DOCK 01OWNER OPERATORS
Dispatch service for owner operators who would rather drive than dial
One truck, one owner, and only so many hours in a day. We take the load boards, the broker calls and the paperwork. You keep the wheel and every decision about where it goes.
- SEMI, 6+ MONTHS
- 5%
- BOX TRUCK OR HOTSHOT
- 7%
- NEW MC, FIRST 6 MONTHS
- 7%
DOCK 02TWO WEEKS
Your week, two ways
Put in your own numbers. The left column is what dispatching yourself costs in hours. The right is the same week with us on the phone. It is an estimate built from what you enter, nothing more.
Optional: a rate change you expect
Left at 0 on purpose. We don't promise a rate increase; use your own expectation.
DISPATCHING YOURSELF
- MON
- TUE
- WED
- THU
- FRI
15 h a week on boards, calls and paperwork
WITH OUR DESK
- MON
- TUE
- WED
- THU
- FRI
Your desk time: saying yes or no to load offers
desk time rest of a 14-hour dayEXAMPLE
- HOURS BACK / WEEK
- 15 h
- HOURS BACK / YEAR
- 750 h
- OUR FEE / WEEK (5%)
- $300
- FEE PER HOUR HANDED OFF
- $20
At $30 an hour, the time you hand off is worth $450 a week. Our fee is $300. On your numbers, that is $150 a week in your favor.
Estimate from your inputs only. 50 working weeks a year. Fee is a percentage of gross on loads hauled.
DOCK 03WHAT YOU KEEP
What you keep control of
Owner operator dispatch services should take work off your plate, not decisions. These stay with you.
Every load
Nothing gets booked on your truck without your yes. Turn down any offer, any time, with no penalty.
Where you run
You tell us the lanes and regions you want, and the ones you avoid. We plan around them.
When you are home
Tell us the days off and the evenings you need at home. We look for freight that gets you there, not past it.
Your lowest rate
You set the lowest rate you will run for. A load under it only moves if you decide it is worth it.
Who you haul for
If there is a broker you will not haul for, say so. You never have to take their freight.
DOCK 04WHAT WE HANDLE
Owner operator dispatch services: what we handle
01 / THE SEARCH
Load boards and direct broker and shipper contacts, filtered by your truck, lanes and rate floor.
02 / THE HAGGLING
We negotiate the rate on every load before it reaches you.
03 / THE PHONE
Every broker call, check call and delivery confirmation.
04 / THE EMPTY MILES
Deadhead planning, so the next load starts near where the last one ends.
05 / THE PAPERWORK
Carrier packets with every broker we book, filed under your MC.
06 / THE NUMBERS
A weekly earnings report: loads, gross and fees.
DOCK 05THREE SET-UPS
Self-dispatch, a dispatcher, or leasing on
Every owner operator ends up choosing one of three set-ups, and a dispatch service for owner operators is only one of them. Each fits someone. Here is how they compare on the things that decide it.
| Dispatch yourself | Hire a dispatcher | Lease on to a carrier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whose authority | Yours | Yours | The carrier's |
| Who finds the loads | You | The dispatcher; you approve them | The carrier, under its own rules |
| What it costs | Your time, plus load board subscriptions | A percentage or flat fee | The carrier's share of each load, set in the lease |
| Who sets the rate | You negotiate every load | The dispatcher negotiates; you accept or refuse | Usually the carrier's contracted freight and pay terms |
| Your control | Total, and all the work | High: you keep lanes, home time and every yes or no | Depends on the lease |
| Best fit | You enjoy the phone and have the hours | You want your own authority without living on the boards | You want steady work and fewer business tasks |
Lease terms vary a lot between carriers. Read the lease for who pays for insurance, plates, fuel and trailer use before you sign.
