Lease purchase dispatch: the honest answer first
Most lease-purchase drivers can't use an outside dispatcher while they're leased on. The truck runs under the carrier's authority, and the lease usually says you haul their freight. Any dispatcher who tells you otherwise without reading your lease is guessing.
That doesn't mean we can't help. Some leases allow outside loads in writing. Many drivers finish the lease and get their own MC, and that's exactly when a dispatch desk earns its fee. Take the path on the right to see where you stand.
The short version
- Leased on: read the lease, usually no outside dispatch.
- Your own MC: yes, any time.
- Lease ending: start your authority paperwork early.
CH 02
Own authority yet? Find out in four taps
Answer a few yes or no questions. Each answer comes with the honest next step, even when that step isn't us.
Nothing you tap is saved or sent anywhere. If you end up applying, a dispatcher will still ask about your lease on the first call, because the details matter.
CH 03
What to check in your lease (not legal advice)
Federal truth-in-leasing rules set the minimum a lease between a carrier and an equipment owner must say 49 CFR 376.12 Lease requirements (truth in leasing)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. The lease has to be in writing and signed. During the lease, the carrier has exclusive possession and control of the truck. Your pay has to be clearly stated, every item the carrier can deduct from your pay has to be listed with how it's calculated, and any escrow has to be explained and returned within 45 days after the lease ends.
The rules also say the carrier can't require you to buy or rent products, equipment or services from them as a condition of the lease. If your lease seems to break any of these, talk to a lawyer who works with truckers before you sign or quit.
Questions to ask before signing, or before leaving
- Can I refuse a load without a penalty? Can I haul for anyone else?
- What exactly is charged back each week, and how is each charge calculated?
- How much is held in escrow, what can it be used for, and when do I get it back?
- What happens to my payments and the truck if I leave early?
- Who pays for major repairs, and does that change near the end of the lease?
Our guide to the truck driver contract goes through these clauses in more detail.
CH 04
After the lease: moving to your own MC
Know the truck and the numbers
What the truck is worth, what you still owe, and your cost per mile. If the math doesn't work at today's rates, staying leased on a while longer can be the smart call.
Line up the paperwork
Your MC and USDOT authority, insurance filed with FMCSA, a drug and alcohol program for CDL trucks, and an ELD. Start weeks before the lease ends, not the day after.
Line up the freight
This is the part you never had to do as a leased driver. Brokers need your packet before they'll load you, and new authorities take some patience. That's the work our desk does.
What changes the most is control. Under a lease, the carrier decides a lot about your week. Under your own authority with our desk, every load is an offer you can turn down, and the rate con goes to your company. The trade-off is that the costs and the risk are yours too.
Thinking about putting money down on a truck of your own instead? Our guide to the semi truck down payment covers what lenders usually look at, and the semi truck value estimator helps you think through what your current truck might be worth.
CH 05
Lease-purchase vs your own authority with a dispatcher
| Leased on to a carrier | Own MC with our desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Whose authority | The carrier's | Yours |
| Who chooses loads | Usually the carrier | You, from offers we bring |
| Who signs the rate con | The carrier | You |
| Insurance and compliance | Often through the carrier, with charge-backs | Yours to arrange and pay |
| What you pay for dispatch | Built into the lease terms | 5% of gross (7% for the first six months) |
| Leaving | Depends on the lease; can cost you the truck or escrow | Month to month, notice period |
CH 06
Where lease-purchase deals go wrong, and signs you're ready to leave
Common ways a lease hurts the driver
- A weekly payment that doesn't care about freight. The truck payment comes out whether the carrier gives you 3,000 miles that week or 1,200. A slow month can leave you owing money.
- Charge-backs that add up. Insurance, escrow, plates, fuel advances, maintenance, trailer rent. Each one is small; together they can take most of a settlement.
- Little control over loads. If the carrier decides which loads you get, it decides how much you can earn, while you carry the cost of the truck.
- Walking away costs you. Leave early and many leases keep your payments and the truck. Some drivers stay in a bad deal because quitting means losing everything they put in.
Not every lease is bad. Some drivers use one to get into a truck they couldn't finance otherwise, finish it and do well. The difference is usually in the terms they read before signing, and in having a plan for the day the lease ends instead of hoping it works out.
Signs you're ready for your own authority
- You know your cost per mile, including the truck payment, insurance and maintenance, and you know what rate covers it.
- You have savings to cover at least a month of fixed costs while the first broker payments arrive.
- Your truck is in good shape, or you know what it needs and have the money set aside.
- You can get insurance at a price that still works, and you've priced it, not guessed.
- You know which lanes you want to run and why.
If you can't check most of those yet, there's no shame in finishing the lease first and saving up. Going out on your own too early is one of the hardest ways to learn the business. When you're ready, the first months as a new authority work a little differently, and we price them that way: 7% of gross for the first six months, then 5%.
CH 07
Lease purchase and dispatch questions
CH 01Can a lease-purchase driver use a dispatcher?
Usually not while leased on. Your truck runs under the carrier's authority, and federal leasing rules give that carrier exclusive control of the equipment during the lease. Most leases also require you to haul the carrier's freight. Some allow outside loads in writing. Once you have your own MC, you can use any dispatcher you like.
CH 02What is a lease-purchase program in trucking?
An arrangement where a driver leases a truck from a carrier or its affiliate, hauls freight for that carrier, and makes payments that can lead to owning the truck at the end. Terms vary widely: payment amounts, maintenance escrow, who sets the loads and what happens if you leave early. Read every line before you sign one.
CH 03What happens when I finish my lease?
If you complete the lease and buy out the truck, it's yours. Then you can stay leased on to a carrier as an owner-operator, or get your own MC authority and run independently. Getting your own authority means insurance, a drug program for CDL trucks, broker setups and finding your own freight, which is where a dispatcher comes in.
CH 04Do I need my own authority to use a dispatcher?
To use us, yes. We dispatch carriers with their own active MC and USDOT numbers, because brokers contract with your company and send the rate con to you. If your authority is pending, apply anyway and tell us the status; we can get broker packets ready so you start as soon as it's active.
Got your own MC, or about to?
Apply now and tell us where your lease stands. We'll be honest about timing, and every load we find still needs your yes.