Now Accepting Owner-Operators and Small Fleets in All 48 States
We are a dispatch company taking on owner-operators right now: 6% per load or $250 a week flat for semis, 8% or $350 for box truck and hotshot. No contract, no setup fee, and we take brand-new authorities.
If you have your own MC authority and you are tired of finding your own freight, this is the page you were looking for. We dispatch owner-operators and fleets up to 50+ trucks, we publish what we charge, and you can be set up and taking load offers within 24 hours.
Everything you need to decide is below: the exact fee, the exact documents we need from you, what happens on each day of onboarding, and what we will and will not take. If you would rather just talk to someone, call (682) 978-8641.
What It Costs to Work With Us
Two plans, both published. Pick the percentage if your weeks swing, pick the flat rate if you run hard and steady. You can switch between them at any time with no penalty.
| Equipment | Percentage | Flat rate | Flat wins above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi truckDry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, power only, heavy haul | 6% per load | $250/week | $4,167/week |
| Box truck & hotshotBox truck, sprinter van, hotshot | 8% per load | $350/week | $4,375/week |
No setup fee, no cancellation fee, no monthly platform fee. Running three or more trucks? We price fleets below these standard rates — see full dispatch pricing or work your own numbers with the dispatch ROI calculator.
Percentage vs Flat Fee — Which Should You Pick?
It is one division. Divide the flat fee by the percentage and you get the weekly gross where the two cost exactly the same: $250 ÷ 6% = $4,167 for semis, and $350 ÷ 8% = $4,375 for box truck and hotshot. Below that line the percentage is cheaper. Above it the flat rate is cheaper, and the gap widens every week you run harder.
| Weekly gross | At 6% | Flat | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $180 | $250 | Percentage |
| $4,167 | $250 | $250 | Break-even |
| $6,000 | $360 | $250 | Flat rate |
| $9,000 | $540 | $250 | Flat rate |
A semi grossing $9,000 a week pays $540 on the percentage and $250 on the flat rate — an effective 2.8%. For how our fee compares to what the rest of the market charges, see our breakdown of truck dispatch rates and what dispatchers actually charge.
What You Need to Join — The Full Carrier Packet
This is the same packet every broker will ask us for when we set you up. Have it ready and you run on day one instead of day five.
How much insurance you actually need
There are two numbers here and only one of them is the law. The federal floor, set in 49 CFR 387.9, is $750,000 in public liability for a for-hire carrier hauling non-hazardous property in interstate commerce at 10,001 lbs GVWR or more. Hauling certain hazardous materials pushes that to $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 depending on the commodity.
The market asks for more. The brokers we book with almost always want $1,000,000 in auto liability plus $100,000 in cargo before they will complete a carrier setup. So a carrier sitting at exactly the federal minimum is perfectly legal and still gets bounced from most broker packets. If you are shopping for a policy, buy to the broker standard, not the federal one — our trucking insurance guide for owner-operators walks through the coverages and what they cost.
Still getting your authority? The BOC-3 step people miss
A BOC-3 is your designation of a process agent — someone authorised to accept legal documents for you in each state. Under FMCSA's BOC-3 rules (49 CFR 366.109T) it has to be on file before FMCSA grants your operating authority registration, and only a process agent can file the form on a motor carrier's behalf — you cannot file it yourself.
FMCSA publishes your application in the FMCSA Register for a 10-day protest period. Provisional authority is issued after that period, once your evidence of insurance and your BOC-3 are both on file. That is the sequence that catches people out: the clock does not start until the filings land. Our new authority dispatch guide covers the whole path, and the new authority cost calculator totals what it runs to get there.
Onboarding, Step by Step
Five steps. Most carriers finish all five and see their first load offers inside 24 hours.
On billing: the percentage plan charges you only on loads we book, collected after delivery or on a weekly cycle, whichever you prefer. The flat rate is billed weekly. If you factor, we coordinate with your factoring company directly at no extra charge.
New Authority? We Take You When Brokers Won't
The hardest month of a trucking business is the first one, and it is not because the freight is not there. It is because a large share of brokers apply their own minimum authority age before they will set up a carrier — commonly cited anywhere from six months to two years. That is a broker underwriting policy, not a federal rule. Nothing in FMCSA's regulations says a six-week-old MC cannot haul.
From the broker's side the logic is defensible: a newly-authorised carrier has no claims history, no CSA record to inspect, and is the profile most often used in double-brokering and identity fraud. So they screen on age because it is the cheapest filter they have. Some of our competitors do the same — one publicly requires six months of active authority before they will dispatch you at all.
