Dispatch Services

Yeah, I think we have the cash flow to avoid it *fingers crossed*

 

I understand math appreciate the advice

 

OK, so I'm trying to learn the in's and out's of DAT. I have the one with the 15 day average. When negotiating rates, do you find that the lane average is the right place to start? Or do you look at what the company is paying out? I was wondering where they get the 15 day pay numbers. It that what they are paying per mile for that exact route? Or what the company is averaging per mile? I'm kind of a numbers geek so I'm trying to understand exactly what the data shown is telling me.

 

It’s what the average truck on that lane for that type of load has been paid over the last 15 days. I think most data comes from factoring companies.

Just know that brokers unless underwater on a load, have more then that in it. Or, carriers who do direct business with customers are running for more. However, since you don’t know lanes and how they work or pay, it’ll help you. Maybe try for 10% over or bring all posted rates to the top and see if they are trending higher then the average. That’ll help tell you if the lane is ultra hot or not. Be one of the people who pushes the rates higher.

It’s ok to get plenty of no answers or to make brokers squirm and maybe have to call you back after getting customer approval for a rate increase. Trust me, when the power reverses they will hold their shoe to your throat so don’t feel bad. Nature of the business.

Make sure it’s DAT power that you have.

 

This is really helpful, thank you!

 

Although factiring sucks, I see nothing wring with it to start. It takes some time for the 1st checks to start rolling in when directly billing the brokers. That's a lot of money floating around out there while using out of pocket money for fuel and other expenses.

 

stumbled across this in May 2023, oh boy how the spot market has changed.

 

still easy to find loads, spot just don’t pay anything

 

Here’s my take on dispatching. It really depends how you run. For me personally, I pay a dispatcher. But it’s my girlfriends daughter, I would not use a service. She only has 3 trucks dispatching for, so I get crazy good service.

I tried dispatching myself and it’s just too hard to get a good load while driving and delivering loads. Depending where you are sometimes loads get booked as soon as they are posted. I guarantee she brings me more profit than her cost be dispatching myself. She also has the time to build solid relationships with the brokers we use the most and can net me routine loads before they hit DAT at good prices.

That said again, I wouldn’t use a random company. They would book whatever load at whatever rate and not care.