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How truck dispatch works with us, from application to first load
Five steps, no surprises. You apply in about 2 minutes, a dispatcher calls you, we set up your brokers, and then load offers start coming to your phone. You confirm or pass every one. Here's each step, what you'll need, and what we'll never ask for.
- 01 Apply
- 02 The setup call
- 03 Documents and packets
- 04 Your first offer
- 05 Haul, report, repeat
Carrier setup with a dispatcher, step by step
- 01
Apply
About 2 minutes
Tell us your truck, your authority and how to reach you. The form shows the fee that applies to you before you send it.
- 02
The setup call
At the time you picked
A dispatcher calls and learns how you run: lanes, home time, floor rate, the brokers you already like and the freight you won't touch. Ask anything. Nothing is signed on this call.
- 03
Documents and packets
As fast as your documents come in
You send your MC and USDOT numbers, certificate of insurance, W-9 and a notice of assignment if you factor. We fill out carrier packets and send them to the brokers we'll use first.
Every driver who needs a CDL must be in a DOT drug and alcohol testing program before the first load. Non-CDL trucks aren't covered. How a DOT consortium works, or join a DOT consortium (partner link; we may earn a referral fee, it doesn't change your price. Disclosure)
- 04
Your first offer
Once packets clear
An offer lands on your phone with the lane, miles, rate, pickup and delivery windows and special requirements. Confirm it or pass. When you confirm, the broker sends the rate con directly to you to sign.
- 05
Haul, report, repeat
Every week
We run check calls while you drive, plan the reload before you deliver, and send a weekly report with every load, mile and dollar. Then we plan the next week.
What's on every load offer
Before you confirm anything, you see the whole deal. Every offer we send spells out:
- Lane and stops
- Pickup and delivery cities, plus any extra stops.
- Miles
- Loaded miles and the deadhead to get there.
- Rate
- The total, the rate per loaded mile, and the rate all-in with deadhead.
- Windows
- Pickup and delivery appointments, or first-come hours.
- Freight
- Weight, commodity, and live load or drop and hook.
- Requirements
- Tarps, straps, temperature, liftgate, hazmat or TWIC, if any.
- The broker
- Who it is and how fast they usually pay.
- Detention terms
- Free time and the hourly rate after it, when the rate con includes them.
Brand-new authority? The steps are the same, with a few extra broker hoops. See dispatch for new trucking companies.
Plan your first month before you sign up
Pick your truck, tap the days you want to run, and see how the first four weeks usually go. It's a planning view, so it won't make up load counts for you.
Week 1
Setup
Setup call, carrier packets out, broker approvals coming back. Offers can start late in the week if packets clear.
Week 2
First offers
Offers arrive for your run days. You confirm or pass each one. We learn which lanes and rates you actually take.
Week 3
Rhythm
Reloads get booked before deliveries, so fewer empty miles. First weekly report in hand.
Week 4
Steady
Repeat brokers and lanes start showing up. We plan the next week before this one ends.
Your month, planned
5 run days a week
2 home days. We plan offers only for run days and steer the last load toward home.
Dry van: 5% of gross on loads you haul.
Start my setupA planning view, not a forecast. We don't predict how many loads you'll get. That depends on your lanes, equipment and the market each week.
Dispatch onboarding without the red flags
Some dispatch scams start with a reasonable-sounding request. Here's what a real dispatcher needs, and what we will never ask you for.
What we need
- MC and USDOT numbers
- Certificate of insurance
- Signed W-9
- Notice of assignment, if you factor
- Truck and trailer specs
- Your lanes, home time and floor rate
What we never ask for
- Upfront, setup or onboarding fees
- Your bank login or online banking password
- Your FMCSA portal or Login.gov password
- Your ELD account password
- Permission to sign rate cons in your name
- Payment for loads to come to us instead of you
If any dispatcher asks for one of the items on the right, slow down and ask why. Our guide to dispatcher red flags covers the rest. Read the red flags, or how to choose a truck dispatcher.
How dispatch works, in short answers
How does truck dispatching work?
A dispatcher finds loads for your truck, negotiates the rate with the broker, and handles setup paperwork, check calls and scheduling. With us, every load comes to you as an offer first. You confirm or pass, the rate con goes straight to you, and you pay a percentage of the gross on loads you haul.
How fast can you find my first job?
Offers can start within days of the setup call, as soon as broker packets are approved. It can take longer for a brand-new MC, because some brokers won't set up an authority until it's 30 to 90 days old. We don't promise a date, but we'll tell you what we're seeing on the setup call.
Do I approve every load before it is booked?
Yes. Nothing is booked until you confirm it. Every offer shows the lane, miles, rate and appointment windows. If you pass, we move on to the next one. You never owe anything for a load you passed on.
How do dispatchers get paid?
Most charge a percentage of the load's gross or a flat weekly fee. We charge a percentage on loads you confirmed and hauled: 7% for a new MC, 26 ft box truck or hotshot, 5% standard, 4% for fleets of two or more. Brokers pay you, not us.
How often will I get reports?
Weekly. The report lists every load with its lane, loaded miles, deadhead, gross, rate per mile and our fee, plus detention or layover claimed and paid. You'll also see what we're planning for the next week.
Can I keep booking some loads myself?
Yes. Tell us which brokers or shippers you book directly and we'll plan around those loads instead of competing with them. Your setups are under your own MC, so the relationships stay yours. We just fill the days and lanes you can't cover.
Who handles check calls?
We do. Brokers want location and ETA updates during the load, and we give them so they stop calling you while you drive. If there's a delay or problem at the dock, call us and we'll deal with the broker.
Want loads and faster pay from one setup call? See dispatch and factoring together.
Ready when you are
Pick your truck and start. The application takes about 2 minutes, and a dispatcher calls you back.