LoadHoller
POST 01 / BETTER RATES

A higher paying loads dispatcher starts from your floor, not the posting

Every dispatcher says they get higher paying loads. Here's what that should actually mean: a load is only higher paying if it beats your own floor rate once the empty miles and the hours are counted. A $3.10 posting with 200 miles of deadhead and a six-hour wait can pay less than a $2.40 load that runs clean.

So that's where our desk starts. We help you build your floor from your real costs, read every posting for the all-in rate, and counter above that floor on every load. We won't promise you a rate increase, because no honest dispatcher can. We'll show you the math on every load instead.

Book loads above my floor
  • Every load countered
  • No promised increases
  • 5% of gross
  • You approve every load
POST 02 / COUNTER LADDER

Put your floor and a broker's offer on the ladder

Set your floor rate, the lowest all-in rate per mile you'll run, and your target. Then enter a broker's offer. The ladder shows where the offer lands between the two and what the gap is per load and per mile.

Your floor comes from your costs. Add up what the truck costs per mile to run, fixed costs spread over your miles plus fuel, maintenance and tires, then add the margin you need to pay yourself and save for repairs. That's the number nothing should go under without a very good reason, like a short load that repositions you into a strong market.

Your target is what you counter toward. On most loads, the counter opens above the target and settles somewhere between the target and the floor. The counter-offer calculator works out both numbers from your cost per mile, margin and the empty miles to the pickup.

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POST 03 / WHERE HIGHER RATES HIDE

Where a better week usually comes from

Higher rates rarely come from one magic load. They come from a lot of small things done every time, and most of them are hidden in the details of a posting.

  • Accessorials. Detention, layover, stop pay, tarp pay, inside delivery. Asked for in writing on every load, they add up over a month.
  • Less deadhead. The same rate over fewer empty miles is a higher rate. Planning the reload before delivery is the cheapest raise there is.
  • Timing. Freight that has to move today, late in the day or before a weekend often pays more. Being ready and close is half the battle.
  • Lanes. Loads into strong markets lead to better reloads. Loads into weak ones can cost the next two days. We price the pair, not the single.
  • Payment terms. A slightly lower rate with a broker who pays in a week can be worth more than a higher one paid in 60 days.
  • Freight type. Some freight pays more for good reasons: tougher handling, tighter windows, special equipment. Our guide to the highest paying freight covers what's worth chasing.
POST 04 / HOW WE COUNTER

How a counter actually goes on our desk

Countering isn't arguing. It's giving the broker a number with a reason, and being ready to walk away when the number doesn't work. Here's the order we use.

First, we know the all-in rate per mile on the posting and your floor, so we know the walk-away number before we dial. Second, we open above your target with a reason the broker can repeat to their customer: the empty miles to the pickup, the wait at the shipper, the market at the delivery. Third, we listen. If the broker comes up, we look at where it lands. If they won't move and it's under your floor, we say thank you and keep looking.

What we don't do is book under your floor to keep a truck moving and tell you later. If the best we can get is under your floor, the load comes to you with that number and why, and you decide. Our guide on how to negotiate freight rates explains the same method if you'd rather do it yourself.

POST 05 / MARKET CONTEXT

What the market can and can't tell you

National rate averages tell you which way things are moving. They don't tell you what your lane pays this week or whether a load clears your costs. When we cite market figures, they come from named public sources with a date on them, and we treat them as context, not targets.

The most useful rate history is your own. Track the all-in rate on every load you haul for a few months and you'll know which lanes clear your floor, which only work with a good reload and which to stop chasing. Our weekly report does that for you.

Over a few months, that record also tells you where to push. If one lane keeps clearing your target easily, the counter on that lane can open higher. If another barely clears your floor every time, it may be time to stop chasing it and look for a better lane nearby.

POST 06 / WHAT WE WON'T PROMISE

What we won't promise you

You'll see dispatchers advertising a set amount of extra money per week, or a guaranteed rate per mile. We don't, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Rates depend on the market, your lanes, your equipment and the week. Nobody controls those.

What we can promise is process: every load read for its all-in rate, every broker checked, every load countered from your floor, accessorials asked for in writing, and reloads planned before you deliver. Over time, that process is what tends to move the numbers. Your weekly report shows whether it's working, load by load, so you can judge it on facts rather than claims.

If after a few months the numbers don't show the fee paying for itself, you can leave with 30 days notice. That's the only guarantee that means anything.

And if a dispatcher's pitch leans on a number instead of a method, ask them to show you how they'd counter one of your recent loads. The answer tells you more than any advertised figure.

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POST 07 / THE FEE

What it costs, against what it has to beat

5% of the gross on loads you haul for one truck with authority 6 months or older, 7% for an MC under 6 months, 26 ft box trucks and hotshots, 4% for two or more trucks while the fleet rate lasts.

No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month. The fee has to be earned back by better loads, less deadhead and your hours returned, and the fee breakdown shows exactly what it is in cents per mile.

POST 08 / STRAIGHT ANSWERS

Better freight rates: common questions

What is a good rate per mile right now?
Check a dated public source for the current national picture, then ignore it for decision-making. A good rate is one that clears your own cost per mile plus your margin, counted on all miles including deadhead, on your lane this week. That number is different for every truck.
How do I set my floor rate?
Add up your cost per mile: fixed costs like the truck payment and insurance spread over your monthly miles, plus fuel, maintenance and tires per mile. Add the margin you need to pay yourself and save. That's your floor. Our cost per mile and counter-offer calculators do the math.
Should I counter every load?
Almost always. Posted rates often have room, and a polite counter with a reason rarely loses a load. The exceptions are loads already above your target from brokers you trust, or a time-critical load where speed matters more than a few dollars. Know your floor before you call.
What is a good rate per mile?
One that beats your floor rate on all miles driven, including the empty miles to the pickup, and makes sense for the hours the load takes. A $3.00 posting can be a $2.20 load once deadhead and waiting are counted. Judge loads on all-in rate, not posted rate.
YOUR POSTING

Test a posting against your floor.

Type in the lane, the loaded and empty miles and the offer. The card shows the all-in rate and whether to take it, counter or pass. If you'd rather have a desk do this on every load, the application takes about two minutes.

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