What truck dispatchers charge, and what we charge.
Most truck dispatchers charge 5% to 10% of each load, and around 7% is common for an owner-operator. What matters just as much is what that percentage is charged on.
on most loads
0% of fuel surcharge or extras. Ever.
5–10% depending on the load. Fleets of 3+ trucks: 1% off.
Linehaul means the rate on your rate con before any fuel surcharge or extras. If the broker pays one all-in rate, that rate is the linehaul. Extras: detention, layover, TONU, lumper and tarp pay.
- You see our fee on every load before you say yes
- No setup fee
- Cancel anytime, no penalty
- Weekly invoice, only for loads that delivered
- The broker pays you directly. Always.
Long, straightforward van loads, steady lanes you run every week.
The everyday mix of van, reefer and flatbed freight on the corridor.
Short or urgent loads, hotshot and box truck, cross-border with customs paperwork, permits to coordinate.
Flat weekly plan available on request for full-time fleets.
Know the fee before you call.
Pick how the broker pays and drag the numbers. On an all-in rate, our fee and a percentage of everything come out the same. Where the rate con lists fuel surcharge or extras, we leave them alone.
Same fee either way on this load. On an all-in rate there's no fuel line to leave out. The difference shows up when the rate con lists fuel surcharge or extras.
Example numbers. Most load-board loads pay one all-in rate; some rate cons list fuel surcharge and extras as their own lines. Your loads, rates and our rate on each load will be different.
The 4 fee models.
Percentage of the full rate
The most common model.
You only pay when you haul.
When the rate con lists fuel surcharge, detention or other extras, the percentage is taken on those too.
Percentage of linehaul
OursWhat we do.
You only pay when you haul, and never on a fuel surcharge line or extras.
Ask what counts as linehaul. On an all-in rate with no fuel line, the whole rate usually is.
Flat weekly fee
A set amount per truck per week.
Predictable for trucks that run full weeks.
You pay it even in a week the truck sits. Hard on a slow week.
Hybrid
A smaller percentage plus a monthly base.
Lower percentage on big weeks.
Two charges to track, and the base is owed whether you run or not.
All of it. No add-on fees.
Some dispatchers bill some of these separately. Ours are included.
Third-party costs stay yours: permit fees, your factoring company's fee, tolls.
Ask these. Walk away from those.
- 01What exactly is your percentage charged on?
- 02Do I pay anything if you don't book me a load?
- 03Is there a setup fee or a contract I can't leave?
- 04Who does the broker pay: me or you?
- 05Will I see the rate con and your fee before I say yes?
- 06What's included, and what costs extra?
- They guarantee a rate, a weekly gross or earnings. Nobody controls the market.
- They want money before you've hauled a load.
- Their percentage is taken on fuel surcharge, detention or lumper money and they don't say so.
- Leaving costs you a cancellation fee or a long notice period.
- The broker's payment goes to them first, not straight to you.
- They won't show you the rate confirmation.
Why these matter
A dispatcher works as your agent: the load is booked in your name, under your authority, and the broker pays you. When money starts flowing through the dispatcher instead, or when you can't see the rate confirmation, you lose sight of what your truck actually earned. The fee is only one part of the cost; the loads a dispatcher books you on, and the ones they turn down, matter more.
Answered straight.
How much does a truck dispatcher charge?
Most truck dispatchers charge between 5% and 10% of each load, and around 7% is common for an owner-operator. Some charge a flat weekly fee per truck instead. What matters just as much is what the percentage is charged on: the full rate including fuel surcharge, or the linehaul only.
What do you charge?
5–10% of linehaul depending on the load, and 7% on most loads. Never anything on a fuel surcharge line or extras (detention, layover, TONU, lumper and tarp pay). If the broker pays one all-in rate, that rate is the linehaul. Fleets of 3 or more trucks get 1% off. You see our fee on every load before you say yes.
Why does your rate go from 5% to 10%?
Because loads aren't all the same work. A long van load on a lane you run every week takes less time to find and book than a short urgent load, a hotshot run or a cross-border load with customs paperwork. You see which rate applies before you accept the load, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Do dispatchers charge on the fuel surcharge?
Some do. On contract freight and some broker loads, the rate con lists fuel surcharge as its own line, and a dispatcher who charges on the gross takes a percentage of it, plus detention and other extras. On most load-board loads the broker pays one all-in rate with no fuel line, so there's nothing to leave out and the fee is the same either way. We charge on linehaul only: never on a fuel surcharge line or extras. On an all-in rate, that rate is the linehaul.
Is 10% too much for a dispatcher?
On a long, easy van load, 10% is high. On a short, urgent or specialized load that takes real work to find and book, it can be fair. Compare dispatchers in dollars per load, not in percentages, and always ask what the percentage is charged on.
Do I pay if you don't find me a load?
No. No load, no fee. We invoice weekly, only for loads that delivered.
Is there a setup fee or a contract?
No setup fee. There's a written dispatch agreement so both sides know the terms, and you can cancel anytime with no penalty.
Is a flat weekly fee better than a percentage?
It can be for a truck that runs full weeks all year. The catch is you pay it even when the truck sits. We work on a percentage by default, and a flat weekly plan is available on request for full-time fleets.
Want your rate for your lanes?
Leave your number. We'll tell you what we'd charge on the loads you actually run.
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