Dedicated lane dispatch for weeks you can plan around
Spot freight pays for flexibility and charges you in uncertainty. Dedicated lane dispatch trades a little of the top end for weeks you can plan: the same lane, the same customer, on a schedule. We look for recurring work that fits your truck and home time, and we tell you honestly when spot is still the better bet.
Recurring lanes for vans, reefers, open decks, power only, dump trucks and 26 ft box trucks. You commit only to lanes you choose, and you see the schedule, the rate and the term before you decide.
What do you run?
A spot month and a dedicated month, side by side
Toggle between the two months. The spot month has bigger days and empty ones. The dedicated month runs the same lane four days a week with a short fifth day, and almost never sits. Compare the totals, the empty days and how far apart the best and worst weeks are. Every figure is an example to show the shape of the trade.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | $1,400 | empty | $1,650 | $900 | $1,200 | $5,150 |
| W2 | $1,800 | $1,300 | empty | empty | $1,500 | $4,600 |
| W3 | $950 | $1,700 | $1,250 | empty | $1,900 | $5,800 |
| W4 | $1,600 | empty | $1,100 | $1,450 | $700 | $4,850 |
- Month gross
- $20,400
- Empty days
- 5
- Best minus worst week
- $1,200
- Avg per worked day
- $1,360
In this example, spot pays more per worked day, and the dedicated month still comes out ahead over the month, because it has far fewer empty days. More importantly, its worst week isn't much worse than its best. For an owner-operator with a truck payment due on the same day every month, that steadiness has a value that doesn't show up in a rate per mile.
That isn't always how it goes. In a strong spot market, recurring lanes can lag spot rates for months. In a weak one, they can be the only thing keeping a truck busy. The right answer depends on the lane, the season and your costs, and we'll walk through all three with you before you commit to anything.
Where dedicated freight comes from, by equipment
- Dry van
- Distribution center replenishment, plant-to-warehouse moves and retail lanes that repeat every week.
- Reefer
- Grocery and food distribution runs on fixed delivery days, often regional.
- Flatbed and step deck
- Steel mill to service center, lumber yard to builder, precast plant to job sites during a project.
- Power only
- Shippers and brokers with their own trailer pools that need the same moves covered every week.
- 26 ft box truck
- Store delivery routes and regional distribution with set appointment days.
- Dump truck
- A contractor's project that runs for weeks, or a supply yard with steady deliveries.
Power only is one of the more common routes into recurring work, because trailer pools need the same moves covered again and again. Our power only dispatch page and the power only trucking guide cover how that works.
What shippers expect from a dedicated carrier
A dedicated lane is a promise in both directions. Here's the carrier's side of it.
- 01Showing up, every timeThe whole point of a dedicated carrier is that the shipper doesn't have to look for a truck. Missed runs end lanes.
- 02On-time pickup and deliveryFixed appointments are planned around you. Late trucks back up docks and production.
- 03Clean paperworkSigned receipts, correct counts and seal numbers, every run.
- 04Clean equipmentEspecially for food and finished goods. A dirty trailer can cost the lane in one day.
- 05CommunicationProblems reported early, not at the dock. A heads-up on a late truck is usually forgiven; silence isn't.
- 06Capacity planningIf you can't cover a run, saying so a week ahead is very different from saying so that morning.
Even on a dedicated lane, you approve the commitment
A recurring lane starts as an offer like any other: the lane, the schedule, the rate, the term and what the shipper expects. You decide whether to commit. Each run gets its own rate confirmation from the broker, straight to you, unless the shipper works under a standing agreement you've read and accepted.
Load offer / Recurring
Joliet, IL to Indianapolis, IN
- Miles
- 185
- Rate
- $650
- Per mile
- $3.51
On the rate con: Mon-Thu, drop-and-hook, 12-week commitment
Pickup: Mon 06:00
Nothing is booked until you say so. You see the lane, the miles, the rate and every extra before anyone commits your truck.
