Questions to ask before you sign
- How do you get paid, and on what? Percent of each load, or a flat fee? Only on loads you book?
- Can I turn down a load? The answer should be yes, with no charge.
- How do you pick loads for my truck? Listen for rate per total mile and your minimum. Be careful if all you hear is the gross.
- How many trucks do you handle, and who's on mine? One person who knows your truck beats a shared queue.
- Who pays whom? Brokers should pay you or your factoring company directly. The dispatcher should be paid by you, and only by you.
- Do I see every rate con? You should, with the broker's name, the rate and every term.
- How do I quit? A fair agreement lets you leave without a penalty.
Red flags
- Upfront, setup or "onboarding" fees before a single load is booked.
- Forced dispatch: you can't refuse a load, or get charged when you do.
- They want your freight money routed through them, or your factoring company told to pay them.
- They ask for your FMCSA, bank or load board logins.
- Rate cons you never see, or rate cons that aren't in your company name.
- They take money from brokers too. Then ask who they really work for.
- They hand out loads between their carriers as they see fit. FMCSA's 2023 guidance says that kind of dispatch service needs broker authority.
- Promised rates or "dedicated lanes" before they've seen your truck or your numbers.
- No real company: no registered business, no address, a free email account, a first name only.
- Long contracts with cancel fees or notice periods measured in months.
What a fair agreement looks like
- Written, and shown to you in full before you sign
- Your lanes and your minimum rate written down, per truck
- The fee spelled out, and charged only on loads delivered
- You can refuse any load with no penalty
- Brokers pay you directly, and the dispatcher never handles freight money
- Week to week, or a short notice period
- A statement that lists every load and what it paid
Do the math on what they book
The fee matters less than the freight. A dispatcher who gets you a better rate per total mile and fewer empty miles can be worth a higher fee. One who books whatever's easy costs you the fee and the margin. Know your break-even with the cost per mile calculator before anyone books for you.
How TenFour works
Your lanes and minimum go in the agreement, and we never book under your minimum without your OK. You can refuse any load, no penalty. Every rate con is in your name and comes to you as soon as it's signed. Brokers pay you directly, and we never ask for your FMCSA, bank or load board logins. The fee is 5% for your first 30 days, then 7%, only on loads we book. It's week to week, and you can quit anytime. TenFour Freight LLC is registered in Pennsylvania, and we're a US company here in Philadelphia.
Questions
Does a dispatcher need broker authority?
Not if they work only as your agent. FMCSA's 2023 guidance says a dispatch service that arranges freight for several carriers and decides which carrier gets a load is doing a broker's job and needs broker authority. Ask any dispatcher how they decide which truck gets a load.
Should a dispatcher ever have my FMCSA or bank login?
No. Nobody needs your FMCSA portal, bank or load board password to dispatch your truck. If they ask, walk.
Is it normal to pay a dispatcher upfront?
No. A fair dispatcher gets paid on loads they actually book, after the work is done. Setup fees and prepaid weeks put all the risk on you.
How do I check a dispatch company is real?
Look up the company on your state's business registry, check that they use their own email domain, and ask for the full agreement before you sign. Search the company name with words like scam or complaint.
Want a dispatcher who works for your margin?
Every truck gets its own dispatcher. We judge every load on rate per total mile, deadhead included, and never book under your minimum. Brokers pay you directly.