We do not gate on authority age. If your authority is active and your insurance meets the broker standard, we will dispatch you. The value we add on a new MC is not magic, it is relationships: we already have carrier setups with brokers who do not screen on age, so your first loads come through doors that are already open rather than doors you have to knock on cold.
If you are already getting turned down, read why brokers keep rejecting your truck — most of the time it is a fixable packet problem, not your authority date. Also worth your time: the first-year owner-operator guide and how to start a trucking business.
Dispatcher vs Freight Broker vs Load Board
These three get used interchangeably and they are not the same thing. The difference that matters most: a dispatcher is your agent, a broker is not.
| Dispatcher | Freight broker | Load board | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who holds the shipper relationship | The broker or shipper does — we work for you | The broker does | Nobody; it is a listings marketplace |
| Whose agent they legally are | Yours, the carrier | Neither — a licensed intermediary between shipper and carrier | Neither; it is software |
| Who negotiates the rate | We do, on your behalf | The broker, on the shipper's behalf | You do, with whoever posted |
| How they get paid | A fee you agree to — 6% or $250/week here | The margin between shipper rate and carrier rate | A subscription you pay monthly |
| Requires your own authority | Yes | Yes, to haul for them | Yes, to book anything |
Weighing up doing it yourself? Compare dispatch service vs self-dispatch, or if you are shopping around, use our checklist on how to choose a dispatch company and the warning signs in dispatch scams and red flags.
Why Carriers Choose Us
We built our service around what drivers actually need — higher rates, less hassle, and a dispatcher who cares about your success.
What It's Like Working With Us
When you partner with Truck Dispatch Experts, your day starts with a load already lined up. Your dedicated dispatcher works ahead of your schedule — finding freight, negotiating rates, and confirming pickup details before you finish your morning coffee. You focus on driving. We handle the phones, the brokers, the paperwork, and the back-and-forth that eats hours out of your week.
This isn't a call center where you talk to a different person every time. You get one dispatcher who learns your preferred lanes, your home time needs, and the rates you deserve. They know whether you like Northeast corridors or Texas triangle runs. They know your truck's payload limits and your schedule down to the day. That relationship is what separates a rate negotiated for your lane and your truck from settling for whatever's posted on a load board.
There is no forced dispatch here. You approve every load before we book it, and on the percentage plan anything you find yourself carries no dispatch fee at all. If you want the longer version of how the relationship works day to day, read the owner-operator dispatch guide. Running more than one truck? The small fleet dispatch guide covers what changes at three trucks and up.
Equipment We Dispatch — And What We Don't
Eight equipment types, each with dispatchers who run that freight every day. Specialised trailers do not carry a specialised rate here.
Who we cannot onboard
We would rather tell you now than waste your week. We cannot dispatch you if:
- You do not have your own operating authority. We book under your MC, not ours — there is nothing to dispatch without it.
- Your authority is revoked, suspended or inactive.
- You have no active Certificate of Insurance, or your coverage sits below what brokers will accept.
- You are looking for a driving job or a dispatching job. We are a dispatch service for carriers who own their authority, not an employer or a staffing agency.
Are MC Numbers Going Away?
Proposed, not enacted — and the difference matters if you are registering right now. Under its registration modernization program, FMCSA has proposed to stop assigning MC numbers and make the USDOT number the sole identifier for every registrant, with each type of operating authority an entity holds shown as a suffix to that USDOT number, as required by MAP-21.
Two details people get wrong. First, FMCSA states MC numbers were never a statutory or regulatory requirement in the first place — they were a docket-tracking device. Second, existing MC numbers would not be swapped for USDOT numbers; FMCSA is considering phasing them out, with authority types indicated by the suffix instead.
It still has to go through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a comment period, and FMCSA has said it will not take effect with the first release of the new registration system. So: your MC number is still your MC number, brokers still ask for it, and nothing about your setup with us changes today.
Looking for a Dispatcher Job Instead?
Straight answer: we are not posting dispatcher openings right now, and this page is for carriers who own their authority. If you want to get into dispatching, our guide on how to become a truck dispatcher covers what the work actually involves, what it pays and how people break in without a trucking background.
Start Getting Loads
Send us your MC number, your equipment and your insurance and we'll come back the same day. Most carriers are running within 24 hours.
Prefer to talk first?
(682) 978-8641Frequently Asked Questions
The questions carriers ask before they sign up with a dispatch service.
What do dispatch companies charge owner-operators?
