Dispatching questions, answered.

A good dispatcher does much more than find loads. We learn your truck and your goals, build a strategy around them, find and negotiate loads, check the broker, audit the rate confirmation, stay on the broker from pickup to delivery, and handle the paperwork and payment follow-up. You run your trucks, and you have the final say on every load.

Your own operating authority (MC and DOT numbers), active insurance, and a truck and trailer ready to run. For your first setup with brokers we'll also ask for your certificate of insurance (COI), your W-9, your address, and the details of each truck and driver. We ask about your preferred lanes, home time and income goals too, so we can build your strategy.

Dry vans, semis and box trucks, with a focus on over-the-road (OTR) runs. Running something else? Ask us, and we'll tell you honestly whether we're a good fit.

You do. We bring you the loads that fit your strategy and give you the numbers. You have the final say.

The first time you work with a broker, they ask you to register as a carrier: forms, your authority, your insurance, your W-9 and your payment details. It's a one-time step per broker, and we handle it with you, so every later load with that broker books faster.

Our dispatch fee is 7% on the loads we run for you. Every Friday we produce a load report that includes all the loads completed before Wednesday, because factoring usually takes one to two days to pay. The fee is based on that report, so we make money after you make money. It's all in your written agreement.

Yes, we work under a written agreement. The terms are discussed and disclosed with full transparency beforehand, so you know exactly what you're agreeing to before we start.

The only guarantee we can give is our 110% effort to make you as much money as possible. Nobody can honestly promise earnings, because rates, freight and fuel prices move every day. What we do promise is transparency: you see your numbers every week.

Every Friday you get full performance details: gross revenue, loads completed, diesel costs, dispatch and factoring fees, trip details, other costs and net profit. It also shows how your week measured up against your goals. Everything is factored in, so you can see what the truck really made.

Against your strategy: your lanes, your rate targets, your home time, and where the truck will end up for the next load. A load that looks good on its own can leave you stuck, so we look one step ahead. We also use software that makes sure we don't miss any load and runs fast, parallel negotiations, so we can compare offers and move before a good load is gone.

Before booking, we check the broker's rating, including through your factoring company when you use one. Factoring companies generally approve only brokers with a good payment history, so that check helps protect you from loads that may not pay.

A rate confirmation (rate con, or RC) is the agreement between you and the broker for one specific load: the rate, the pickup and delivery details, and the terms. We read it line by line before anything is signed and flag anything unusual, such as payment terms, extra requirements, or what happens with detention, layover and TONU. We try to get those terms settled before you commit.

We check the weight before booking, using the load board filters, the broker's details and the driver. If there's any doubt, the driver can weigh the truck at a nearby scale. If the load turns out to be overweight, it has to go back, and we ask the broker for a TONU.

A new destination changes the job, so we ask for a revised rate confirmation with the new rate before the truck moves. If extra miles come from the broker's mistake, those are called out-of-route miles, and we ask the broker to pay for them.

The BOL lists the goods being hauled, the shipper, the consignee and other key details. The driver receives it at pickup, and it's checked against the load description. It's smart to carry a blank BOL template in case the shipper or receiver doesn't have one.

POP is proof that the load was picked up: usually the BOL from the shipper, plus a photo. The driver sends it to us, we check that everything matches the load description, and we confirm the pickup with the broker by email. If something is wrong, we sort it out with the broker straight away.

POD is proof that the load was delivered: the BOL signed by the receiver after unloading. The driver sends us a photo, we confirm the delivery with the broker, and it becomes one of the documents needed to get you paid.

A bill of sale is a form that records the sale of your invoice when you are paid through a factoring company or quick pay. It is also required with normal payment terms. We fill it out and send it together with the rest of your paperwork, so you don't have to.

The signed rate confirmation, the signed BOL, the POD and, when you use factoring or quick pay, the bill of sale. If you're owed extras like detention, layover, a lumper receipt or TONU, those need their own proof and usually a revised rate confirmation. We merge everything into one file and send it, with you copied.

