Link 01Dry van
Dry van dispatch service that reads the terms, not just the rate
Van freight is everywhere, and so are van trucks chasing it. When every broker is offering similar numbers, the money is in the lines under the rate: payment days, quick pay fees, when detention starts, who pays the lumper. Our dry van dispatch service reads those lines before an offer reaches you.
Try it: put in two offers on the same lane. Change the hours you expect to sit at the dock, switch quick pay on or off, and watch which one actually leaves more in your account, and when.
EXAMPLE: two van offers, same lane
Assumes the broker pays detention as written and quick pay lands in 2 days. Dispatch fee shown on the line-haul rate.
Link 02Where van freight comes from
Where dry van freight comes from for a small carrier
Brokers
Most van loads a one to ten truck carrier can reach come through brokers. Large shippers tend to sign contracts with big asset carriers and hand overflow, surge and hard lanes to brokers. That's the freight you see on boards and get offered by phone.
Shippers, indirectly
Retail distribution centers, food and beverage plants, paper and packaging, manufacturing parts. As a dispatcher we never deal with shippers directly, but knowing who ships what out of a city tells us where your van can reload after a drop.
The calendar
Van demand moves with retail stocking, holidays, produce season pulling capacity into reefers, and month-end and quarter-end pushes. We don't forecast markets, but we plan around the patterns your lanes show week to week.
Because so much van freight is brokered, the broker you pick decides a lot: how fast you're paid, whether detention is honored, whether a missed check call costs you a fine. Our guide on how long freight brokers take to pay explains what stated terms mean in practice and what to do when a payment runs late.
What makes a van carrier the one brokers call first
With so many vans available, brokers remember the carriers who make their day easier. That means answering the phone, arriving inside the appointment window, sending updates before anyone asks, and getting the signed POD over the same day. It also means a clean trailer with no holes or leaks, working door seals, load locks or straps on board, and a driver who checks the seal number against the paperwork. None of that shows up on a load board, but it decides who gets the next load on a lane without it ever being posted. We keep those habits visible to brokers on your behalf, load after load.
Link 03The terms that move your net
The terms that move your net more than the rate does
Quick pay
Many brokers offer to pay in a few days for a percentage of the invoice. Whether it's worth it depends on the fee, your cash position and whether you factor. A higher rate with a quick pay fee can lose to a lower rate on short terms. We show you both before you choose.
Detention triggers
Two hours free then an hourly rate is common, but not universal. Some rate cons cap detention, some require a call before the free time ends, and some say nothing. Nothing in writing usually means nothing paid. Estimate your own with the detention pay calculator.
Lumpers
Grocery and retail receivers often require paid unloading. The rate con should say who pays and how: a payment code at the dock or reimbursement against your receipt. Without that line you can end up fronting the cost and waiting weeks to get it back.
Appointment rules
Late fees, missed appointment fines and rework charges hide in the fine print. A rate con that fines you for a receiver's rescheduling, or charges for a late check call, can wipe out a better rate. We push to strike or soften those before you confirm.
How we negotiate the terms, not just the number
When a broker offers a van load, we counter on the rate first, then work down the list: detention start time and hourly amount, TONU if the load cancels after you're dispatched, lumper payment method, and payment terms. If the broker won't move on rate, a shorter payment term or a waived quick pay fee can be worth just as much. If a rate con arrives with a fine or clause that wasn't discussed, we call before you sign and get it corrected or flag it so you can decide. You see the final terms, in writing, before anything is yours to sign.
Link 04What the desk does for a van
What our desk does for a dry van, load after load
A van can haul almost anything that fits and stays dry, which means it competes with almost every other van. The edge comes from planning, not luck. Before you deliver, we already know what ships out of that area for a van, which brokers pay well on those lanes and how far you'd deadhead to reach the good ones.
Backhaul planning is where most of the gain is. A strong headhaul into a weak market can leave you sitting or deadheading a long way. Sometimes the smarter week starts with a slightly lower first load that drops you where van freight is moving.
Drop and hook vs live loads
Drop and hook usually means less time at the dock and steadier hours, but it requires a trailer pool you can access. Live loads and live unloads can mean hours of waiting. We note which is which on every offer and price the wait into our negotiation, asking for detention terms that match the real risk.
Everything else on the list
Broker checks before every offer, packets sent only to brokers who pass, check calls so brokers stop calling you, appointment changes, POD and invoice matching, written reminders when a payment runs past terms, and a weekly report with every load and fee. The full flow is on how we work.
Van checks before you confirm
Is the load floor-loaded or palletized, and who loads it? Is it a 53 ft trailer requirement or will a 48 ft work? Does the shipper require load bars, straps or a specific seal? Is it food grade, and does the receiver inspect the trailer? Are there multiple stops, and is each one paid? Is a driver assist or unload expected? We ask those questions up front so the surprise doesn't happen at the dock with the clock running.
Link 05A van week
Build a van week and watch the reloads line up
Drag the EXAMPLE van loads into the week. A Chicago, Columbus, Charlotte, Atlanta loop holds together with short deadheads. Swap in Atlanta to Dallas for more money on one load and see what it does to the rest of the week.
This is the decision we make with you every few days: the best single load, or the best week.
Plan the week
EXAMPLEMon
Chicago to Columbus
355 mi · DH 15 · $1,050
Tue
Columbus to Charlotte
420 mi · DH 20 · $1,200
Wed
Thu
Fri
Offers not booked
Charlotte to Atlanta
245 mi · DH 10 · $780
Atlanta to Chicago
715 mi · DH 25 · $1,900
Atlanta to Dallas
781 mi · DH 30 · $1,650
Charlotte to Chicago
760 mi · DH 15 · $1,750
- Loaded mi
- 775
- Deadhead
- 35
- All-in RPM
- $2.78
- Gross
- $2,250
- Fee (5%)
- $113
- Net after $1.65/mi costs
- $801
Link 06Fee and questions
What dry van dispatch costs
No special van pricing and no extras. The same three tiers apply to every truck type, as a percentage of the rate con gross on loads that deliver. Full details on what we charge.
7%
MC under 6 months
of the rate con gross, any truck type
5%
MC 6+ months, 1 truck
of the rate con gross, any truck type
4%
MC 6+ months, 2+ trucks
of the rate con gross, any truck type
Every load still follows the same flow: we find and negotiate it, check the broker, and send it to you. You confirm or say no. The broker sends the rate con straight to you, you sign it, and the broker pays you or your factor directly. Ready? Apply for dry van dispatch.
Your first week with us starts with one call: your floor rate per mile, the lanes you like, home time, and brokers you trust or refuse. We update your packet, line up setups in your lanes and start sending offers. Within the first weeks you'll see which brokers pay on time and which lanes hold up, all in your weekly report.
Dry van dispatch: common questions
Questions carriers ask
How much does dry van dispatch cost?
What does a dry van dispatcher do?
Is dry van freight mostly brokered?
How do you handle lumper fees?
Will you push me into cheap van loads?
Can I approve loads from my phone?
Keep the van loaded on terms you'd sign
We read the payment days, detention and lumper lines before the offer reaches you.
- Rate con, sent to you$2,150
- Pickup, delivery, POD
- Broker pays you$2,150
- Our fee (5%)-$107.50
- You keep$2,042.50