How truck dispatch works, from application to your first load
Here's how truck dispatch works with us, in the order it happens. The application takes about 2 minutes. After that comes a setup call, some paperwork, broker setups and your first load offer, which you can say no to. To make it concrete, we follow one example carrier through every step.
Start my applicationFive sheets from sign-up to first load
Our example carrier runs one reefer out of the Central Valley in California and has had an MC for two years. Every carrier goes through the same five sheets, whatever the equipment. Flip through them to see who does what at each step.
| 1 | Apply | Three short steps online. Truck, authority, contact. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Call | Your lanes, home time, rate floor and the freight you refuse. |
| 3 | Paperwork | Sign the month-to-month agreement and send your documents. |
| 4 | Broker setups | We complete carrier packets with brokers that move your freight. |
| 5 | First load | An offer reaches you. You say yes or no. The rate con comes to you. |
What we do
- Read your answers before anyone calls you
- Match you with a dispatcher who books your equipment type
What you do
- Fill in three short steps: truck, authority, contact
- Pick the best time for us to call
What you need
- Your MC or DOT number
- Basic truck and trailer details
On the call, our example carrier told the dispatcher three things: no loads into the Northeast in winter, home every other weekend, and a hard floor on rate per mile for anything over 800 miles. Those three notes now shape every offer the carrier gets. We don't need to ask again each week.
The paperwork step is where most delays happen, and it's rarely the carrier's fault. Insurance agents are slow to send certificates, and some brokers take days to approve a new carrier. We chase both. The carrier's job is to answer the occasional verification call, which brokers make to protect against identity fraud.
What we ask on the setup call, and why
The setup call decides every offer you get afterward, so we take our time with it. These are the questions, and the reason behind each one.
- 01Where is home, and how often do you want to be there?Every load plan starts from home time. A load that pays well but strands you 1,500 miles out on a Friday isn't a good load for you.
- 02What's your rate floor?The lowest all-in rate per mile you'll run, empty miles included. Offers below it don't reach you.
- 03Which lanes and regions do you like, and which do you avoid?Winter mountain passes, big-city deliveries, certain states. If you won't run it, we won't offer it.
- 04What freight won't you haul?Food-grade only, no hazmat, no live unloads, no tarping. Whatever your rules are, they go in your notes.
- 05Which brokers have burned you?Late pay, unpaid detention, a bad experience. They come off your list for good.
- 06How do you want offers sent?A phone call, a text with the details, or both. Some carriers want a call only while parked.
- 07What does your truck carry?Gear and equipment decide which loads you can take: load locks, straps, tarps, chains, a liftgate, a pallet jack.
- 08What does a good week look like to you?Miles, days out and gross. It gives the dispatcher a target and gives you a way to judge us.
The documents brokers will ask for
Gather these before the setup call and the rest of onboarding moves at the speed of the brokers, not your inbox. Keep digital copies on your phone too. Setup requests come in at odd hours, and a carrier who can answer from the cab gets approved sooner.
- MC/DOT authority letter
- Proves your operating authority. Brokers check it against FMCSA records.
- W-9
- Tax form brokers need before they can pay you.
- Certificate of insurance
- From your agent, showing your liability and cargo coverage. Brokers often ask to be named as certificate holder.
- Notice of assignment (NOA)
- Only if you factor. Tells brokers to pay your factoring company instead of you.
- Truck and trailer details
- Year, make, VIN and plate. Some brokers and shippers ask for them.
- Drug and alcohol testing program
- Required when your drivers need a CDL. Non-CDL 26 ft box trucks and non-CDL hotshots are not under these DOT rules.
If you run with a CDL and don't have a testing program yet, read our page on the DOT drug testing consortium for owner-operators. We point carriers to Vertical Identity there, along with what to ask any consortium. If you plan to factor, the guide to how factoring works explains the notice of assignment.
The first offer arrives. Now it's your decision.
This is the moment that worries new carriers most, so here's exactly how it goes. The dispatcher sends the offer. You read it. You book it or pass. If you book it, the broker sends the rate confirmation to your inbox and you sign it. Try the same thing with our example carrier's first two offers.