No, we stay on the broker so they're not calling you every five minutes. We keep the broker updated on your ETA, send proof of pickup and proof of delivery, and take their calls, so you can focus on driving safely.

A cancellation, truck trouble, a long wait at the dock or a change of plan: we handle it. We tell the broker right away, document what happened, and push for detention, layover or TONU pay when it's owed.

TONU means truck order not used: a fee a broker pays when a load falls through after your truck was committed, through no fault of yours. It can happen when the broker gives us a load we can't carry, when the shipper refuses to load us, or when the broker gave us the wrong location. Whether you're owed one, and how much, depends on the broker and the rate confirmation, so we ask about TONU terms before booking, document everything with timestamps and messages, and request payment, usually through a revised rate confirmation.

Layover is a flat daily fee when your truck is held up for about a day or more through no fault of yours, for example when the receiver can't unload until the next day and you have to wait overnight. Detention is different: it's paid by the hour for waiting at a dock beyond the free time. Neither is automatic, because they're owed only if they're written into the rate confirmation. So we settle layover and detention terms before booking, then document the delay and invoice it.

Often yes. Detention is hourly pay for waiting beyond the free time, commonly about two hours, but only when it's written in the rate confirmation. So we agree the rate and free time before booking, log your arrival and departure times, and request the payment from the broker.

A lumper is a worker you may have to pay at the receiver to unload. Ask the broker before you pay, and keep the receipt. We confirm with the broker whether it's reimbursed and handle that request.

Brokers commonly pay about 30 days after delivery, once they have your invoice and paperwork. Terms vary and are stated in the rate confirmation. We submit your invoice and follow up until the payment arrives. We recommend using a factoring company, which usually pays within one to two days of receiving all your documents.

Factoring means selling your invoices to a factoring company. They pay you most of the invoice right away, usually within one to two days of receiving your complete documents, then collect from the broker and keep a fee. We recommend it: it turns a 30-day wait into days, and factoring companies check broker credit. It does cost money, so compare fees and terms before you sign.

When you use a factoring company, a Notice of Assignment tells the broker to pay the factoring company instead of you. It's sent to the broker as part of your setup, so payments go to the right place.

Some brokers will pay faster than their normal terms if you accept a discount on the invoice. It's similar to factoring, but the broker pays you directly. We tell you the discount before you decide whether it's worth it.

We follow up with the broker's accounting team, make sure they have the right paperwork, keep you updated, and tell you your options if it drags on.

A commercial driver's license (CDL) is required for a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, or a combination of 26,001 pounds or more when the trailer is over 10,000 pounds. That covers semis. Many straight box trucks fall under the limit, so check your truck's GVWR. We keep each driver's license on file for your setup.

Some freight needs extra credentials. A hazmat endorsement (H, or X with tanker) is required to haul hazardous materials. It requires a CDL and a TSA background check with fingerprints. A TWIC card is often required to enter secure port facilities, and it's valid for five years. Some freight also requires drivers who have passed TSA security screening. Tell us which credentials your drivers hold, and we'll only book loads you're cleared for.

FreightGuard is the carrier report in Carrier411, a service many brokers use to vet carriers. Brokers can file reports about a carrier, and other brokers on the service can see them. A bad report can make brokers hesitant to work with you, even when it's unfair. When one is filed, the carrier is notified at its FMCSA-registered email, and in the reports we found, the window to respond is short, around 72 hours. So keep that inbox monitored.

Act fast and stay professional. Respond within the window, contact the broker directly and calmly, and ask them to correct or remove the report. In the reports we found, a broker can delete one within about 72 hours. Bring proof: the rate confirmation, emails, texts, tracking, timestamps, photos and the signed BOL. Never argue or offer money to have it removed, which brokers see as a red flag. If a report is false and the broker refuses, talk to a transportation attorney; in at least one reported case a court ordered false allegations removed. The best defense is prevention: we keep brokers updated, confirm pickup and delivery in writing and document every load, so you have a record if a dispute ever comes up. Carrier411's rules can change, so check their current policy.