest rate per mile you'll take.
We do
Ask the questions a company dispatcher never asked you, then explain the agreement line by line before you sign anything.
How long
One conversation. Ask everything you want.
You do
Send your authority letter, W-9, certificate of insurance and your notice of assignment if you factor.
CDL truck? Your drug and alcohol program must be in place first. How a DOT consortium works. No program yet? Compare consortium plansWe may earn a referral fee if you sign up through this link. It does not change your price. Disclosure
We do
Check that everything matches what brokers will see on FMCSA's site, and flag anything that would stall a packet.
How long
As fast as you can send them. Missing papers are the usual delay.
You do
Sign broker carrier packets and answer the occasional vetting call.
We do
Send packets to brokers that fit your lanes and authority age, follow up, and track who approved.
How long
Depends on each broker. New MCs see more waiting here.
You do
Read the offer, confirm or pass. If you confirm, read and sign the rate con the broker sends you.
We do
Negotiate before the offer reaches you, book only after your yes, run check calls and line up your reload.
How long
Depends on approvals and the market that week. No one can promise a day.
What we will never ask you for
Scams in this business usually start with a request that sounds routine. If anyone claiming to be us asks for one of these, hang up and call the number on this site.
- Money up frontNo setup fee, no deposit, no onboarding charge. Our first fee comes from your first delivered load.
- Your bank loginBrokers and factoring companies pay you directly. We never need access to your accounts.
- Your FMCSA or Login.gov passwordWe read your public authority record. Changes to your registration are yours to make.
- The right to sign rate cons for youRate cons come from the broker to you, and you sign them.
- A long contractMonth-to-month. Thirty days notice ends it, no fee to leave.
- A promise of loads you haven't seenNothing books until you see the offer and say yes.
Planning to factor too? Dispatch and factoring work best when the paperwork lines up from day one. See how dispatch and factoring fit together.
After you start: the day-to-day questions
Do I approve every load?
Yes, every single one. We negotiate first, then bring you the lane, rate, weight and times. You confirm or pass. When you confirm, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you to sign. If you pass, there's no penalty and no lecture. We go find the next one.
How often will I get reports?
You get a weekly earnings report with every load, its miles, gross and rate per mile, plus the fee. You'll also hear from us whenever something changes during a load, like a late appointment or a detention clock starting, so the weekly report is a summary, not a surprise.
How do I talk to my dispatcher?
By phone at Call us, and by text for day-to-day offers if you prefer it. Dispatch desk: Mon-Sun, 24/7. You talk to people who know your truck, your lanes and your rules, not a ticket system.
Can I pause dispatch for home time?
Yes. Tell us the dates and we plan your last load to end near home. Because the fee is only charged on loads you haul, a week off costs you nothing. When you're ready to roll again, we start lining up loads before your first day back.
Who handles check calls?
We do. Brokers want location updates, ETAs and delivery confirmations, and those calls add up. Our desk takes them so you can drive. If a broker needs to reach you directly about a dock or an appointment, we pass the details along.
What do you need from me every week?
Quick answers on load offers, photos of signed BOLs and PODs after delivery, a heads-up when your plans change, and current documents when your insurance renews or your medical card is updated. That's it. Everything else on the load is on our side.
Start my setup: what do you run?
26 ft box trucks and up. No cargo vans or sprinters.
Onboarding is for owner-operators and fleets running their own MC; a company driver's loads come from the carrier's dispatch.