LoadHoller
POST 01 / DEDICATED LANES

Dedicated lane dispatch, without the promise nobody can keep

Every owner-operator wants the same thing eventually: a lane you run every week, with a rate you know, that gets you home when you planned. That's what people mean by dedicated lanes for owner operators. It's a good goal, and it's reachable for a lot of carriers.

What it isn't is something a dispatcher can hand you on day one. Repeat lanes are earned with the same brokers and shippers over weeks of on-time, no-drama loads. Our dedicated lane dispatch works toward that on purpose, from the first load, and tells you honestly where you stand along the way.

Build my lanes
  • No day-one promises
  • You approve every load
  • 5% of gross
  • No setup fee
POST 02 / LANE BUILDING BOARD

Eight weeks on one lane: from spot loads to a quoted rate

Here's how a repeat lane usually gets built, shown as an EXAMPLE eight weeks on a Dallas to Memphis lane. The loads and rates are made up. The steps, and the conditions at each one, are how it really goes.

  • EXAMPLE

    WEEKS 1-2 SPOT

    Run the lane on spot freight

    We book the best spot loads on the lane from several brokers. EXAMPLE: $1,150, $1,080 and $1,200 for about 450 miles. Every one is on time with clean check calls.

  • EXAMPLE

    WEEKS 3-4 REPEAT BROKER

    One broker keeps calling

    One broker has freight on this lane most weeks and likes how the loads went. They start offering loads before posting them. EXAMPLE: $1,150 each time, a little steadier.

  • EXAMPLE

    WEEKS 5-6 SAME SHIPPER

    The same shipper, every week

    The repeat loads turn out to come from one shipper. The broker asks if you can cover it Tuesday and Thursday. We confirm it fits your home time before you say yes.

  • EXAMPLE

    WEEKS 7-8 LANE RATE

    A quoted lane rate

    The broker offers a set rate for the lane for the next quarter. EXAMPLE: $1,175 per load, two loads a week. Conditions in writing: volumes can change, either side can stop.

    get it in writing

Notice what made it happen: not a phone call to the right person, but eight weeks of reliable service on the same lane. Not every lane gets that far. Some shippers move freight only in bursts, and some brokers never commit to a rate. But a desk that keeps putting you on the same lanes with the same brokers gives it the best chance.

POST 03 / WHAT A DEDICATED LANE REALLY IS

Contract lane, repeat spot or true dedicated: know which one you have

People use "dedicated lane" for three different things, and they're not equally safe. It's worth knowing which one you're looking at before you plan your year around it.

  • Repeat spot. The same broker gives you loads on the same lane most weeks, at spot rates that can change any week. Common, useful, not guaranteed.
  • Contract or lane rate. A broker or shipper agrees to a set rate for a lane for a period, often with expected volumes. Better for planning, but volumes usually aren't promised and either side can usually end it.
  • True dedicated. A shipper commits a set amount of freight to your truck, often with a minimum weekly pay or volume. Rare for single owner-operators, more common for fleets with a track record.

Our guide on what a dedicated lane is in trucking goes deeper into the differences and what to read in a lane agreement. The short version: read the volume and termination terms. A lane rate with no volume commitment is a nice rate, not a dedicated lane.

POST 04 / HOW WE WORK TOWARD IT

What our desk does to turn loads into lanes

  • Pick the lane on purpose. We look at lanes near your home base where freight moves both ways, using your own load history and the public data we track. A lane that's only good one direction is hard to make repeat.
  • Stay with the brokers who perform. Brokers who pay on time and treat you well get your truck again. Those relationships are where repeat freight comes from.
  • Protect the reputation. On-time pickups, clean check calls, signed paperwork the same day. Repeat lanes are offered to carriers who make a broker's week easier.
  • Ask at the right time. After several clean loads with one broker, we ask whether the freight is regular and whether they'll quote a lane rate.
  • Read the terms. Volume, rate period, fuel surcharge, termination. You see every term before you agree, and you can always say no.

Our guide to freight lanes explains headhaul and backhaul markets, which decide whether a lane can work both ways.

POST 05 / THE TRADE-OFF

The honest trade-off with a dedicated lane

A steady lane trades some upside for predictability. When spot rates spike, a lane rate set three months ago can look low. When the market goes soft, the same lane rate looks great. Many carriers keep a mix: a repeat lane or two for the base of the week, plus spot loads to fill the rest and catch the good weeks.

We'll help you decide how much of your week to commit. A lane that gets you home every weekend may be worth a few cents a mile to you. A lane that keeps you on the road through your kid's birthday probably isn't. Those are your numbers to set, and we plan around them.

One more thing to read in any lane rate: fuel. A lane rate set when diesel is cheap can turn thin when it climbs, unless it includes a fuel surcharge that moves with the price. Ask whether the rate is all-in or linehaul plus a fuel surcharge, and how the surcharge is calculated. We put that question to the broker before any lane rate reaches you.

POST 06 / YOUR CALL

Even on a lane, every load is your call

A repeat lane doesn't change the rule. Each load on the lane still comes to you with the rate, the stops and the terms. If the broker changes the pickup day or the rate, you hear it before you're committed. The broker sends each rate confirmation straight to you, and you sign it.

That matters more on a lane than on spot freight, because lane terms drift. A rate set in spring can quietly shrink, or a two-load week can become three without the extra pay. Seeing every load first is how you notice.

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POST 07 / THE FEE

Same fee on lane freight and spot freight

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, and 4% for two or more trucks while the fleet rate lasts. The fee is the same whether a load is spot or part of a repeat lane.

No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month. See the fee breakdown for the full math.

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POST 08 / STRAIGHT ANSWERS

Dedicated lanes for owner operators: questions

What is a dedicated lane in trucking?
A lane you run repeatedly for the same customer, usually between the same two areas, with steady freight and often a set rate. In practice the term covers everything from repeat spot loads with one broker to true dedicated freight with committed volume. Read the terms to know which one you have.
Can a dispatcher get me a dedicated lane?
Not on day one, and be wary of anyone who promises it. A dispatcher can put you on the same lanes with the same brokers, keep your service clean and ask for lane rates when the freight is regular. Repeat lanes come from that record, not from a single phone call.
How long does it take to build a lane?
It varies. Some repeat broker freight shows up within a few weeks of steady service on a lane, and a quoted lane rate can take a couple of months or longer. Some lanes never get there, because the freight is seasonal or bursty. We'll tell you honestly what we're seeing.
How do owner-operators get dedicated lanes?
By running the same lanes reliably for the same brokers and shippers, keeping paperwork and check calls clean, and asking for lane rates once the freight is clearly regular. Working lanes near home base that move freight both ways makes it much more likely.

WANTED

Carriers who want lanes, not just loads.

5% standard, 7% new authority, 4% fleets. No haul, no pay.

Build my lanes