How truck dispatch works with our desk, stop by stop
If you've never used a dispatcher, the unknown is the scary part. Who calls the broker? Who signs what? Can they book you on a load you didn't want? Here is every step from the day you apply to the day you get paid, including the parts that are your job and the parts that are ours.
The short version: we do the searching, negotiating and phone work. You say yes or no to every load. The rate con comes to you, the broker pays you, and we invoice a percent only on loads you hauled.
- 14stops from application to weekly report
- 1decision per load, and it's yours
- 0fees on loads you turn down
CH 02
From first call to first paycheck
Drag the slider, or just scroll. Each stop says who does the work: you, our desk, the broker, or both of us together.
Stops seven, eight and nine are the heart of it. A load is only an offer until you say yes, and the paperwork that makes it real goes to you, not to us. That's how truck dispatch should work, and it's the first thing to ask about if you're comparing dispatchers.
How long does the whole thing take? The first call can happen the day you apply. Broker setups and your first load depend on the brokers and on your authority age. Our guide on how fast a dispatcher can get a first load explains the timeline honestly.
- STOP 01YOU
You apply
Two minutes online: your truck, your authority, how to reach you. No payment, no documents yet. You can also just call the desk.
- STOP 02YOU + DESK
The first call
A dispatcher calls at the time you picked. We talk about your truck and trailer, home base, lanes you like and hate, how often you want to be home, and the lowest rate per mile you'd haul for.
- STOP 03YOU
You send documents once
Your MC authority letter, certificate of insurance, W-9 and, if you factor, your notice of assignment. We sign a short month-to-month dispatch agreement. That's the whole onboarding.
- STOP 04OUR DESK
Broker setups
We send carrier packets to brokers that fit your lanes and equipment, with your insurance and W-9 attached. Some approve the same day; others take longer, especially for new authorities.
- STOP 05OUR DESK
Load search
We search the major load boards and call the brokers and shippers we know, filtered by your rules. Before a load reaches you, we check the broker's payment record and the all-in rate per mile.
- STOP 06OUR DESK
Negotiation
We counter when the lane supports it, and we ask for detention, layover and tarp terms in writing. If a broker won't move and the load doesn't fit, we keep looking.
- STOP 07YOU
The offer comes to you
A call or text with the lane, pickup and delivery windows, loaded and empty miles, rate, all-in rate per mile, live or drop, and the broker's name. Nothing is booked yet.
- STOP 08YOU
You say yes or no
Your call, every time. Say no and it costs you nothing; we bring the next one. Say yes and we confirm it with the broker in your company's name.
- STOP 09THE BROKER
The rate con goes to you
The broker sends the rate confirmation to your email. You read it and sign it as the carrier. We get a copy to track the load, but the agreement is between your company and the broker.
- STOP 10OUR DESK
Dispatch and check calls
We send you the pickup details and give the broker your ETA. While you drive, we handle check calls and updates, and we start working on your next load before you deliver.
- STOP 11YOU + DESK
Detention and problems
If the shipper holds you past free time, tell us when you arrive and leave. We log it and file the detention claim. Breakdowns, reroutes and late appointments go through the desk too.
- STOP 12YOU
Delivery and paperwork
You deliver, take clear photos of the signed bill of lading and proof of delivery, and send them the same day. Clean paperwork is what gets you paid on time.
- STOP 13YOU + DESK
Getting paid
The invoice goes to the broker, or to your factoring company if you factor. The broker pays your company, not us. We invoice our fee separately, only on loads you delivered.
- STOP 14OUR DESK
Your weekly report
Gross, loaded and empty miles, rate per mile and fees for the week, plus what we'd chase next week. It's how you see what the desk is worth to you.
CH 03
What we need from you, and what we don't
Once, at the start
- MC authority letter and USDOT number
- Certificate of insurance
- Signed W-9
- Notice of assignment, if you factor
- Truck and trailer details, including dimensions and any special equipment
- Your rules: lanes, home time, rate floor, loads you won't take
Never
- Your load board login or password
- Power to sign rate cons for you
- Your bank login or factoring account access
- A setup fee or deposit
- A promise to take a minimum number of loads
Day to day, the work on your side is short: answer offers, send clear photos of your bills of lading and proofs of delivery, and tell us your arrival and departure times at docks so we can claim detention. If you're not sure what to keep and for how long, our guide to a truck driver file management system lays it out.
