Is percentage or flat rate dispatch cheaper?

It depends entirely on your weekly gross. Percentage costs less when your gross is lower or variable, because you pay nothing in a week you don't run. Flat rate wins once you're grossing consistently — at a 6% fee and a $300 flat rate, the break-even is $5,000 of weekly linehaul.

How do I know if a dispatcher is worth the fee?

Divide their weekly fee by your loaded miles and add it to the rate per mile you were achieving yourself. That's the number they have to beat consistently. If they can't, they're costing you money no matter how low their percentage is. Run the comparison after four weeks with any dispatcher.

What percentage do truck dispatchers charge?

Published 2026 US market figures put dispatch fees at 5% to 10% of gross linehaul, with 6% to 8% most common, or flat weekly fees of roughly $250 to $650 per truck. Rates vary by equipment — dry van at the lower end, flatbed and specialised at the top.

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Dispatch fee calculator

Everyone shops dispatchers on percentage. It's the wrong number. This shows you the right one — the rate per loaded mile a dispatcher has to beat before they've earned their fee.

Free tool

Percentage or flat weekly?

Two dispatchers can charge very different percentages and the cheaper one can still cost you more. This compares both fee models at your actual gross, and shows what a dispatcher has to add to your rate before they pay for themselves.

Weekly gross linehaul ($)

Dispatch percentage (%)

Flat weekly fee ($)

Weeks you run per year

Loaded miles per week

Your self-booked rate ($/mile)

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Comparison

Percentage — per week—

Percentage — per year—

Flat — per week—

Flat — per year—

Break-even weekly gross—

Rate a dispatcher must beat— Per loaded mile, to cover the fee and leave you even.

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What the last number means

If your dispatcher can't consistently book you above that rate per loaded mile, they are costing you money regardless of how low their percentage is. Ask any dispatcher — including us — to be measured against it after four weeks.

See our published rates

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