Questions carriers ask
These are the questions that come up on a first call, answered the way we would answer them on the phone. If yours is not here, ask us.
Questions
Answered straight, including the ones with awkward answers.
- What does a truck dispatcher actually do?
- A dispatcher finds and books freight for your truck, negotiates the rate with the broker or shipper, handles the setup paperwork, and follows the load through to invoicing and payment. We work for you, under your authority. We are not a broker: we never take possession of your freight and we are not a party to the contract of carriage.
- How much do you charge?
- 6% of linehaul, calculated on the linehaul portion of the rate only. We do not take a percentage of your fuel surcharge, because that is reimbursement for money you already spent, not earnings. There is no setup fee, no monthly minimum, and no contract. Carriers running three or more trucks should talk to us about a lower rate.
- Am I locked into a contract?
- No. There is no term, no notice period, and no cancellation fee. If we are not making you money you should leave, and we would rather you left than stayed unhappy. Your authority, your insurance, and your broker relationships are yours throughout and you take all of them with you.
- Do I need my own authority?
- Yes. We dispatch for carriers running under their own MC and USDOT authority. If you are leased onto a carrier, your dispatch is already handled by them. If you are in the process of getting authority, talk to us anyway — we can have your carrier packet assembled and ready for the day it is active.
- Do you book loads without asking me?
- Never. You see the rate, the miles, the pickup and delivery, and the terms, and you say yes before anything is signed. A dispatcher who books over your head is making decisions about your hours of service and your equipment without the information to make them.
- Is a dispatcher the same as a freight broker?
- No, and the distinction is legal rather than cosmetic. A broker arranges transportation between shippers and carriers, holds a brokerage authority and a surety bond, and is a contracting party. A dispatcher is an agent of the carrier — we act on your behalf, under your authority, and we are paid by you. If someone offers to dispatch you and also to broker your freight, ask which hat they are wearing on any given load.
- What equipment do you dispatch?
- Dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, power only, and hotshot. Each of those markets behaves differently and we write about each one separately rather than pretending they are interchangeable.
- How quickly can I start?
- If your authority is active and your insurance is current, usually within a day or two — most of that time is broker setup, which depends on their systems rather than ours. If you are a brand new authority, expect a little longer while we get you set up with a working list of brokers.
- Do you work with factoring companies?
- Yes, and it makes no difference to us which one. We submit invoices in the format your factor requires and make sure your notice of assignment is on file with every broker, so nobody pays the wrong party and delays your money.
- Will you get me direct shipper freight?
- Sometimes, and we will be straight with you about it. Direct shipper relationships take time to build and they tend to want consistency in a specific lane before they commit. Most of what we book for a new carrier comes through brokers, and we work toward direct freight where your lanes make it realistic rather than promising it up front.
- Do you handle my IFTA and my taxes?
- No. We organize the paperwork and track the deadlines, and we will tell you when a quarter is closing, but filing your IFTA returns and your taxes belongs with an accountant or a filing service. We are dispatchers, and a dispatcher who claims to be your accountant as well is a dispatcher who is doing at least one of those jobs badly.
- What happens if I sit for a day?
- You do not pay us for a load we did not book, because we are paid as a percentage of what you earn. That alignment is deliberate — a flat weekly fee gets paid whether or not the truck moved. It also means a bad week for you is a bad week for us, which is the incentive you want your dispatcher to have.