Dry van
Enclosed 53' trailer for palletized, boxed and floor-loaded freight that doesn't need temperature control.
Most common and most competitive. ~45,000 lb typical max payload.
Dispatcher knowledge base
A practical guide to truck dispatching.
A practical reference for new dispatchers, owner-operators and anyone training a desk: the workflow, the math, the calls and the vocabulary.
Truck dispatching 101
The life of a load, in ten steps
Every load follows the same path. Most lost money comes from skipping a step.
- 01
Truck / driver
Where is the truck empty, when, what equipment, and how many hours does the driver have left?
- 02
Load search
Search load boards and your broker contacts for freight out of that area, toward where you want to end up.
- 03
Broker contact
Call or email on the posting. Confirm the load is still available and get the details.
- 04
Rate negotiation
Know your cost per mile and target before you dial. Counter with reasons: deadhead, market, timing.
- 05
Rate confirmation
Read every line: rate, stops, appointments, detention, lumper, TONU, fines. Sign only what you agreed to.
- 06
Pickup
Driver checks in on time, verifies piece count and seal, and gets the BOL signed.
- 07
Tracking
Check calls or ELD tracking at the intervals the rate con requires. Report delays early.
- 08
Delivery
Arrival and departure times recorded. Note any shortage, damage or refusal on the BOL.
- 09
POD
Signed proof of delivery photographed and sent the same day.
- 10
Invoice / payment
Invoice with rate con + POD + receipts. Track to payment or submit to factoring.
Equipment types
Know what you're dispatching
Reefer
Refrigerated trailer for produce, meat, dairy, pharma and frozen goods.
Pays more but adds fuel for the reefer unit, temperature logs and claims risk.
Flatbed
Open deck for steel, lumber, building materials and machinery loaded from the side or top.
Requires tarps, chains, straps and securement know-how. Tarp pay is often extra.
Step deck
Two-level flatbed with a lower main deck for taller freight that won't clear height limits on a flatbed.
Common for equipment and machinery; watch permits for over-dimensional loads.
Box truck
Straight truck, typically 16–26', for local and regional deliveries, often with a liftgate.
Under 26,001 lb GVWR usually doesn't need a CDL. Lower rates, shorter hauls.
Power only
Tractor without its own trailer, pulling a trailer supplied by the shipper, broker or carrier's pool.
Low equipment cost; confirm trailer interchange agreement and who covers trailer damage.
The math
RPM, all-in RPM and deadhead
Brokers quote loaded RPM. Your truck burns fuel on every mile. Learn both numbers.
- Loaded RPM
- Rate ÷ loaded miles
- All-in RPM
- Rate ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles)
- Deadhead %
- Deadhead miles ÷ total miles × 100
- Profit
- Rate − (fuel + driver pay + fixed & other costs + tolls)
Worked example
A broker offers $2,800 for a 1,000-mile load. Your truck is 150 miles from the pickup.
Loaded RPM
$2,800 ÷ 1,000 = $2.80 / mi
All-in RPM
$2,800 ÷ 1,150 = $2.43 / mi
Deadhead
150 ÷ 1,150 = 13%
If your all-in cost is $1.85/mi, this load earns about $0.58 on every mile driven — about $672 on the load ($2,800 − $2,127.50).
Run your own numbersBroker call checklist
Eight steps for every call
Keep this next to the phone until you don't need it.
Before you call, check the broker on the free FMCSA lookup.
- 1
Confirm availability
"Is load 229184 from Dallas to Atlanta still available?"
- 2
Get the full details
Commodity, weight, pieces, pickup and delivery addresses, appointment windows, equipment and any special requirements.
- 3
Ask about the facility
Live load or drop? Typical wait time? Lumper at delivery, and who pays it?
- 4
Qualify the broker
MC number, days-to-pay, quick-pay terms. Check FMCSA status and credit before you commit.
- 5
Name your rate
Lead with your number and a reason — deadhead, market, tight appointment. Don't ask "what's the best you can do?"
- 6
Negotiate terms, not just rate
Detention after 2 hours free, TONU amount, layover, lumper reimbursement.
- 7
Confirm the truck
Give truck/trailer numbers, driver name and phone, and ETA to pickup.
- 8
Get it in writing
Request the rate con by email. Read it before signing; it must match what was agreed on the call.
Dispatcher checklist
What to check, and when
New-dispatcher mistakes
Seven ways new dispatchers lose money
Booking on loaded RPM alone
A $3.00 load with 250 miles of deadhead can pay less than a $2.40 load that starts next door. Always check all-in RPM.
Not reading the rate con
Fines for late check calls, no detention clause, or a different rate than agreed. The rate con is the contract — not the phone call.
Ignoring the reload
A great rate into a dead market means an empty truck for two days. Price the outbound before you book the inbound.
Forgetting HOS
Booking a load the driver legally can't make on time. Know the driver's 11/14/70 hours before you call.
Not documenting detention
No arrival and departure times, no detention pay. Record them at every stop and notify the broker when free time ends.
Late paperwork
Every day the POD sits in the cab is a day longer to get paid. Same-day POD, same-day invoice.
Hauling for unvetted brokers
Check authority, bond, credit and days-to-pay first. Double brokering and non-payment are real risks.
Glossary
Trucking terms every dispatcher uses
- BOL (Bill of Lading)
- The shipping document that lists the freight, shipper, consignee and terms. Signed at pickup and delivery.
- POD (Proof of Delivery)
- The BOL or delivery receipt signed by the receiver. Required to invoice.
- RPM (Rate per mile)
- Load rate divided by miles. Loaded RPM uses loaded miles; all-in RPM includes deadhead.
- Deadhead
- Miles driven empty — usually from the last delivery to the next pickup. Costs fuel and time, earns nothing.
- Rate confirmation
- The broker's written agreement for a load: rate, stops, appointments and accessorial terms. It's the contract.
- Detention
- Pay for waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond the free time (often 2 hours), billed hourly.
- Layover
- Pay when a truck is held overnight or a day because of a delayed pickup or delivery.
- TONU (Truck Ordered, Not Used)
- A flat fee when a load is cancelled after the truck was dispatched or arrived.
- Lumper
- A third-party crew that unloads the trailer at a warehouse. The fee is usually reimbursed by the broker with a receipt.
- HOS (Hours of Service)
- FMCSA rules limiting driving time: 11 hours driving within a 14-hour window, and 60/70 hours over 7/8 days.
- ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
- Device that records a driver's hours of service automatically. Required for most interstate CDL drivers.
- MC / USDOT number
- USDOT identifies a company with FMCSA; the MC (docket) number shows operating authority for for-hire interstate freight.
- Factoring
- Selling invoices to a factoring company for immediate cash (an advance), minus a fee.
- NOA (Notice of Assignment)
- A letter telling brokers to pay a factoring company instead of the carrier.
- LPOA (Limited Power of Attorney)
- Authorizes a dispatcher to sign rate confirmations and act for the carrier within a defined scope.
Ready to discuss your next load?
Tell us about your equipment, preferred lanes and availability. Our team will explain the dispatch service and carrier onboarding process.