Dispatched · Topic
Operations
Operations is the daily mechanics of moving freight — freight types (dry van, reefer, flatbed, hot shot, hazmat, drayage), accessorials (detention, layover, TONU, lumper), dispatch versus self-dispatch, broker vetting, rate confirmations, BOL and POD paperwork, and the operational decisions that separate $1.80/mi operators from $2.40/mi operators. This topic covers freight type economics, broker relations, dispatch infrastructure, and the practical playbooks for reading rate cons and getting paid the accessorials you actually earned.
Glossary terms
- Accessorial Charges — Additional fees on a freight bill beyond the base line-haul rate — detention, lumper, layover, fuel surcharge, tolls, etc.
- All-In Rate — Combined rate per mile or per load that includes line-haul, fuel surcharge, and all accessorials in a single flat number.
- Backhaul — Return load picked up after delivering the outbound freight, converting an empty deadhead return into revenue.
- Broker Spread — The difference between what a shipper pays a freight broker and what the broker pays the carrier; the broker's gross margin on the load.
- Cost Per Mile — Total operating cost divided by total miles driven; the diagnostic metric that defines whether a lane or contract is profitable.
- Deadhead — Empty miles run without revenue freight, typically returning to home base or repositioning for the next load.
- Demurrage — Penalty charged by a steamship line or rail when an intermodal container is held beyond the free time at a port or terminal.
- Detention Pay — Compensation paid to a carrier when loading or unloading takes longer than the contractually free time (typically 2 hours).
- Dispatch Fee — Percentage of revenue paid to a dispatch service (often 5–10%) for finding loads, negotiating rates, and handling broker relationships.
- Dock Fee — Fee charged by a warehouse or distribution center for the use of dock space during loading or unloading; sometimes bundled into lumper.
- Drayage — Short-distance trucking, typically the first or last leg of an intermodal move, hauling containers between port/rail and warehouses or consignees.
- Dry Van — Standard enclosed trailer (53-foot box) for non-perishable, non-temperature-controlled freight; the most common trailer type in trucking.
- Expedited Freight — Time-sensitive freight requiring immediate or guaranteed delivery, typically using sprinters, straight trucks, or hot-shot setups for premium rates.
- Flatbed — Open trailer with no walls or roof, used for oversized, irregularly shaped, or top-loaded freight; requires tarping and load securement skills.
- Freight Class — NMFC-designated freight classification (50–500) that determines LTL pricing based on density, value, fragility, handling difficulty, and stowability.
- Fuel Surcharge — Variable line item on a freight bill adjusting compensation for fuel price fluctuations; calculated from the DOE national diesel price benchmark.
- Full Truckload — Freight that fills an entire trailer for a single shipper, typically over 10,000 lbs or by volume; the standard model for OTR carriers.
- Hazmat — Hazardous materials freight regulated by DOT under 49 CFR; requires specialized endorsement on CDL plus carrier-level hazmat permitting.
- Headhaul — The outbound or higher-paying direction in a lane pair; the primary load that drives the lane's economics.
- Hot-Shot Trucking — Time-sensitive freight hauled by light- or medium-duty pickups with goosenecks, typically Class 3–5 trucks running expedited LTL loads.
- Intermodal — Freight that travels in containers or trailers across multiple modes (truck + rail + ocean) without the freight itself being unloaded between modes.
- Layover — Compensation paid when a driver is required to wait overnight or longer at a pickup/delivery beyond normal turnaround time; typically $100–$250/day.
- Less-Than-Truckload — Freight model where carriers consolidate multiple shippers' loads into a single trailer; loads are typically 100–10,000 lbs and below truckload.
- Lumper Fee — Fee paid for third-party labor that unloads or loads a trailer at a warehouse or dock; common at grocery DCs and large retailers.
- Over-the-Road — Long-haul trucking covering significant distances, typically multi-state routes with drivers spending days or weeks away from home.
- Reefer — Refrigerated trailer (or the freight that requires temperature control); standard equipment for hauling produce, frozen goods, and pharma.
- Revenue Per Mile — Total revenue divided by total miles driven; the headline number quoted in spot-market and contract pricing, but only meaningful when compared to CPM.
- Truck Order Not Used — Compensation paid to a carrier when a load is cancelled after the truck is dispatched but before pickup; partial payment for the trip.
- Weight Ticket — Documented certified weight measurement of a loaded truck from a certified scale (CAT scale, public weigh station, or shipper scale).
Blog posts
- Dispatch services vs self-dispatch: the trade-off — Paying 5-10% of gross to a dispatch service feels like a real cost — and it is. The question is whether self-dispatch saves money once you account for the time and skill required.
- Factoring contract walk-through: what every line actually means — Factoring contracts are 15-30 pages of boilerplate. The same 12 sections appear in every one. Here's what each section means — and the clauses that actually decide whether the deal is good or bad.
- How to read a freight broker rate confirmation — Brokers send rate confirmations with the dollar amount front and center. The actual profitability of the load lives in the fine print. Here's what to look for.
- How to vet a freight broker before booking the load — Most carrier-broker disputes start with brokers you shouldn't have booked with in the first place. Here's the 5-minute vetting framework before you accept a load.
- Insurance claim filing for owner-operators: a step-by-step playbook — When you're at an accident scene or just discovered cargo damage, the next 48 hours determine the outcome. Here's the step-by-step process every owner-operator should know cold.
- IRP and IFTA: the survival guide — IRP and IFTA reporting are where new owner-operators lose money to fines and audit assessments. Here's the mechanic of how each one works — and how to stay compliant without losing time.
- Roadside inspection survival guide for owner-operators — Roadside inspections happen. They're not arbitrary — and the difference between a Level 1 inspection that goes well and one that produces an out-of-service order often comes down to preparation.
- The 90-day CSA improvement playbook — Bad CSA scores didn't appear overnight — but they don't have to take 24 months to improve, either. Here's the 90-day plan that moves the needle on the BASIC that hurts you most.
- The new-authority Year 1 compliance calendar — The first year of operating authority is full of compliance deadlines that aren't always obvious. Miss one — UCR, MCS-150 update, IFTA filing, insurance renewal — and the MC# deactivates. Here's the month-by-month calendar that keeps you compliant.
- Understanding CSA scores: what they actually mean for your operation — CSA scores drive insurance pricing, broker relationships, and lender risk assessment. Most operators don't know what their percentiles actually mean. Here's the breakdown.
- What to do when your MC# is deactivated — MC# deactivation is a revenue-stopping event. Here's the playbook: what causes it, how to fix it fast, and what your factoring company and lenders will do.
Research reports
- State of Broker Relations 2026 — Annual report on broker payment terms, broker credit health, and the carrier-broker relationship in 2026.
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This topic page indexes everything Dispatched has published on operations. If you are ready to move on financing, factoring, or insurance, start the matching flow.