Line 01 / Truck dispatch fee
Truck dispatch fees: 5% of gross, nothing when you don't haul
How much do dispatchers charge? Here is our whole answer, with nothing left for the fine print. One percentage, taken from the loads you haul, shown on a weekly report you can check against every rate con.
7%
New MC, 26 ft box, hotshot
5%
One truck, 6+ months
4%
2+ trucks, limited time
$0 setup · $0 minimum · $0 in weeks you don't haul
Line 02 / A hypothetical month
Carrier A's month, every load and every fee printed
Carrier A is made up: one truck, eight loads in a month. Change any load, switch the tier, or take a week off and watch what happens to the fee. The comparison column runs the same month at 10%, so you can see the gap in dollars instead of points.
Your tier
7% new MC, 26 ft box truck, hotshot. 5% one truck. 4% two or more trucks.
Edit any load
Made-up month. 10% is a comparison, not a competitor's quote.
Read the month the way you would read your own. The fee is a straight line from the gross: no tiers that jump at a volume, no extra charge for a short load or a long one. If a load pays more because we countered, the fee on it is a little higher too, and that is the whole incentive.
The week-off box matters more than it looks. Home time, a breakdown, a slow week you choose to sit out: the fee goes to zero with the loads. A dispatcher with a monthly minimum would still bill you for that week.
Line 03 / The three rates
Which rate is yours
- 7%: new authority, 26 ft box trucks, hotshots
- An MC under 6 months old pays 7% on any equipment until it turns 6 months. Box trucks (26 ft and up only) and hotshots stay at 7% because their loads are smaller and take more calls to stack into a full week.
- 5%: one truck, authority 6 months or older
- Dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, power only, car hauler, dump truck, oversize, hazmat and tanker.
- 4%: two or more trucks
- A limited-time fleet rate, charged per truck on the loads each truck hauls. Mixed fleets pay the rate that fits each truck.
Want to test other numbers, including a flat fee? The dispatcher fee calculator handles both. And the 5%, 7% or 10% dispatch fee guide explains what usually sits behind each number.
New MC (under 6 months), 26 ft box trucks, hotshots
One truck, authority 6+ months
2+ trucks, limited-time fleet rate
A 10% dispatcher, for comparison (EXAMPLE)
Fee on gross load revenue. No setup fee, no minimums, and no fee in a week you don't haul.
Line 04 / Percentage vs flat fee
A flat weekly fee looks cheaper until the slow week
Some dispatch services charge a flat amount per week instead of a percentage. It can be the cheaper deal in a strong week. The catch is the weak week: the flat fee stays the same when your gross falls, and some charge it even when you don't run. Here is the dispatch service cost at three weekly gross levels, with a $300 flat fee as the example.
| Weekly gross | 5% fee | 7% fee | $300 flat (EXAMPLE) | Flat as % of gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $150 | $210 | $300 | 10.0% |
| $5,500 | $275 | $385 | $300 | 5.5% |
| $8,000 | $400 | $560 | $300 | 3.8% |
| $0 (week off) | $0 | $0 | $300 if charged | n/a |
Four things to ask about any dispatch fee
- Is the percentage on linehaul only, or on gross including fuel surcharge and detention? Gross is the bigger base.
- Is there a fee on loads I decline, or a charge for loads the dispatcher found but I didn't take?
- Is there a setup fee, a deposit, a monthly minimum or a cancellation fee?
- How is the fee billed, and can I check every line against my rate cons?
The break-even for a $300 flat fee against 5% is a $6,000 week. Gross more than that every single week and the flat fee wins on paper. Gross less, or take weeks off, and the percentage wins.
There is a second difference that doesn't show in the table. A percentage pays your dispatcher more when your rate is higher, so the incentive points the same way as yours. A flat fee pays the same for a cheap load as a good one. Whatever you pick, never pay a dispatcher up front for loads that haven't moved: why upfront dispatch fees are a red flag.
Line 05 / Included
What the fee pays for
- Finding loads. The major load boards plus direct broker and shipper contacts.
- Rate negotiation on every load. We counter from your floor rate, not from the posted number.
- All broker calls. Setup, check calls, delivery updates, and the call when something goes wrong.
- Carrier packets. Your MC, insurance, W-9 and NOA sent to each broker before the first load.
- Deadhead and backhaul planning. The reload is checked before the trip in is booked.
- Detention, layover and TONU claims. Filed with the timestamps from the check calls.
- A weekly earnings report. Every load, the gross, the miles and the fee.
- Nights and weekends. A dispatcher answers when you are loading at 2 a.m.
How a load moves from offer to rate con to invoice is on how our dispatch works.
Line 06 / Never charged
What you never pay for
Every load is offered to you first. The rate confirmation goes straight to you, and you confirm or decline. A decline is free, every time.
Factoring is separate and optional. If you factor, the factor's fee is between you and the factor. If you'd like a quote, read the freight factoring guide first, and see how to pay a dispatcher when you factor.
Thinking about the return over a year? The dispatch ROI calculator adds it up.
Line 07 / Fee questions
Dispatch service cost, asked plainly
Can I pay the dispatch fee through my factoring company?
Some factoring companies will pay a dispatcher straight out of your advances if you sign an authorization; others won't. Either way works with us. If your factor doesn't offer it, we invoice you and you pay from your account. Our guide on paying a dispatcher when you factor walks through the options.
Is there a contract?
There is a short dispatch agreement that sets out the fee and how either side ends it, but no term you are locked into. It is month-to-month: cancel with 30 days notice. No cancellation fee, and your documents and broker setups stay yours.
What if I do not haul a week?
Then there is no fee for that week. The fee is a percentage of loads you haul, so a week at home, in the shop or sitting out a slow market costs you nothing in dispatch. There is no monthly minimum to make up later.
Is the dispatch fee on gross or net?
Gross load revenue: what the broker pays for the load, including fuel surcharge and accessorials such as detention. Not your net after fuel. We show the gross and the fee for every load on the weekly report, so you can check it against each rate confirmation.
Why do some dispatchers charge 10% or more?
Some include extra services such as billing, collections or compliance help. Some simply charge what the market will bear. Rates of 8% to 12% are common. Compare what is included, whether the fee is on loads you decline, and whether there are setup or monthly charges, not just the headline number.
Is the dispatch fee a business expense?
For most carriers, yes: it is generally treated as an ordinary business expense like fuel or insurance. How you record and deduct it depends on how your business is set up. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm with a tax professional.
When is the dispatch fee invoiced?
We invoice weekly, for loads delivered that week, with every load listed: date, lane, gross and fee. Nothing is charged up front, and nothing is charged for a load until it is delivered. If your factor pays us under an authorization you signed, the invoice still shows the same lines.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, with 30 days notice. We dispatch the loads already booked in that window, invoice them as usual, and that's it. No exit fee, no holding your paperwork, and no penalty for coming back later.
Lock in your rate before your next load
Apply in about two minutes. Your fee tier shows on the form before you send it, and a dispatcher calls you back to confirm it.
No setup fee. Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days notice.
Drag to tear, or just tap the button.
Lock in my rate