Pros and cons of working with a dispatching company?

You shouldn’t, it’s an absolute foolish waste of money.

For me it’s about the only part of the job I enjoy anymore ..booking my own loads. It’s like a treasure hunt

I don’t factor any of my loads either.. Basically, I’m keeping all the money I worked hard for.

 

A significant reason why someone goes out on their own authority is to run their business how they see fit. If they wanted someone else booking their loads they'd be smarter to sign on to someone else's authority where usually ifta and irp are taken care of, all the back office is taken care of, in exchange for a % of the gross revenue. Said carrier usually also has large direct accounts often not available to the 1 truck carrier.

Also, what happens if the independent does accept a dispatch service, they book a load he doesn't like the rate or for whatever reason he is uninterested. Does the dispatch service name go in the mud with the customer? Or is this dispatch service acting as an agent and therefore it's the carrier who has to say, yeah I am not doing this load. How does that work? Not to mention the flow of money and billing. If a carrier needs a dispatcher they should put one on the payroll or sign their equipment onto a carrier. So many people trying to have their hand in the pot without doing it legit. Be a carrier or be a broker. Own equipment? Run your own authority or sign it onto someone else's. That's it.

So I ask you again, where is the benefit for someone who is also taking care of all other aspects of running as a carrier, why would they ever give up the reigns as to where, how, and most importantly at what rate?

 

There are no pros.

 

If you want everything done for you, why not just be a company driver?

 

Mainly they get more screen time than you do. So they can catch so pretty good paying loads every once in a while...And it nice to have some one to secretly blame if you end up somewhere you really don't want to be.
That's about it.

 

Agreed. I do it all. Everything except my 2 hour sit down with the tax man once a year.

Dispatchers, like factoring companies, are just another hand in the cookie jar.

 

New to what?

Driving?

Owning a truck?

What??

 

Dispatching service is sold, more than it is bought. Meaning the people selling that service will try to convince you how you MUST use their service. Fewer O-Os will demand such a service. Just because it's for sale doesn't mean you need to buy it. If you are just taking random loads off load boards then a DS may provide the same results. When I was looking for an easy work at home job I saw tons of Dispatch Service videos and ads. It seems like a way to get around the regulations for a freight broker more than a genuine need in the industry. If you know enough about the runs that make you the money you want, where to find them, how to pick from the good and the bad, etc then you can give that info to the DS and hope they do a better job than you at finding them. As I understand it, you have to get very specific in your demands for a load and find a DS that will deliver the results. I'd prefer to pay a $ fee per week or month rather than a % for the service. I also would NEVER sign a contract for a time period of service until after I had seen good results and trusted the DS to keep to that performance. It seems the happiest O-Os have direct freight with customers, not the ones getting random loads off of load boards. I never earned a check picking freight, so I may be full of hot air.

 

$523.60 would be their fee on the load I just did from VA to WA…4 days!

My time to search, book and invoice..15 minutes..Money paid next day no fees.

You will probably get talked into factoring too.. essentially you’re willing to give up 10% to a complete stranger for doing something so simple…Absolute insanity on top of the garbage rate they’ll get you..

Makes me wonder if I should just sit home poolside and start a dispatch service..Seems there are plenty of gullible drivers I could reel in.

 

Didn’t some dude bring this up in the last 2 weeks? Basically trying to broker loads without the credentials?