We charge 6% of the gross revenue of each load we book for semi truck equipment — dry van, reefer, flatbed, step deck, power only and heavy haul — or $250 per week flat for unlimited loads. Box truck, sprinter van and hotshot dispatch is 8% per load or $350 per week flat. There is no setup fee, no contract and no cancellation fee, and you can switch between the percentage and flat plans at any time.
Do I need my own MC authority to use a dispatch service?
Yes. A dispatch service works for a carrier, so you need your own active operating authority and your own insurance — we book loads under your authority, not ours. If you are still in the application process we can walk you through it and be ready to dispatch the day you are activated.
What documents does a dispatch service need from a carrier?
Seven things: a signed W-9, a current Certificate of Insurance, your MC authority letter or FMCSA authority record, a signed dispatch agreement, an equipment list with VINs, a driver list with CDL numbers, and a Notice of Assignment if you use a factoring company. That packet is what brokers ask us for when they set you up, so having it ready is the difference between running on day one and running on day five.
How much insurance do I need to haul for brokers?
Two different numbers. The federal floor under 49 CFR 387.9 is $750,000 in public liability for a for-hire carrier hauling non-hazardous property in interstate commerce at 10,001 lbs GVWR or more. But the federal minimum is not what the market asks for: the brokers we book with almost always require $1,000,000 in auto liability plus $100,000 in cargo coverage before they will set up a carrier. A carrier sitting at exactly the federal minimum is legal and still gets rejected by most broker packets.
Do you work with a brand-new authority?
Yes. Many brokers apply their own minimum authority age before they will set up a new carrier, commonly cited anywhere from six months to two years, because newly-authorised carriers carry more claims and fraud risk from a broker's point of view. That is a broker policy, not a federal rule. We already have setups with brokers who do not apply an age gate, which is how a new MC gets moving before it has aged into everyone else's list.
What is a BOC-3 and do I need one?
A BOC-3 is your designation of a process agent — someone authorised to receive legal documents on your behalf in each state. Under 49 CFR 366.109T it must be on file before FMCSA grants your operating authority registration, and only a process agent can file Form BOC-3 for a motor carrier. FMCSA publishes your application in the FMCSA Register for a 10-day protest period, and provisional authority is issued after that period once your evidence of insurance and your BOC-3 are on file.
Is FMCSA getting rid of MC numbers?
It has been proposed, not enacted. Under registration modernization FMCSA has proposed to stop assigning MC numbers and make the USDOT number the sole identifier for all registrants, with each type of operating authority shown as a suffix to the USDOT number as required by MAP-21. FMCSA notes MC numbers were never a statutory or regulatory requirement. The change will go through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with a comment period and will not take effect with the first release of the new registration system, so your MC number is still your MC number today.
How is a truck dispatcher different from a freight broker?
A dispatcher works for the carrier and is paid by the carrier. A freight broker is a licensed intermediary who holds the relationship with the shipper and is paid from the margin between what the shipper pays and what the carrier is paid. That is why a dispatcher negotiating on your behalf and a broker negotiating with you are not the same conversation — we are on your side of the table, and our fee is a number you agreed to in advance rather than a spread you never see.
Is there a contract with your dispatch service?
No long-term contract. The dispatch agreement is month to month with no setup fee and no cancellation fee. There is also no forced dispatch — you approve every load before we book it, and on the percentage plan anything you source yourself carries no dispatch fee at all.
How long does it take to get set up with a dispatch company?
Most carriers are fully set up and receiving load offers within 24 hours of completing onboarding. The delay, when there is one, is almost never on our side — it is waiting on a Certificate of Insurance from an agent, or on an authority that has not gone active yet.
How does billing work and what if a broker doesn't pay?
On the percentage plan you are billed only on loads we book, either after the load delivers and you have been paid or on a weekly cycle, whichever you prefer. The flat rate is billed weekly. If you use a factoring company we coordinate with them directly at no extra charge. If a broker goes past terms we chase the payment with you — we hold the rate confirmation and the delivery paperwork, which is most of what a collections claim needs.
Is there a minimum number of trucks required?
No. We work with single-truck owner-operators up to fleets of 50+. At three or more trucks we offer custom volume pricing below the standard rates, because consistent multi-truck volume lets one dispatcher work more efficiently.
What lanes do you cover?
All 48 contiguous states. Whether you prefer OTR, regional, or dedicated lanes, we find freight that matches your preferred operating areas and gets you home when you need to be.
Your Best Loads Are Waiting
Stop spending hours searching for freight. Let our expert dispatchers handle it while you focus on driving.