Anyone out there 100% independent and use a dispatch type service?

Not everyone can do all things well. Most people hire an accountant or bookkeeper to do their books because they don't want to deal with that aspect of their business. Accountants can usually save more in taxes and time than the business owner could save with the loss of time and lack of knowlege of IRS rules and regulations. You need to look at all services the same way. In business, you either pay someone to perform a service for you or do it yourself. If you are not getting the rates you want or staying as busy as you would like, then perhaps a dispatch service would be worthwhile. You could try it for a while and see how the service does for you. If you do well, then continue the relationship. If not, then find a different service or do it yourself.

 

The toughest part is trusting someone with what they are going to book. 9 times out of 10 the really good stuff won't wait while the dispatcher calls you to check if you are interested, so you have to trust where you may be getting sent. I haul cars & have a very good friend who helped out when she was available. But to my own detriment, I would want to personally see what else there was in comparison. There are so many variables that come into play & letting go of that control(for me) was/is tough.

 

You need to be able to trust your dispatcher. I had some whom I would check with prior to committing to a load and others whom I would just book something for them. Those whom I called prior to booking a load would sometimes lose out on a really good paying load due to the delay. Really good paying loads don't stay around long.

 

Yea, the guys I have worked with found out in a hurry that overseeing every single load, lost them on the ones that paid well, regardless if the broker said he would hold it or not, as many times as they have said that, I have only had one truly hold it, and we have developed a good relationship with that broker.

 

Check with Mercer. I know BBB mentioned several weeks ago to me that they do offer to dispatch outside carriers with freight. You let them know where you're delivering and they will have someone call with load offers. I am not 100% sure if this is offered to single truck operaters or just small fleets only. Would be worth your effort to dig for more info since you already have a relationship with them.

 

That would be about like asking a street person to watch your wallet while you sleep.

 

Mercer will broker freight to anyone who has active authority and valid insurance. They are not really a dispatch service. They are a motor carrier who also has broker authority. When a carrier calls for a load, whether a single truck or hundreds of trucks, you will speak with their brokerage division. A dispatch service would be the one calling Mercer or any other broker or shipper in order to find a load.

 

I read your post about whether or not to get a dispatcher. If you are 100% independant driving your own truck there are advantages to having your own personal dispatcher. A really good dispatcher.... will ( SHOULD ) book your loads, comunicate with the brokers-customers and everyone in between, map your routes( you set the area where you prefer to run) , track your pay, do your billing ( collect your comcheck #s and send bols for other billing loads), do expense reports ( as in: your fuel, tolls,repairs, parts ,days running liscensing fees, IFTA, ect and make reports for end of the years taxes). Your main job should be picking up the vehicles and delivering them. The last thing a driver needs to be doing is trying to drive AND dealing with people on the phone. Your job is driving your truck and concentrating on the road.