How we find recurring lanes for you
Recurring work rarely shows up as a big posting. It grows out of relationships: a broker who keeps covering the same lane every week and would rather give it to one reliable carrier, a shipper whose regular carrier just dropped out, a project that needs the same move for two months. We listen for those in our broker conversations, and when one fits your truck and home time, we bring it to you.
The fastest way to get offered recurring work is to run spot loads well for the same brokers. On-time pickups, clean paperwork and early communication get noticed. When a broker needs a dependable truck on a weekly lane, the carrier they think of first is the one who never gave them a problem.
The risks nobody mentions
Rates that don't move
A recurring rate set in a weak market can look thin when spot rates climb. Agree up front on when the rate gets reviewed, or keep the term short enough that you can renegotiate.
Putting all your weight on one customer
A lane that fills your week can also empty it overnight if the shipper changes plans. Keep some broker relationships active, so losing one lane doesn't mean losing the month. We keep spot options warm for you even while the lane runs well.
The backhaul
Many dedicated lanes pay one way. Before you commit, know what the return leg looks like: another recurring load, spot freight from the delivery area, or an empty run home.
Fleets have an edge
Shippers like carriers who can cover a run when one truck is down. Small fleets can offer that; a single truck can't. Read about dispatch for small fleets.
Seven questions to ask before you commit to a lane
- 01How many runs a week, and on which days?So you know exactly what you're promising and what's left for spot freight.
- 02How long is the commitment?Weeks, months or open-ended, and how either side ends it.
- 03When does the rate get reviewed?A fixed rate for a year is a bet on the market. A review date protects both sides.
- 04What happens if I miss a run?Penalties, lost lane, or a cover truck arranged with notice.
- 05Live or drop at each end?Recurring live unloads at a slow dock can quietly eat the margin.
- 06What's the backhaul?A paid return, spot freight nearby, or an empty run home.
- 07How and when do they pay?Payment terms matter more on steady volume, because more of your cash sits with one customer.
We put these questions to the broker or shipper before a recurring lane reaches you, so the offer you see already has the answers. If an answer is missing, you'll know that too, and you can decide whether to commit without it.
What dedicated lane dispatch costs
The same as any other load: 5% of gross for one semi truck with an MC older than 6 months, 4% for fleets of 2 or more semi trucks, and 7% for new MCs, 26 ft box trucks and hotshots. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month.
If you found the lane yourself and only want us to handle the paperwork and the rest of your week, tell us; we only charge on loads we book. Details are on the dispatch pricing page.
- Dedicated month gross
- $21,150
- Rate
- 5%
- Fee
- $1,057.5
- Empty days
- 1
Dedicated lane questions
Note 01How do I get dedicated lanes as an owner-operator?
Mostly by being reliable on spot loads for the same brokers and shippers until they start offering repeat work. Some recurring lanes are posted as such; many grow out of a broker who needs the same lane covered every week. A desk with steady broker relationships hears about them earlier.
Note 02Do dedicated lanes pay less than spot?
Often a little less per load, sometimes more. What they usually pay is steadier: fewer empty days and fewer weeks that swing between great and terrible. Whether that's worth it depends on your costs, your home time and how much a slow week hurts. The example on this page shows the trade.
Note 03Can a new MC get a dedicated lane?
It's harder. Shippers and brokers give recurring work to carriers with a record of showing up on time, every time. A new authority usually builds that record on spot freight first. Run clean for a few months, and repeat offers tend to follow from the brokers you've served well.
Note 04Can I turn down a run on a dedicated lane?
You can, but think about it before you do. The value of a dedicated lane is that the shipper can count on you, and a carrier who skips runs often loses the lane. Agree up front on what you can commit to, and tell us early when you can't make a run, so we can cover it.
Want steadier weeks? Tell us your lanes.
We'll tell you honestly whether dedicated or spot fits your truck right now.