Steady work

Dedicated lane dispatch for owners who'd trade a few cents for a full calendar

Dedicated work means the same lane or the same job, week after week: a shipper who loads you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or a dump truck booked to one highway project for the season. It's steady, it's predictable, and it usually pays less than the best spot weeks. We help you earn it, and every load or job still comes to you to confirm. 5% of gross with 6+ months of authority.

Help me get steady work See two repeating weeks

What dedicated work gives you

Known start timesYes
The same docks and contactsYes
Predictable weekly grossYes
Easier home timeYes

Repeating schedule

Two EXAMPLE dedicated weeks, side by side

A dedicated van lane between two cities, and a project-long dump job. Same days, same starts, same work, every week.

Dedicated van lane, Columbus to Indianapolis

Example

Mon
Columbus, OH → Indianapolis, IN
$520 · 176 mi
Same shipper, 6:00am
Tue
Indianapolis, IN → Columbus, OH
$500 · 176 mi
Return load
Wed
Columbus, OH → Indianapolis, IN
$520 · 176 mi
Same shipper, 6:00am
Thu
Indianapolis, IN → Columbus, OH
$500 · 176 mi
Return load
Fri
Columbus, OH → Indianapolis, IN
$520 · 176 mi
Home by 4pm

Gross: $2,560; $2.91/mi loaded
Fee 5%: -$128
You keep: +$2,432; before fuel and costs

Season-long dump job, hourly

Example

Mon
Pit 2 → Highway job, Site B
$1,050
10 hrs, 7:00am start
Tue
Pit 2 → Highway job, Site B
$1,050
10 hrs, 7:00am start
Wed
Pit 2 → Highway job, Site B
$1,050
10 hrs, 7:00am start
Thu
Pit 2 → Highway job, Site B
$840
8-hr minimum, rain at 3pm
Fri
Pit 2 → Highway job, Site B
$1,050
10 hrs, 7:00am start

Gross: $5,040
Fee 5%: -$252
You keep: +$4,788; before fuel and costs

How it's earned

Dedicated lanes for owner operators: how steady work is earned

Nobody hands a new truck a dedicated lane. It's earned, usually load by load. This is how it tends to happen.

01
Cover the same broker's loads well
On time, every time, with clean paperwork and fast check calls. Brokers remember the trucks that never made them call the shipper with bad news.
02
Ask for the repeat
When a lane shows up twice, ask the broker if it repeats. Many dedicated lanes start as a broker saying, 'Want this every week?'
03
Stay available
A shipper can only count on you if you're there on their days. That means turning down the occasional better spot load.
04
Build the project relationship
For dump work, a contractor who likes your truck on one job calls you for the next one, and for the season-long project after that.
05
Keep the paperwork ready
Insurance certificates, W-9 and authority current, and for public projects, the payroll and safety paperwork the contract requires.

Signs to watch

Signs a load could turn into a dedicated lane

When we see these on your loads, we start asking the broker or contractor about a standing schedule.

Good signs

The same broker posts the same lane more than once a week
The shipper has set pickup days and times
The broker asks if you're available next week before you deliver
A contractor keeps you past the first day of a job
The receiver knows your name at the dock

The trade-off

What dedicated work really pays

Dedicated rates are usually set below what the best spot loads pay in a hot market, because the shipper is paying for reliability, not for the week's high. In a slow market, the same dedicated rate can look very good.

The value is in the calendar: fewer empty days, less deadhead, less time on the board, and a week you can plan your life around. Compare a dedicated offer with your real average week, not with your best one.

Many owners keep one or two dedicated runs and fill the rest of the week with spot freight. That mix protects the slow weeks without giving up the good ones.

“Dedicated lanes are only for big carriers.”
Big carriers get the big contracts, but plenty of brokers and smaller shippers want one reliable truck on a repeat lane, and contractors want the same dump trucks back every day. A one-truck carrier that shows up every time is exactly what they're looking for.

FAQ

Dedicated lane questions

Can a dump truck get a season-long contract?

Yes, on larger projects like highway work, subdivisions and plant construction, contractors often keep the same trucks for months. Those jobs usually go to trucks that have already worked well for that contractor. Public projects can bring prevailing wage rules and more paperwork.

Can I mix dedicated and spot work?

Yes, and many owners do. Keep the dedicated runs on their days and fill the open days with spot loads. We plan the spot loads so they never put a dedicated run at risk.

How long does it take to get a dedicated lane?

There's no set timeline. It depends on your lanes, your record with the brokers you haul for, and the market. Some owners get a repeat offer within weeks, others take months. Consistent service on the same broker's loads is what speeds it up.

Do dedicated lanes pay less than spot?

Often less than the best spot weeks, sometimes more than the slow ones. The trade is a steady calendar for some upside. Compare a dedicated rate with your average week, counting deadhead and days you sat.

Do I still confirm dedicated loads?

Yes. A standing schedule is something you agree to up front, and any change to it, or any extra load, still comes to you to confirm. The rate con for each load or the job terms come straight to you.

Running your own truck? See dispatch for owner-operators, or the fee schedule for every tier.

Start with good loads. Steady work follows.

5% of gross on what you haul. No setup fee, no contract.

Help me get steady work

Cancel with 30 days notice.

Load offer · Example

1 of 2

Columbus, OH to Indianapolis, IN

Power only · Preloaded trailer, drop and hook

Loaded: 176 mi
Deadhead: 6 mi
Rate: $2.73/mi

Gross: $480
Dispatch fee 5%: -$24
You keep: +$456

Every load comes to you like this. You confirm or pass, and the rate con goes straight to you.

Send me offers like this