Dispatch services for new trucking companies that want to start right

Best dispatcher for new authority? Start with this checklist

A good dispatcher can only move a carrier that brokers can approve. Before the first load, have these in place. Every item is something a broker or FMCSA can ask for, and missing one costs days.

• An active MC and USDOT number, with your operating authority granted. Check the status on FMCSA's public lookup.
• Insurance on file with FMCSA and a current certificate of insurance that brokers can verify.
• A W-9 that matches your company name and tax ID exactly.
• Your BOC-3 process agent filing, which is required before authority is granted.
• For CDL operations, a drug and alcohol testing program, with you enrolled in a random pool.
• A truck that has passed its annual inspection, with the paperwork to prove it.
• A notice of assignment if you factor, so brokers pay the right party.

We help with the parts a dispatcher can help with: carrier packets, broker setup and keeping your documents current with the brokers we use. The filings themselves are yours, and we will tell you plainly if something is missing.

Drug and alcohol testing before the first load

If your truck requires a CDL and you drive it under your own authority, you are both the employer and the driver under 49 CFR Part 382. That means a pre-employment test before you drive, and enrollment in a random testing pool, which a one-person company usually joins through a consortium. You also register in FMCSA's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Non-CDL operations are different. A 26 ft box truck or a hotshot that does not need a CDL is not under the DOT testing program. Our page on the DOT drug testing consortium explains who needs one and what it costs.

What we look for in your first loads

Early loads have two jobs: pay the bills and start a track record. So in the first weeks we lean toward brokers that accept new MCs and pay reliably, lanes that keep the truck reasonably close to home or your shop, and loads with clear appointment times. A slightly lower rate from a broker that will use you again often beats a higher one from a broker you will never hear from.

We also keep an eye on things that can hurt a new carrier: very tight delivery windows, receivers known for long detention, and loads that would put the truck in a dead market with no way out. You still see every offer and make every call, but we will tell you when we think a load is a trap.

As your authority ages and your history builds, more brokers open up. That is usually when rates start to look more like what established carriers get, and when the reload planning starts to pay off.

Maintenance from day one

Many new authorities start with a used truck. Before it hauls for you, get a baseline: a full inspection, fresh fluids and filters if the history is unclear, a close look at brakes, tires, wheel ends, lights and the air system, and the annual inspection done or documented. Write down what was found and what was fixed. That page is the start of your 396.3 records.

Then set a schedule. Use the intervals in your engine and chassis makers' service manuals, adjusted for how hard the truck works. Our preventive maintenance schedule generator turns those intervals into a printable calendar. Share it with us and we plan loads around it, so the first PM does not land in the middle of a run 800 miles from your shop.

The work on brakes, steering, wheel ends and air lines is safety-critical. If you do your own maintenance, know where the line is and use a qualified technician past it. A breakdown in the first months costs more than money; it can cost the brokers who just started trusting you.

Building a record brokers trust

Brokers look at more than authority age. Clean roadside inspections, on-time pickups and deliveries, quick answers to check calls and paperwork that arrives on time all add up. So does how you handle problems: a carrier who calls early about a delay is remembered far more kindly than one who goes silent.

We help with the parts that run through the desk: fast check calls, accurate updates, and documents sent when the broker needs them. The driving and the truck are yours. Keep both in good shape and the first six months build the base for everything after.

Scams that target new carriers

New authorities are public record, and some people use that list to find carriers who do not know the warning signs yet. A few to watch for:

• Anyone asking for a fee to give you a load, or a deposit to "hold" one.
• Rate confirmations that arrive from an email address that does not match the broker's real domain.
• Requests to change who gets paid, or to send your factoring or bank login.
• Loads that pay far above the market for no clear reason.

Our process closes most of those doors. We never charge to provide loads. The rate confirmation comes to you directly from the broker, so you can check the sender. We never ask for your logins. If a load reaches you from anyone other than our desk, call us before you act on it.

Cash flow in the first months

The gap between delivering a load and getting paid is where many new carriers get squeezed. Broker payment terms can stretch for weeks, while fuel, insurance and the truck payment do not wait. Factoring is one answer: you sell the invoice for a fee and get paid sooner. It is optional, and it does not change how we dispatch you.

If you are weighing it, read our guide to factoring for new trucking companies, and compare contract length, reserve terms and fees before you sign anything. Our dispatch fee page shows exactly how our own percentage works, including when you move off the new-authority rate.

At six months, the 7% rate ends. A single truck in most equipment types moves to 5%, and fleets with two or more trucks move to 4% while that limited-time rate lasts. Single box trucks and hotshots stay at 7%.

Starting dispatch on a new MC

You can apply before your authority is active. Tell us where things stand: filed, granted, insurance pending, or already running. If you are not ready yet, the first call is still useful. We can go through what brokers will ask for, which lanes suit your equipment from where you live, and what a realistic first month looks like for a truck like yours.

Once your authority is active and your documents are in, we set up packets with the brokers that accept new MCs and start bringing you offers. The steps are the same as for any carrier, laid out on our page about how dispatch works. The only difference is a little more patience in the first weeks while brokers get to know your MC.

We dispatch all 11 of our equipment types for new authorities, from 26 ft box trucks to tankers, with the same rules for every one: your yes on every load, the rate confirmation in your inbox, and no contract.