Dispaching service for owner operators?

I wouldn't do business with any dispatch service that is calling you out of the blue. That seems like a new dispatch service fishing for their first customers.
Are you wanting a dispatch service because you cannot keep yourself busy enough or are you having trouble finding enough runs because your authority is new? The load boards are not just the leftover freight. If you use a dispatch service don't sign a contract that locks you into more than a month, if at all. I would try to avoid dispatch services unless you can't find loads on the various loadboards. I' m posting this YouTube video about which load boards work with new authority, in case that is you.

Load Boards for New Authority ignore the crappy music at the start.

 

Do have have any suggestions on how a new Service would get clients without cold-calling? And is this any different than a new Broker cold-calling shippers?
Seriously wondering as gaining those first clients can be a hurdle.

Thank you

 

They get your number from your DOT number, you will get bombarded with calls when you are new, and they will still call you from time to time when your not.
In my experience, all a dispatch service does is look for loads for you on all the load boards. They call you with what they have found, and when you say what load you want, they book it for you and sign the rate con and forward it to you. I don't use one, I have a friend that does use one and it's $150 a week. The numbers that the dispatch service gave you are insane.

 

I suppose some people use them but you should be dispatching yourself.

As far as connections for loads that never hit the load boards that's very unlikely.

It's possible if certain Brokers know that certain dispatching companies have trucks in a certain area that do certain loads they may call them when they have those loads, but that's not anything you can't do for yourself.

That's what you want to do for yourself.

Here's some quick math.

Let's say that you gross $25,000 a month. If you pay a dispatcher 5% that is $1,250 per month. Multiply that by 12 and that is $15,000 a year. If you did 10% that's $30,000 a year.

In five years at 5% that is $75,000 and 5 years at 10% is $150,000.

You have to be completely and totally mentally insane to consider blowing that kind of money because you don't want to book your own loads.

 

I'm getting calls too.
But I say I have already a dispatcher.

 

Yep. My brother wanted initially book loads for me for 10%. LOL
So, if a family wants $$$ from you, I'm not surprised strangers are looking for easy money too.

 

I tell them I hate being gone, so I only run about one load a month. They aren't interested all the sudden.