CH 04
What you never give up
The final say
Every load is your decision. A dispatcher who books first and asks later is running your business without the risk. We don't.
The paperwork
Rate cons come to you and you sign them. Your company's agreements stay in your company's name, with your signature on them.
The relationships
Brokers you meet through us are your brokers. If you leave, you keep every setup, and you can keep hauling for them directly.
Detention is part of it too. A shipper that holds you four hours past your appointment owes you for that time if the rate con says so. Track it with our detention pay calculator, and we'll file the claim. What the whole service costs is laid out line by line on our dispatch pricing page.
CH 05
Signs a dispatch process is broken
- You find out about a load after it's booked, or the broker calls you about a load you never heard of.
- Rate cons go to the dispatcher's email and you only see a summary, or never see them at all.
- You're told to take a load “or lose the account”, or charged for turning one down.
- Nobody can tell you the broker's name until you're already loaded.
- The weekly report is missing, late or doesn't match your rate cons.
Any one of these is a reason to ask hard questions. Two or more, and it's time to look elsewhere. A dispatcher works for you. The process should make that obvious at every stop: offers before bookings, your signature on your agreements, and numbers you can check against your own paperwork.
We built our process around those rules on purpose, so you can hold us to them. If anything in our process ever looks like the list on the left, call us out on it, and if we can't fix it, you can leave with 30 days notice.
CH 06
Questions about how dispatch works
CH 01Do I approve every load before it is booked?
Yes. Every load comes to you as an offer first, with the rate, miles, deadhead, pickup and delivery windows and the broker's name. We only confirm a load with a broker after you say yes. If you set up a driver in your fleet to accept loads for their own truck, the same rule applies to them.
CH 02Who signs the rate confirmation?
You do, as the carrier. The broker sends the rate confirmation directly to your company email, and you sign and return it. We get a copy so we can track the load and keep the broker updated. We never sign rate cons for you and we never have them sent only to our office.
CH 03What is a rate confirmation?
It's the written agreement between your company and the broker for one load. It lists the pickup and delivery details, the rate, payment terms, and any extras like detention, layover, lumper or tarp pay. Read it before you sign: if something said on the phone is not on the rate con, it usually doesn't count.
CH 04What if I say no to a load?
Nothing happens, except that we keep looking. There is no fee, no penalty and no limit on how many loads you can turn down. If you start passing on a lot of offers for the same reason, tell us, and we'll adjust your rules so we stop bringing you that kind of load.
CH 05What paperwork does a dispatcher need?
Your MC authority letter, a certificate of insurance, a signed W-9 and, if you factor, your notice of assignment. Brokers use these to set you up. We also need your preferences in writing: lanes, home time, equipment details and the lowest rate you'd take. After that, the paperwork per load is mostly yours: BOL and POD.
CH 06What do you need from me every week?
Answers to load offers, clear photos of signed bills of lading and proofs of delivery, and a heads-up when your plans change, like home time or a maintenance day. Arrival and departure times at docks help us claim detention. Most weeks that's a few minutes a day on the phone.
CH 07How often will I get reports?
Every week. The report shows each load with its gross, loaded miles, empty miles and rate per mile, the fees for the week, and any detention or layover we claimed. Fleets get one report with every truck broken out. Ask any time if you want to see a load in more detail.
CH 08How do dispatchers get paid?
We charge a percent of the gross on loads you haul: 5% for one truck with authority older than six months, with different rates for new authorities, box trucks, hotshots and fleets. The broker pays your company, not us, and we invoice our fee separately. Loads you turn down cost nothing.
CH 09Can you dispatch me if I just got my CDL?
If you have your own truck and your own active authority, yes. Many brokers do look at how long the authority has been active, and insurance can be harder to get for new drivers, so expect a slower start. If you're still driving for a company, our guides on the driving career are a better first stop.
CH 10How do I cancel?
Send written notice. The agreement is month to month and ends 30 days after your notice. We finish the loads you have already accepted, send your final invoice for delivered loads only, and hand back any broker contacts we set up in your name. There is no early termination fee.
See what a real offer looks like
Apply, take the first call, and the next thing you see is a load offer like this one. Your call.