Box truck and semi owner operators: what changes
The desk works the same way for both. The freight, the rules and the fee are where they differ.
| Box truck owner operator | Semi owner operator | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | 7% of gross for one box truck (26 ft and larger) | 5% for one semi with 6+ months of authority |
| Freight | Final mile, LTL partials, furniture and appliance, expedited, dedicated routes | Full truckloads: dry van, reefer, flatbed and specialized |
| What brokers check | Liftgate, box size, payload, residential and inside delivery | Trailer type, length, weight and any endorsements |
| Licensing | Often non-CDL at or under 26,000 lb GVWR | CDL required |
| Where money leaks | Unpaid accessorials and short, empty return trips | Deadhead between long loads and slow broker pay |
SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026
DOCK 06PRICE
What dispatch costs one truck
One owner operator pays one rate: 5% of gross for a semi with 6+ months of authority, 7% for a box truck (26 ft and larger) or hotshot, and 7% for any truck while the MC is under 6 months old. Add a second truck and the whole operation drops to 4% (limited-time rate).
The fee is the visible cost. The hidden one is the hours you spend on the boards and phone instead of driving, resting or being home. Use the two-weeks calculator above with your own numbers to see which is bigger for you.
EXAMPLE WEEK, ONE DRY VAN
DOCK 07CHOOSING A DISPATCHER
Comparing dispatch companies for owner operators: red flags to rule out
Looking for the best dispatch service for owner operators? Rule these out first. They apply to any dispatcher, us included.
"Guaranteed" weekly income
Nobody controls the freight market. A dispatcher who promises a dollar figure is selling, not planning.
You can't turn down loads
Forced dispatch means your truck runs freight you would never pick yourself.
A long contract or a cancellation fee
A good dispatcher keeps you because the weeks work, not because of the paperwork.
A percentage of "net" with no definition
Ask exactly what gets subtracted before the percentage. If they can't say, assume the worst.
They want your load board login
Your accounts and broker setups should stay in your name and under your MC.
No reporting
If you can't see loads, gross and fees each week, you can't check the math.
The full checklist for choosing a dispatcherRunning a box truck as an owner operator
Q-01What does a dispatcher do for an owner-operator?
Finds loads that fit your truck, lanes and lowest rate, negotiates the rate, sends you the details for a yes or no, books what you approve, and handles broker calls, check calls and carrier packets. You drive and decide. The dispatcher works the phone and plans the next load before this one delivers.
Q-02How much do owner-operator dispatch services cost?
Ours is a percentage of gross on loads you haul: 5% for a semi with 6+ months of authority, 7% for a box truck or hotshot, 7% while your MC is under 6 months old. No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month, cancel with 30 days notice.
Q-03Can I choose my own loads?
Yes. We bring you loads; you choose. You can turn down any load we find, and nothing is booked without your yes. You also set your lanes, your home time and the lowest rate you will run for, so most offers already fit before they reach you.
Q-04Do I need my own authority?
To haul broker freight for hire across state lines, the carrier needs its own operating authority (an MC number) as well as a USDOT number. If yours is new, that is workable: a share of brokers will not tender to a fresh MC, so the early job is finding the ones that do.
Q-05Can leased-on owner-operators use a dispatcher?
If you are leased on, you run under your carrier's authority, and the carrier usually controls the dispatch. Whether an outside dispatcher can book for you depends on your lease. Many leased owner operators talk to us while they set up their own authority.
Q-06How do I pay the dispatcher?
The fee is a percentage of the gross on loads you hauled. The written agreement you get after your first call sets out when we invoice and how you pay. Weeks you don't haul cost you nothing.
Q-07Is a dispatcher worth it for one truck?
It depends on two numbers: the hours you spend finding and negotiating loads now, and what those hours are worth to you. Put both into the calculator on this page. If the fee is less than the value of the time you get back, plus any rate you gain, it pays.
SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 390.201, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 392.9a, OCT 2026
Hand off the phone. Keep the wheel.
Month-to-month, cancel with 30 days notice. No setup fee. You approve every load.