Truck Dispatch FAQ

A truck dispatcher finds and books freight for a carrier, negotiates the rate, handles broker paperwork, and manages the load from pickup to delivery so the driver only has to drive.

A truck dispatcher works on behalf of the carrier — not the broker. At HDL, that means searching load boards and direct broker relationships for freight that fits your equipment and lanes, negotiating the rate, running a credit check on the broker, reviewing the rate confirmation, sending pickup and delivery details to the driver, and following up on paperwork, detention, and TONU claims.

The goal is simple: you keep the wheels turning and we handle the phone calls, emails, and negotiations that eat a driver's day.

Most U.S. dispatch services charge either a percentage of gross linehaul (commonly 4–10%) or a flat weekly fee per truck; HDL quotes your rate during onboarding based on equipment and lane mix.

There are two common models. Percentage-based dispatch takes a share of the gross linehaul on each booked load, which aligns the dispatcher's incentive with getting you a higher rate. Flat-fee dispatch charges a set amount per truck per week regardless of revenue, which makes budgeting predictable for high-volume trucks.

HDL confirms your exact rate during onboarding after we look at your equipment, operating lanes, and how many trucks you're running. There are no long-term contracts required to start and no forced load minimums.

No. A freight broker represents the shipper and must hold FMCSA broker authority and a $75,000 surety bond; a dispatcher represents the carrier as an agent and does not need broker authority.

Freight brokers are licensed property brokers under FMCSA regulations. They contract with shippers, take on the load, and then find a carrier to haul it. Their compensation comes from the spread between what the shipper pays and what the carrier is paid.

A dispatcher is an extension of your back office. HDL books loads in your name, under your authority, using your insurance — and you see the rate confirmation on every load. Dispatchers do not take a spread and do not re-broker freight.

Yes — you need active FMCSA operating authority (MC/DOT numbers), a signed carrier packet, and active insurance to book freight through a dispatcher.

To haul interstate freight for hire you need active operating authority, a USDOT number, the required liability and cargo insurance, and a BOC-3 process agent filing on record.

If you're still in the setup phase, HDL provides new-authority guidance: we'll walk you through what brokers will ask for, what insurance limits are typically required (commonly $1M auto liability and $100K cargo), and how to get your carrier packets and factoring in place before your first load.

Yes. HDL works week to week, so you can run with dispatch during busy season, take home time, and pick back up without penalty.

Owner-operators often run hard for a stretch, then take a week home. HDL does not require load minimums or lock you into a long-term contract, so you can pause and restart your dispatch coverage.

Tell us your schedule and home base and we plan loads that get you back to the house on the days that matter.

HDL dispatches semi-trucks (dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, power only), 26-foot box trucks, and straight trucks including hotshot and expedite operations.

On the semi side we cover dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, and power-only freight for solo drivers, teams, and small fleets.

On the box truck and straight truck side we cover expedite, hotshot, LTL partials, retail and appliance deliveries, and final-mile work — including loads that require a liftgate, pallet jack, or driver-assist unload.

Yes. A 26' box truck rated at 26,000 lbs GVWR or less does not require a CDL, and there is steady expedite, LTL partial, and final-mile freight available for that class.

Non-CDL box truck operators still need active operating authority, cargo and liability insurance, and — for most brokers — a liftgate or pallet jack to be competitive on retail and residential freight.

HDL targets lanes where box truck rates hold up: time-critical expedite, partial LTL, trade-show and event freight, and dedicated retail runs in dense metro corridors.

Yes — HDL books reefer freight with temperature and pre-cool requirements documented up front, and flatbed/step deck freight with securement and permit requirements confirmed before dispatch.

Reefer freight lives and dies on documentation: continuous versus cycle run, set point, pre-cool, and pulp temp at pickup. We confirm those details on the rate confirmation so you're protected on a claim.

For flatbed and step deck we verify tarp requirements, securement expectations, and whether the load is legal or needs oversize permits before you roll.

HDL prices loads off current lane averages, market tightness, deadhead cost, and your all-in cost per mile — then negotiates from data instead of accepting the posted rate.

