DOCK 01BETTER RATES
A higher paying loads dispatcher, or how better rates actually get made
Higher paying loads do not show up by searching harder. They come from countering the posted rate, timing the call, counting the empty miles, and booking the trip out with the trip back in mind. That is the work a higher paying loads dispatcher does on every load. No promises on numbers, just the method.
ONE LOAD, THREE NUMBERS
DOCK 02WHERE RATE IS LOST
Where carriers lose rate
- 01
Taking the first number
The posted rate is where the broker starts. Accepting it leaves the broker's margin where it is.
- 02
Ignoring the empty miles
A load that looks good per loaded mile can be poor per total mile once the drive to pickup is counted.
- 03
Calling at the wrong time
Early in the day, brokers have options. A load still posted late in the afternoon is one the broker needs to move.
- 04
Booking the trip in without the trip out
A great rate into a region with no freight going back out can cost more than it pays.
- 05
Not asking for accessorials
Detention, stops, tarps and lumpers that are not on the rate con are not paid.
DOCK 03REPLAY
Better freight rates in practice: an EXAMPLE negotiation
This is an EXAMPLE of how a call goes. The numbers are made up, the moves are real. Notes in blue explain each step.
- BROKERGot a dry van, Dallas to Memphis, 450 miles, picks up tomorrow 8 a.m. Paying $1,450.
- Before answering: our truck is 60 miles out, so the real trip is 510 miles. $1,450 is $2.84 per total mile.
- DISPATCHERWe can cover it. Truck is close and empty tomorrow morning. We need $1,650 to make it work.
- Counter above the target, with a reason the broker cares about: a reliable truck, on time.
- BROKERCan't do $1,650. Best I can do is $1,525.
- DISPATCHERMeet me at $1,600 and I'll send the packet now. Driver will be at the dock by 7:30.
- Give something real (speed, certainty) instead of only a lower number.
- BROKER$1,575 and it's yours. Detention after 2 hours at $50 an hour.
- DISPATCHERDeal at $1,575 with the detention on the rate con. Sending setup now.
- Agreed: $125 over posted, detention in writing. Then the driver gets the offer to approve.
RATE ON THE TABLE
$1,575
EXAMPLE. Not every counter lands, and some loads are already priced right. When a broker will not move, we tell you and you decide.
DOCK 04ROUND TRIP
Round-trip thinking: the rate is the whole trip
A strong rate per mile on one load means little if the truck sits for a day or runs 300 miles empty afterward. We look at the trip out and the trip back together before booking either.
Sometimes that means taking a slightly lower rate into a city with plenty of outbound freight, because the load back pays well and starts close. Sometimes it means passing on a high-paying load into a dead area. The number that matters is what the truck earns per total mile across the round trip.
Rate per mile calculator · Break-even rate calculator · Box truck rate per mile
Trip A: chase the high rate
- OUT
- $2.90/mi into a slow market
- BACK
- 180 mi empty, then $1.95/mi
Trip B: plan the round trip
- OUT
- $2.65/mi into a busy market
- BACK
- 15 mi empty, then $2.55/mi
EXAMPLE rates for illustration. Run your own with the rate per mile calculator.
What carriers say about negotiating
"No dispatcher can beat posted rates."
Sometimes the posted rate is fair and there is no room. Often it is the opening offer. Asking costs a minute; not asking costs the difference on every load.
"You will lose me the load by pushing."
A counter with a good reason is a normal part of booking freight. We know when to stop, and if a counter does cost a load, you hear why before we try another one.
Is it worth the fee?
Our fee is 7%, 5% or 4% of gross (4% is a limited-time rate for 2 or more trucks). The question is simple: does better rate per load, less deadhead and fewer empty days add more than the fee? The counter-offer calculator helps you work out your own target before any call.
DOCK 05FAQ
Rate questions
Q-01How do dispatchers get better rates?
By countering instead of accepting the posted rate, giving the broker a reason to pay more (a close, reliable, ready truck), calling at the right time, counting deadhead into the ask, and getting accessorials like detention written on the rate con. Then by planning the next load so the round trip pays, not one leg alone.
Q-02What is a good rate per mile?
One that covers your cost per mile, including the empty miles, and leaves the profit you need. That number is different for every truck. Work out your break-even first with our calculator, then set a target above it. Any rate below break-even is a loss, however busy it keeps you.
Q-03Can a dispatcher raise my rates?
A dispatcher can negotiate every load, plan better round trips and cut empty miles, which often adds up. Nobody can promise a number: some loads are already priced fairly and some markets are slow. Ask any dispatcher who guarantees a rate increase how they can know.
Q-04How do you negotiate with brokers?
We work out the target before the call, from your costs and the total miles. We counter above it with a reason, trade things the broker values like speed and certainty rather than only dropping the number, and get every agreed term on the rate con before you approve the load.
Stop taking the first number
About 2 minutes to apply. You approve every rate before it is booked.