Everything you need to know about truck dispatch with NorthLink.
Most drivers are booked on their first load within 24–48 hours of onboarding. We just need your authority, insurance, and a signed dispatch agreement to get started.
Never. All plans are month-to-month with no long-term commitment. Pause, switch tiers, or cancel anytime with no penalty.
Dispatch starts at 5% per load, depending on the plan you choose. No hidden fees, setup costs, or monthly minimums — you only pay when you're earning.
Box truck, dry van, reefer, power only, hotshot, and flatbed/step deck. Whatever you drive, we have lanes and brokers ready.
Yes. Rate confirmations, broker packet setups, carrier packets, and all back-office paperwork are handled by us.
We follow up with the broker on your behalf according to their payment policies and keep you updated, so you're not left chasing invoices yourself.
Click "Contact Us," fill out the short intake form, and a dispatcher will reach out within a few hours to get your onboarding started.
A truck dispatch service handles the back office work for a carrier. It searches for freight, discusses rates with brokers, sends you rate confirmations, and manages the load paperwork from pickup through delivery. The dispatcher acts for the carrier, not the shipper.
Dispatch support reduces the hours spent on the phone and on load boards. It organizes paperwork, manages broker calls, and helps keep your week planned. That frees up time to drive and to manage the business side of things.
Yes. A load board is a posting service where you search for freight yourself. A dispatcher does the searching and negotiating for you, and stays with the load through delivery. You can use both, and many carriers do.
A freight broker works for the shipper and takes a margin between what the shipper pays and what the carrier receives. A dispatcher works for the carrier and represents the carrier's lane and rate preferences in every discussion.
Having your operating authority details, insurance information, equipment description, current location, preferred lanes, and availability ready makes setup smoother. We will tell you exactly what we need when we speak.
We support box trucks, hotshots, dry vans, flatbeds, step decks, reefers, and power only equipment. Each has its own service page with details on how dispatch works for that equipment.
Yes. Your preferred lanes are a primary filter when we search for freight. Share the regions you want to run and the ones you want to avoid so the loads we find match where you want to be.
An owner operator should look beyond the gross rate and consider the full trip. Deadhead distance, loaded miles, pickup and delivery windows, equipment requirements, operating costs, home time, and your position for the next load all affect whether a load makes sense. The section above explains each of those factors in detail.
Standard box truck (lift-gate preferred but not required). Any working refrigeration unit qualifies if labeled as reefer-ready.
Yes. Once we identify profitable repeat routes—such as Tuesday/Wednesday between Cleveland and Pittsburgh—we lock those into your profile for consistent delivery.
We have fallback options listed in your area. If none exist, we alert you with alternatives and track any cancellations for future renegotiations.
Absolutely. You control all licensing. We simply act as your operational partner.
Typically within 12 hours. Morning updates go out daily at 5 AM in your local timezone.
We analyze five critical profit-killing factors before showing you any option: your current location and deadhead costs, true deadhead cost (fuel/tolls divided by total miles), loaded-mile efficiency, equipment match (axel ratings, trailer type, commodity restrictions), dock-window reality, home-time impact, and next-load magnetism. We never show loads that violate your truck’s legal limits or push home arrivals beyond your requirements.
Over the last 30 days we’ve secured live lanes including: Dallas→Waco (ag equipment, $2.00/mile, no deadhead), Houston→Beaumont (pipe haul, $2.30/mile, drop-and-hook), San Antonio→Laredo (produce, $1.85/mile, reefer optional), Fort Worth→Midland (oilfield supplies, $2.45/mile, hazmat required), and Austin→Corpus Christi (building materials, $2.20/mile, live unload). Rates reflect current spot market and your actual pay depends on equipment specs and negotiation timing.
Our flow is built around how you actually operate: you share your truck specs (under 4 minutes), we show 3–5 vetted options matching your exact configuration (not a dump of 150 irrelevant posts), you decide with zero pressure, we handle all admin (rate confirmation, broker calls, carrier packet assembly, one clean PDF to sign), and you get real-time tracking with proactive detention-claim filing if shippers delay you.
Our dispatchers live in these markets and know the real pain points: Dallas North Tollway
Standard Dispatch: Solo operator tired of load-board hunting—load search, broker negotiation, rate confirmation, basic GPS tracking. Premium Dispatch: Operator with 2–3 trucks seeking steady growth—all Standard features plus wider load access, detention alerts, weekly profit/loss snapshot. Full Service Dispatch: Fleet owner (4+ trucks) needing scale—all Premium features plus dedicated lane manager, custom broker development, and monthly business review. Over 78% of our 33-40ft hotshot clients choose Premium Dispatch for the load volume to keep trucks profitable without paying for fleet features they don’t need.
We factor everything into the net rate: load revenue, deadhead fuel/tolls, operating costs (fuel
Your exact trailer length (48ft or 53ft), current ZIP, preferred lanes, any weight/cube constraints, and home-time requirements. That’s it—we handle the rest.
We filter pickups within 35 miles of your GPS, and we calculate true net profit as: (Load Rate - Deadhead Fuel/Tolls - Other Costs) ÷ Loaded Miles. No surprises at the end of the week.
Current active lanes include Dallas↔Oklahoma City (wheat/grain), Houston↔San Antonio (produce/food), Fort Worth↔Austin (construction materials), Austin↔Corpus Christi (chemical/industrial), and Dallas↔Laredo (cross‑border freight).
Every load suggestion includes your required home time (e.g., “must be home Saturday by 5 PM”). We only show options that align with your personal schedule—never push loads that push you into the next week.
We confirm who books appointments and build in buffers for urban delays. If the shipper holds you, we proactively file detention claims so you can focus on driving.
Before we ever show you a load, we check dock dimensions, freight class, axle ratings, and any commodity restrictions against your exact trailer specs—ensuring legal, profitable hauls.
No long‑term contracts, no startup fees, no hidden obligations. You only pay for the service plan you choose—no catch‑all agreements.
Generic dispatch blasts every van onto load boards, treating 48ft and 53ft trailers the same. We target lanes where your exact trailer length is the industry standard—matching your equipment to the right freight before you even see the load.
Standard: Solo operators—basic load search, broker negotiation, rate confirmation, GPS tracking. Premium: 2‑5 trucks—everything in Standard plus wider lane access, detention alerts, weekly profit/loss snapshot. Full Service: 6+ trucks—dedicated lane manager, custom broker development, monthly business review.
Still have questions?
Our team is available Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm EST. We're happy to help.