Posted rates are opening offers. We look at what the lane is actually paying that week, how much capacity is sitting in the origin market, what it costs you to get to the shipper, and what the reload looks like on the delivery side.

We also weigh accessorials people forget: extra stops, layover, detention, driver-assist, liftgate, and tarp pay. Those line items are often the difference between a break-even load and a profitable one.

Yes. HDL runs a credit and payment-history check on the broker before booking and avoids brokers with poor days-to-pay or active bond claims.

A high rate from a broker who pays in 90 days — or not at all — is not a good load. We screen credit scores, days-to-pay history, and authority status before you commit.

We also read the rate confirmation for the traps: unpaid detention, chargeback language, unrealistic appointment windows, and quick-pay fees that quietly cut your rate.

HDL documents the arrival and departure times, files the detention or TONU claim with the broker, and follows up until it's paid or formally denied.

Detention typically starts after two free hours at a facility, but only if it's documented. Time-stamped check-in, a signed BOL, and photos give the claim teeth.

For a truck-order-not-used, we push for the TONU on the same day it happens — the longer it sits, the harder it is to collect.

HDL organizes and submits the paperwork brokers and factoring companies require, and works with your existing factoring company so invoices don't get kicked back.

Most non-payment problems are paperwork problems: a missing signed BOL, a lumper receipt that never got scanned, or a rate confirmation that doesn't match the invoice.

We keep the load file complete and submit clean, so your factoring advance isn't held up.

Most carriers with active authority and current insurance are booking their first load within 24–48 hours of completing HDL onboarding.

Onboarding is a short intake: your authority information, certificate of insurance, W-9, a signed dispatch agreement, and a note on the lanes and home time you want.

Once your carrier packets are set up with the brokers we work with, we start sourcing freight that matches your equipment and where you're sitting.

Yes. HDL provides around-the-clock dispatch coverage, so a detained truck, a breakdown, or a canceled appointment at 2 a.m. gets a live response.

Freight doesn't keep office hours. Receivers reject loads at night, appointments move, and weather closes lanes on Sundays.

Our commitment is a real person on the phone when the truck needs help, not a voicemail box until Monday.

No. You approve every load before it's booked, and you always see the rate confirmation.

You own the authority and the truck, so you make the final call. We recommend loads with the rate, miles, deadhead, and reload picture attached so the decision is easy.

If a load doesn't work for your schedule or your rate floor, we move on and keep hunting.

HDL dispatches nationwide from Houston, Texas, with dedicated local pages for major freight markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Kansas City, Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Charlotte.

We plan freight across all 48 states and specialize in the high-density corridors where reloads are quick and dwell time is low.

Each of our market pages covers intrastate authority notes, weight limits, local compliance items, and the freight profile of that region.

HDL provides compliance guidance — hours-of-service planning, ELD-friendly load planning, IFTA and permit reminders, and document organization — but the carrier remains legally responsible for compliance.

We plan loads that fit inside your available hours instead of setting you up to run illegal. That means realistic appointment windows, honest transit times, and break planning built into the schedule.

We also keep your insurance certificates, authority documents, and load files organized so a broker request or an audit doesn't turn into a scramble. Legal responsibility for HOS, drug and alcohol program participation, maintenance records, and IFTA filings stays with the carrier.

Property-carrying drivers get an 11-hour driving limit inside a 14-hour window after 10 consecutive hours off, with a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving and a 60/70-hour weekly limit.

Any load plan that ignores those limits creates a violation or a late delivery. We build in fueling, scale time, and metro traffic instead of quoting perfect-world transit times.

Short-haul exceptions, adverse conditions, and the split sleeper berth provision can create flexibility — we plan around what your clock actually allows.

Most brokers require $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo coverage, with the broker listed as a certificate holder and 30-day cancellation notice.

Some freight requires more: reefer breakdown coverage for temperature-controlled loads, higher cargo limits for high-value freight, and trailer interchange for power-only work.

We confirm requirements before booking so a load isn't lost at the dock over a coverage gap.