Truck dispatch fees explained: percentage or flat fee?
How much do truck dispatchers charge? Percentage vs flat weekly fees, what's normal for semis, box trucks and hotshots, and how to pick the cheaper option.
The two ways dispatchers charge
Percentage: a share of each load's gross rate, so you pay more only when you earn more. Flat weekly fee: one price per week no matter how much you gross, so it's cheaper in big weeks.What's normal
Dispatch services commonly charge 5–8% per load for semis and 8–10% for box trucks and hotshots, or about $250–350 per week as a flat fee. We start at 4% or $250 a week for semis and power only, and 8% or $300 a week for box trucks and hotshots.
Which one costs less?
Divide the weekly fee by the percentage. At 4%, a $250 weekly fee breaks even at $6,250 gross. Gross more than that in a week and the flat fee is cheaper; gross less and the percentage is cheaper. Our pricing page does this math for your truck.
Watch out for
- Setup fees and long contracts
- Forced dispatch: being pushed into loads you didn't approve
- Dispatchers who take money from brokers too: they should work only for you
Dispatch from 4%, or run under our authority from 15%.
Quick answers
What is a good dispatch fee for a semi?
Many charge 5–8%. With us it's 4% or $250 a week.
Do I pay in weeks I don't run?
Not with us. Flat fees are charged only for weeks you haul a load we booked.
More guides: Loads with a new MC · Lease on vs own MC
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