Just Dispatchers

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Do I need a dispatcher as a new motor carrier?

No. A dispatcher is optional. You can find loads yourself on a load board and keep the fee. A dispatcher helps most when your broker network is thin, you are driving all day, or you keep missing loads.

The case for a dispatcher is time and relationships: someone else searches boards, calls brokers and negotiates while you drive. The case against is cost: 5% to 10% of every load adds up over a year.

A fair test is to track your numbers (gross, miles, empty miles, fee paid) for a few weeks with and without help. If rate per mile does not rise, the fee is not paying for itself.

Example. A truck grossing $200,000 a year pays $14,000 a year at 7%. The dispatcher has to bring in more than that in extra revenue, or save you the time you would have spent, for the fee to make sense.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the sources and talk to a transportation lawyer before you sign or start.

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Last reviewed Thu, Nov 12, 2026 · Where our data comes from