Non-CDL capable
26 ft box trucks and hotshots: filter by real payload first, chain short loads into full days, use partials and triangle routes, and don't fight semis for heavy freight. See hotshot loads and box truck loads in our guides.
Can't find loads? Find the reason first.
Sitting, cheap posts, brokers who don't call back. Before you drop your rate or blame the market, figure out which problem you actually have. Each one has a different fix, and only some of them need a dispatcher.
MILE02DIAGNOSIS SORTER
Five questions, one likely reason
Answer honestly. The sorter points to the most common reason carriers with your answers can't find freight, and what fixes it. It's a starting point, not a verdict.
ANSWER 5 MORE
Five quick answers. Nothing is saved or sent.
MILE03YOU VS A DESK
What you're doing now vs a desk
| Self-dispatch | Dispatch desk | |
|---|---|---|
| Time on boards and calls | Your hours, usually while parked or driving | Our hours, all day |
| Calls per post | As many as you can fit in | Many, plus repeat brokers |
| Counteroffers | When you have time | On every load |
| Broker checks | Often skipped | Credit and history every time |
| Reload planning | After delivery | Before delivery |
| Who approves the load | You | Still you |
The last row matters most. A desk adds hours, contacts and planning, but the decision on every load stays with you, and every rate con comes straight to you to sign.
MILE04FIXES BY EQUIPMENT
Fixes that work by equipment
Semi
Vans, reefers, flatbeds, step decks and power only: follow the season (produce, construction, retail), check outbound markets before booking in, and use drop and hook to save hours.
Specialized
Car haulers, dumps, oversize and hazmat: fill every spot, price after permits and escorts, build regular lists with contractors, and match loads to your endorsements.
Hotshot owners can start with where hot shot loads come from and our hotshot dispatch page.
MILE05SEVEN QUICK FIXES
Seven fixes you can try today
- 01Check your floor against current lane rates. If it's above most posts, widen lanes before you drop it.
- 02Call on posts within the first minutes. Good loads get covered fast.
- 03Counter instead of skipping. A post at $2.10 can often move to $2.30 with a quick, polite counter.
- 04Search one region beyond your usual lanes. More freight means more choices.
- 05Look for the reload before you accept into a weak market.
- 06Keep a short list of brokers who've booked you before, and call them first.
- 07Check that your truck's real limits match what you're searching for.
If those work, you may not need a dispatcher. If they eat more hours than you have, that's where we come in. Compare honestly on dispatcher vs load board, or read about hotshot load boards.
MILE06FLOOR RATE MATH
Sitting can cost more than a lower rate
A floor rate protects you from bad loads. Set too high for the lanes you run, it parks the truck while the payment, insurance and parking keep running. The ticket compares two choices on the same EXAMPLE week: wait two days for a load at your floor, or take a slightly lower load now that heads into better freight.
The answer isn't always to take the lower load. It's to run the math with your fixed costs, not just the rate per mile.
WAIT OR GONO. 0002
EXAMPLE
- Fixed costs per day
- $220
- Wait 2 days, load at $2.40 x 600
- $1,440
- Minus 2 idle days
- -$440
- Net if you wait
- $1,000
- Go now, $2.10 x 600
- $1,260
- Plus a better reload day 2
- +$700
Net if you go$1,960
MILE07WHAT NOT TO DO
Mistakes that keep trucks parked
- Dropping the rate first. Cutting your floor without changing lanes or timing often just trains brokers to call you last.
- Taking a load into a dead market. It feels like progress until you're stuck there for two days.
- Calling only on the newest posts. Older posts that haven't moved can be the ones a broker will pay more to cover.
- Ignoring brokers who booked you before. A quick call to them often beats an hour on the boards.
- Skipping broker checks when desperate. A load that never pays is worse than a day off.
- Searching only one board. Different boards and apps carry different brokers. One more source can change a slow week.
MILE08HOW WE HELP
What a desk changes
We work the boards and our broker contacts all day, counter every post that fits, and check brokers before an offer reaches you. When your lanes are thin, we tell you, and suggest a wider loop instead of a lower rate.
Every load still comes to you as an offer. You say yes or pass, and the rate con comes straight to you to sign. Fees and rules are on rates and fees.
LOAD OFFER
- EQUIPMENT
- 48 ft flatbed
- PICKUP
- Birmingham, AL · Mon 07:00
- DELIVERY
- Charlotte, NC · Tue 08:00
- LOADED MI
- 390 (deadhead 25)
- WEIGHT
- 44,000 lb, steel coils
- BROKER
- Credit checked, pays in 30 days
- TERMS
- Tarp pay included on rate con
- RATE
- $1,300 ($3.33/mi loaded)
YOUR CALL. NOTHING IS BOOKED UNTIL YOU SAY YES.
MILE09FAQ
Questions about finding loads
Q01Are there enough loads for my equipment right now?
Usually, yes, but not always on your lanes at your rate. Freight moves with seasons and regions: produce pulls reefers, construction pulls flatbeds, retail peaks pull vans. When your lanes are thin, the fix is often a wider search or a triangle route, not a lower rate.
Q02How do I find loads without a load board?
Direct shippers, broker relationships built over repeat loads, freight from customers you already serve, and dispatchers who work all three. Boards are one source, not the only one.
Q03Do new MCs have a harder time finding loads?
Yes. Many brokers set minimum authority ages, often 30, 90 or 180 days. Until you clear them, your pool of brokers is smaller. Working the brokers that accept new MCs and delivering cleanly is how the pool grows.
Q04How fast can a dispatcher get me a load?
Often within a day or two of finishing setup, depending on your lanes, equipment and how quickly brokers approve your packets. We won't promise a load by a certain time, because the market decides that.
Q05How do dispatchers find loads?
Load boards, direct broker contacts, shippers they work with, and repeat freight from brokers who already know your truck. Then they counter the rate and check the broker before the offer reaches you.
Q06Is the freight market slow right now?
It changes week to week and lane to lane. Public market reports show the national picture; your lanes can be better or worse. We tell you what we're seeing on your lanes each week.
Q07Should I lower my rate to get loads?
Usually not as a first step. Check whether your lanes, timing or equipment fit are the real problem. If your floor is well above the market on your lanes, widening lanes to stronger markets often works better than cutting the rate.
Q08Why don't brokers call me back?
Common reasons: the load was already covered, your authority is under their minimum age, your insurance doesn't meet their requirements, or your truck doesn't fit the load. Ask what they need; it tells you what to fix.
Q09Do I have to take the loads you find?
No. Every load is an offer you accept or pass. On a yes, the broker sends the rate con straight to you to sign. Passing costs nothing.