Dispatcher fee calculator

How the calculator works

Dispatch fees come in three common shapes, and the calculator converts any of them into the same dollars so you can compare.

Percentage of gross. The fee is a share of each load. The calculator applies it to the load's gross, with the option to leave pass-through reimbursements out of the base, since money the broker pays back for a lumper or a permit isn't revenue.

Flat per load. The same dollar amount on every load, whatever it pays.

Flat per week. A fixed weekly charge, spread across however many loads you run that week.

From there it works out the fee per load, per week and per year using the working weeks you enter, what you keep per load, and your rate per loaded mile before and after the fee. The effective rate divides the fee by the load's real revenue, which is the fairest way to compare a flat fee with a percentage.

The box at the bottom fills in our own rate for your truck, using the same rules as our pricing page: equipment, number of trucks and the age of your MC.

Worked example

Example

Gross per load

$2,600

Loads per week

3

Fee at 5%

$130 / load

Per week

$390

Per year (48 wks)

$18,720

Rate per mile after fee

$2.74

Switch the model to a flat $150 per load and the fee rises to $150 on every load, an effective 5.8%. Now drop the gross to $1,200 for a short regional load: the 5% fee falls to $60, while the flat fee stays at $150, an effective 12.5%. That's the trade in one example. Flat fees reward long, high-paying loads; percentages protect you on short ones and in slow weeks.

Reading your result

Look at the fee per week first, because that's what leaves your account. Then look at the rate per mile after the fee and compare it with your cost per mile from the trucking cost per mile calculator. If the after-fee rate still clears your costs comfortably, the fee is affordable on these loads.

The bigger question is whether a dispatcher earns the fee back through better rates, fewer empty miles and hours you get back. Our dispatch ROI calculator puts that side by side.

Questions to ask any dispatcher about fees

The fee model is only part of the price. Before you sign with anyone, ask:

• Is the fee charged on gross, on linehaul only, or on gross including reimbursements?
• Is there a setup fee, a weekly minimum or a charge for weeks the truck doesn't run?
• How long is the agreement, and how much notice ends it?
• Who receives the rate confirmation: you, or the dispatcher?
• Can you turn a load down without a penalty?
• How is the fee collected, and when?

Get the answers in writing. Two dispatchers with the same headline percentage can cost very different amounts once these terms are counted.

What the fee should buy

A dispatch fee should pay for real work: finding loads that fit your truck and lanes, negotiating every line on the rate con, handling broker check calls, and keeping the paperwork right so you get paid on time. If a service only forwards load board postings, the fee is buying very little. Ask what a normal day of work for your truck looks like.

Fees and the rest of your money

Dispatch is one of several costs that come off the top of a load. If you factor, the factoring fee is separate; compare it with broker quick pay in our quick pay vs factoring calculator. Insurance is usually a fixed monthly bill; see our guide to flatbed truck insurance. If you run a team or pay a driver, the team driver pay split calculator and our guide to flatbed truck driver salary help put those costs in the same picture.

Whatever you compare, compare on the same loads and the same weeks. A low headline fee can cost more in a slow month than a higher percentage that stops when the truck does.