Load offer / Reefer
Fresno, CA to Phoenix, AZ
- Miles
- 590
- Rate
- $1,700
- Per mile
- $2.88
On the rate con: lumper reimbursed with receipt, pickup temp 34 F
Pickup: Tue 05:00-08:00
Nothing is booked until you say so. You see the lane, the miles, the rate and every extra before anyone commits your truck.
What the first week can look like
Our example carrier's first week, drawn as a timeline. The first days go to calls and setups, then the truck rolls. Toggle the scenario to compare a week the carrier dispatched alone. These numbers are an example, not a promise.
- Loaded
- Empty miles
- Waiting
- Home / reset
- Calls + boards
- Loaded
- 28 h
- Empty
- 3 h
- Calls + boards
- 3 h
- Waiting
- 2 h
The dispatched week starts slower because of setup, then runs fuller because the reload was planned before delivery. Your first week depends on your equipment, your lanes and how fast your setups clear. What the fee comes to is on the dispatch pricing page, and if your MC is brand new, start with dispatch for new authority.
Factoring is optional and works alongside dispatch. If waiting on broker payments is the real problem, see how dispatch and factoring fit together or start with the basics of freight factoring.
After the first week, and when a load goes wrong
The rhythm after setup
Once setups clear, the work settles into a pattern. Offers arrive with enough lead time to plan around, usually while you're still loaded, so the next load is lined up before you deliver. Every week you get a report per truck with loads, miles, gross, rate per mile and the fee.
Your notes from the setup call aren't fixed. Raise your rate floor when the market turns, add a lane, block a broker, take a week off. Tell your dispatcher and the next offers change. Adding a second truck moves you to the fleet rate once your MC is past six months.
When a load goes wrong
Trucks break down, shippers run late and brokers cancel. When a broker cancels after you were dispatched, we push for the truck-ordered-not-used payment on the rate con. When a dock holds you past free time, we file detention with your in and out times. When your truck breaks down, we call the broker, tell them the truth, and work on recovering the load or the week.
What we won't do is hide a problem from you or from the broker. A broker who hears early about a late truck can usually fix the appointment. One who hears late remembers it.
Getting started questions
Note 01How long does it take to start dispatch?
It depends mostly on your paperwork and how new your MC is. If your documents are ready and your insurance agent sends certificates quickly, broker setups move fast. A brand new MC usually takes longer because fewer brokers will set it up. We give you an honest estimate on the first call instead of a number that sounds good here.
Note 02What documents do I need?
Your MC or DOT authority letter, a W-9, and a certificate of insurance from your agent. If you factor, add the notice of assignment from your factoring company. Carriers whose drivers need a CDL also need a DOT drug and alcohol testing program in place. Have truck and trailer details handy too, since some brokers ask for them.
Note 03Do I sign a contract?
You sign a short dispatch agreement after the setup call. It's month-to-month, you can cancel with 30 days notice, and there's no setup fee or minimum. It spells out the fee, which is 5% standard, 7% for new MCs, 26 ft boxes and hotshots, and 4% for fleets of 2 or more semi trucks.
Note 04Who talks to the brokers?
We do. We find the loads, negotiate the rate, handle setups and take the check calls. Some brokers will also call you directly to verify your identity before the first load, which is normal and protects you from fraud. After that, most of the broker contact runs through us, and you get the details that matter for your load.
Note 05Do I approve every load?
Yes, every single one. We send each load as an offer with the lane, miles, rate, pickup window and extras. You say yes or no, and saying no costs nothing. If you say yes, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you to sign, so you always see exactly what the load pays.
Note 06Can I keep my own broker contacts?
Yes. If you have brokers or shippers you already work with, tell us on the setup call. We can book those lanes for you, or you can keep booking them yourself and we fill the gaps. Your broker relationships and your carrier packets stay yours, whether you stay with us for a year or a month.
Load offer
Pickup → delivery, miles, rate, accessorials
The rate con comes from the broker straight to you.
Ready for your first offer?
Apply in about 2 minutes. You decide on every load after that.