Hire dispatcher or self-dispatch

Why would you pay someone to book loads for you? That is one of the best things of being an
owner operator, making your own choices. , Keep all that money for yourself!

 

You have an MC#.. You can get a dat account for $45ish a month. Any dispatcher who has good freight that is not posted to a load board, would have a broker MC of their own instead of just being a dispatcher trying to get a skim off the been skimmed 5x already freight that is on DAT.

The only two boards to consider are dat and truckstop IMO. And the stuff on them is bad enough. No need to even look at a free loadboard. I prefer the layout of dat mobile vs ITS mobile. But ITS desktop has some handy features dat does not.

You need to start immediately trying to find small shippers and receivers who will work with you direct, even once a week or month. It starts small. Learn load to truck ratios and never go run yourself into a deadzone. If you do, just bounce to a better zone. Dont wait 3 days for a crap load.

 

The trick is finding somebody who has above average loads and can keep you busy! Sure you can sit around half a day looking for this and looking for that when somebody’s already has your week preplanned with better freight. you can pay them 10% and still make a whole lot more money at the end of the day week month or year!
I’ve had wolves work for me That think I’m making all the money but they have year-round freight ,so they strike out on their own and of course try to take your business drag off a sheep or two.
But they can’t see the forest for the trees.
They snag a load or two here and there but nothing significant, playing on the load boards for peanuts most of the year . Bottom line they probably made thousands more at the end of the year with less deadhead.
All I’m say’n is watch your bottom line and do what ever makes you the must money, that’s what it’s all about anyway,right?

 

Well you could start by following the paper trail!
See if they have some of their own customers if they’re actually a broker or a dispatch service it might be a fine line but if they’re just going to load you off the load board it’s not gonna be any good ,they’ve got to have a customer base.
I don’t think a dispatch Serv is the way of the future. The true way to make money is to fill a need! To many people buy a truck and there’s no need to fill. No money or very little. This is a very easy business to get into , and a very hard business to stay in. I wish I had the answers you need but truly I don’t. We are in a very tough market right now and connections are everything.

 

Without knowing the lane youll have a real hard time vetting a dispatcher unless you sit in the office and watch the broker from his side of the screen. Just pulling loads off dat is a secretaries job. One of those i could do it myself but she does it cheaper deals. Wives and gfs make fine dispatchers. If you give up 10% off dat rates you will go under fast because there aint no meat left on that bone.

Heres how it works. JBhunt wins a bid to haul 50 loads of widgits a week. If it pays good, it goes on their trucks. If it dont, they take a chunk out and put it on a load board. Then your dispatcher takes a chunk out and puts in on you.

If your dispatcher only knows brokers it aint good. If he knows shipping and receiving staff at the plant, it is good. But typically one with shipping staff access has a brokers license already. If not, he/she would be forwarding trucks straight to the source with no protection in place and would quickly lose the freight to you going direct as a dedicated hauler. A dispatcher cannot get a contract on freight without authority to carry freight from fmcsa. A broker can. So you with your own MC can contract direct what a dispatcher simply cannot, see? The dispatcher cant say yes i will take possession of this freight. Only a licensed freight broker or motor carrier can. Which means your dispatcher is just an added middle man.

You giving up a % of the load is only acceptable if the person you are giving the percent to is the ONLY way to get to the load, AND if after their cut and your expenses you still profit. Locked up good freight, pay for it.

Loads of 8ft tarp lumber to lowes distribution center.. The dispatcher better be paying YOU to haul it.

Get your own DAT. Its a pittance compared to fuel. We will walk u thru booking your own loads.

 

i will dispatch you for 5% off dat if you dont believe me.

 

First I think you posted in the wrong forum. This really is more of an OO question. I only know 3 people that are OO and own only 1 truck and run their own numbers. Two of them have their wives stay at home and handle loads. The other one does this himself.

 

I’m a company man... but from my experience I would say have a dispatcher. I normally haul the way I want to either way. I often times do loads our other drivers don’t want or can’t do and they tend to throw me a bone as often as they can as a thank you.