PRICING / UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
Truck dispatch fee: 5%, 7% or 4%. Nothing hidden.
Our truck dispatch fee is a percentage of gross load revenue, and only on loads you haul. One number per situation, no setup fee, no minimums and no contract to escape.
STANDARD
5%
1 truck, MC 6+ months
NEW MC
7%
Under 6 months
FLEET
4%
2+ trucks
WHAT THE MARKET CHARGES
How much do dispatchers charge?
Before our numbers, here is what you will see elsewhere. We checked published prices from no-contract dispatch services in October 2026.
Most charge a percentage of the load, usually between 8% and 10%. Some sell a flat weekly plan per truck instead. A few charge more for box trucks and hotshots. We don't: every truck type pays the same.
| Pricing model | What we found | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Percent of gross | 8% to 10% per load is the common range; 8% and 10% are frequent list prices. | What counts as gross: linehaul only, or detention and lumper too. |
| Flat weekly fee | Examples around $250 to $350 per truck per week. | You pay in a slow week even if the truck barely moved. |
| Per-equipment pricing | Some services charge box trucks and hotshots more than semis. | Ask which bracket you land in before you sign. |
| HaulTerminal | 5% / 7% / 4%, same for every truck type. | Nothing in a week you don't haul. |
SOURCE: TheTruckersReport; Trustpilot, Fleet Dispatchers LLC; oTrucking, CHECKED OCTOBER 2026. PUBLISHED PRICES CHANGE; ALWAYS ASK FOR THE AGREEMENT.
OUR THREE RATES
Dispatch service cost, by situation
Your equipment does not change the price. A 26 ft box truck, a hotshot and a 53 ft reefer pay the same rate. Only two things move it: how old your MC is and how many trucks you run.
Standard
5%One truck, MC at least 6 months old, any equipment we dispatch.
The rate most owner-operators pay.
New authority
7%MC under 6 months, any equipment, any number of trucks.
Drops to 5% (or 4% for fleets) at month 6 automatically.
Fleet
4%Two or more trucks under one MC that is at least 6 months old.
Every truck in the fleet pays this rate.
Not sure which applies? New MC dispatch and small fleet dispatch go deeper.
RUN YOUR NUMBERS
Your fee, printed line by line
Pick your truck, your MC age, how many trucks and a normal week of gross. The sheet shows the rate that applies, your weekly and monthly fee, and the same week at other common prices.
01 / EQUIPMENT
02 / MC AGE
03 / TRUCKS
- Equipment
- DRY VAN
- Rate that applies
- 5%
- Weekly fee, 1 truck
- $300
- Monthly fee (4.33 weeks)
- $1,299
- Same week at 8%
- $480
- Same week at 10%
- $600
- Flat fee, $300/week per truck
- $300
No setup fee, no minimums, and nothing in a week you don't haul.
Want the full return on a dispatcher, including time saved? Try the dispatch ROI calculator or compare any quote with the dispatcher fee calculator.
INCLUDED IN THE FEE
Everything the desk does
- Load sourcing on the major load boards plus direct broker and shipper contacts
- Rate negotiation on every load, against your floor rate
- Broker calls, check calls and delivery updates
- Carrier packets and broker setups, including power only programs where they run
- Broker credit and authority checks before you are booked
- Deadhead planning so the reload is close to the drop
- Detention and layover claims with the broker
- A weekly report with loads, miles, gross and fees
NEVER CHARGED
What you don't pay for
- A setup or onboarding fee
- A monthly minimum
- Weeks you don't haul
- Loads you decline. The rate con comes to you, and saying no costs nothing
- A long contract you have to buy your way out of
HOW BILLING WORKS
A percentage of loads you hauled
The fee is a percentage of gross load revenue on loads you signed and delivered. Your written dispatch agreement sets the billing day and payment method, and we walk through it on the intro call before you sign.
Service is month-to-month. To stop, give 30 days notice. Loads already booked in that window still run as normal.
See every step from application to first load on how dispatch works.
- Loads hauled
- 14
- Gross load revenue
- $24,600
- Fee at 5%
- $1,230
- Loads declined
- 3 ($0)
BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYWHERE
Six questions to ask any dispatcher
Use these on us and on anyone else. A good desk answers all six without dodging.
01
What is the fee charged on?
Linehaul only, or detention, lumper and fuel surcharge too. The same percentage costs more on a bigger base.
02
Who signs the rate con?
If the dispatcher signs for you, they can book you on loads you never saw. With us the rate con comes to you.
03
Can I say no to a load?
Ask if declining costs anything or counts against you. It should not.
04
How long is the contract?
Month-to-month with notice is normal. Ours is month-to-month, cancel with 30 days notice.
05
Is there a setup fee or minimum?
Some desks charge to start or bill a weekly minimum. We do neither.
06
Are you also a broker?
A dispatcher who brokers freight is on both sides of your rate. We only work for carriers.
FEE QUESTIONS
Straight answers on cost
Every rate con still comes to you to sign.
01How much do truck dispatchers charge?
Most dispatch services charge a percentage of each load's gross. The no-contract prices we checked in October 2026 mostly sat between 8% and 10%, with some flat weekly plans around $250 to $350 per truck. Our rate is 5% for one truck, 7% while your MC is under 6 months and 4% for two or more trucks.
02Why is new authority dispatch 7%?
A new MC takes more desk work per load. Fewer brokers will book you, so we call more of them, send more carrier packets and work harder for each approval. That extra work is what the 7% covers. At month 6 your rate drops to 5%, or 4% with two or more trucks, without you asking.
03Do fleet rates apply to every truck?
Yes. When two or more trucks run under one authority that is at least 6 months old, every truck we dispatch for you pays 4% of its gross. There is no tier where the first truck pays more.
04Why do some dispatchers charge 10% or more?
Some include extra services such as invoicing or factoring setup, some run small desks with high costs per truck, and some price for carriers who will not compare. A higher percentage does not mean better loads. Ask what the fee is charged on, what is included, and whether you can say no to a load.
05What does the dispatch fee include?
Load sourcing, rate negotiation, broker calls, check calls, carrier packets, deadhead planning, detention and layover claims, broker credit checks and a weekly earnings report. Power only program setups are included where they run. There is no extra charge for any of it.
06Is the dispatch fee a business expense?
For most owner-operators it is. The IRS lets a business deduct ordinary and necessary expenses, and a dispatch fee paid to get loads usually fits. Keep our weekly reports and invoices with your records, and confirm the treatment with your tax preparer for your own return.
07When is the dispatch fee invoiced?
Your written dispatch agreement sets the billing day and how you pay. We go through it line by line on the intro call, before you sign anything, so there are no surprises on your first statement.
SEE IT ON A REAL WEEK
Same week, smaller fee
Apply and a dispatcher builds your first week with you. You see every rate con before anything is booked.
Fee on gross load revenue, only on loads you haul. 7% while your MC is under 6 months.