DOCK 01HOW IT WORKS
How truck dispatch works, from your application to your first load
Five stops between filling out the form and hauling a load we booked. At each one, here is what we do, what you do and what decides how long it takes.
DOCK 02FIVE STOPS
Five stops to your first dispatched load
This is how truck dispatch works with us. Tap a stop to see who does what.
WHAT WE DO
Read your application before we call, so the call is about your truck, not a script.
WHAT YOU DO
Answer three short steps: your truck, your authority, how to reach you.
HOW LONG
About 2 minutes.
DOCK 03FIRST CALL
Dispatch onboarding: what the first call covers
The call is where the plan gets built. Expect these questions, and have answers ready if you can. Nothing is booked and nothing is signed on it.
Q01 / YOUR TRUCK
Equipment type, length, weight rating, and extras like a liftgate, tarps, straps or a pallet jack.
Q02 / CDL OR NON-CDL
It decides which freight fits, and whether drug and alcohol testing rules apply to you.
Q03 / WHERE YOU WANT TO RUN
Home base, lanes you like, regions you avoid, and how far you will deadhead for a good load.
Q04 / HOME TIME
Which days and nights you need at home, so loads are planned around them.
Q05 / YOUR RATE FLOOR
The lowest rate you will run for. Offers below it reach you only if there is a reason worth hearing.
Q06 / FACTORING
Whether you factor, and with whom, so broker packets send payment to the right place.
Q07 / HOW YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM US
Calls, texts or both, and who gets load offers if more than one person drives.
Q08 / YOUR FEE
Which rate applies to your truck count and authority age, and how it changes later.
DOCK 04A NORMAL WEEK
How truck dispatch works week to week
Once you are running, the rhythm is simple. This is an example of how a week goes and when you hear from us. EXAMPLE
BEFORE THE WEEK
We look at where your truck will be and what moves from there.
EACH LOAD
You get the load details: pickup, delivery, rate, and anything that matters for your truck. You say yes or no.
AFTER YOU SAY YES
We book it and send you the rate confirmation.
ON THE ROAD
Check calls with the broker at pickup and delivery, so they are not calling you.
BEFORE DELIVERY
We are already working the next load out of the delivery area.
END OF THE WEEK
Your weekly earnings report: loads, gross and fees.
DOCK 05PAPERWORK
Carrier setup with your dispatcher: the paperwork checklist
Brokers ask for most of these before they will tender you a load. Each line says why. Print the list and tick them off.
CARRIER SETUP CHECKLIST
MC and USDOT numbers
Your operating authority must be active. Brokers look it up before they load a carrier.
W-9
In the business name on your authority. Brokers need it to pay you and report what they paid.
Certificate of insurance
Showing auto liability and cargo coverage. Brokers often ask to be named as certificate holder so they hear if the policy lapses.
Notice of Assignment (NOA)
Only if you factor. It tells brokers to pay the factoring company instead of you; without it, payment goes to the wrong place.
Truck and trailer details
Equipment type, length and extras (liftgate, tarps, straps, pallet jack), so brokers offer loads your truck can take.
Driver details
Who is driving and whether the truck needs a CDL. Some loads and facilities ask for the driver's name ahead of pickup.
Signed dispatch agreement
We send it after the call. It sets the fee, notice period and what we do for you.
CDL carriers: before the first load you need your DOT drug and alcohol testing program in place, including a random testing pool.
Who the testing rules cover · How a testing consortium works · Join a DOT consortium (partner link: we may earn a referral fee if you sign up. It does not change your price. Disclosure)
Not needed for a non-CDL box truck run at or under 26,000 lb without placarded hazmat.
SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 382.103, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026
DOCK 06TERMS
Words you will hear in your first week
If you are new to running under your own authority, these come up on almost every load.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Rate con | The rate confirmation from the broker: the load, the pay and the terms. Read it before you roll. |
| BOL | Bill of lading, the shipping document you sign at pickup. |
| POD | Proof of delivery, usually the signed BOL. You need it to get paid. |
| Check call | An update to the broker on where the load is: at pickup, in transit, at delivery. |
| Detention | Pay for waiting past the free time at a shipper or receiver, if it is on the rate con. |
| Lumper | A paid crew that unloads at the receiver. The rate con should say who pays. |
| TONU | Truck ordered, not used: pay when a load is cancelled after you were dispatched. |
| Deadhead | Miles driven empty, to a pickup or home. |
| NOA | Notice of Assignment, sent to brokers when you factor, so they pay the factoring company. |
DOCK 07COMMUNICATION
How we stay in touch
- Phone
- Load offers and anything urgent.
- Text
- Load details, rate confirmations and quick yes or no answers.
- The written agreement, rate confirmations and your weekly earnings report.
WEEKLY EARNINGS REPORT
DOCK 08FAQ
Questions before you start
Q-01What happens on the first dispatch call?
We go over your truck, whether it needs a CDL, the lanes and home time you want, the lowest rate you will run for, whether you factor and how you want to hear from us. We also explain which fee applies to you. Nothing is signed on the call; the agreement comes after.
Q-02How does truck dispatching work?
A dispatcher finds loads that fit your truck, lanes and lowest rate, negotiates the rate and sends you the details. You say yes or no. After you say yes, the dispatcher books the load, sends the rate confirmation, handles broker calls and check calls, and starts on your next load while you drive.
Q-03How long does dispatch setup take?
The application takes about 2 minutes. After that, it depends on two things: how quickly your paperwork comes in, and how quickly each broker approves your carrier packet. Brokers set their own timelines, and some are slower with a new MC. Having your documents ready on day one is the biggest thing you control.
Q-04What paperwork does a dispatcher need?
Your MC and USDOT numbers, a W-9, a certificate of insurance showing auto liability and cargo coverage, your Notice of Assignment if you factor, your truck and trailer details, and the signed dispatch agreement. CDL carriers also need their DOT drug and alcohol testing program in place.
Q-05How do dispatchers get paid?
Most charge a percentage of the load, a flat weekly fee or a flat fee per load. We charge a percentage of gross on loads you haul: 7% for new MCs and single box trucks or hotshots, 5% for one truck of any other kind, 4% for 2 or more trucks (limited-time rate). No setup fee.
Q-06Do you sign carrier packets for me?
We fill out the carrier packets and send them with your documents. Anything that needs your own signature comes to you to sign, so you always know which brokers you are set up with. The broker relationships are under your MC and stay yours.
Q-07How do I talk to my dispatcher?
By phone and text for loads and anything urgent, and by email for the agreement, rate confirmations and your weekly report. Your dispatcher goes over how and when to reach the desk on your first call.