How to Know if Your Dispatcher is Helping or Hurting Your Business

Introduction

Owner-operators and small fleet owners know how fast things can fall apart without the right support. Your dispatcher is supposed to be the one keeping your wheels turning, but what happens when the person meant to help starts costing you money, time, or peace of mind?

Let’s break down how to tell if your dispatcher is pulling their weight—or just pulling you back.

Are You Sitting More Than You Should Be?

A good dispatcher’s job is to minimize downtime. If you’re sitting for more than a day between loads (especially during the week), something’s off. Yes, slow markets happen, but sitting for days while others are moving? That’s a red flag.

Ask yourself:

• Are they giving you clear reasons why you're waiting?
• Are they showing you options?
• Do they adjust to your preferences or keep feeding you junk freight?

If the answer’s no, it’s time to ask why.

Do You Get a Say in Your Loads?

You should always have final say. Period. A dispatcher who books without asking, pressures you to take loads, or gets defensive when you reject something doesn’t respect the fact that it’s your truck, your business, and your risk.

Here’s what a healthy load process looks like:

• They send you the rate, miles, pickup/drop details
• You approve or reject it without drama
• They adjust based on your feedback

Anything else? That’s not a partnership—it’s a liability.

How Are the Rates?

If you keep hearing “that’s just what the market’s paying” every time you see a weak offer, that’s not a dispatcher—it’s an excuse machine.

Yes, rates vary. No, you won’t win every negotiation. But a strong dispatcher:

• Knows how to push back with brokers
• Understands what freight is hot and what’s not
• Fights for every dollar because they know what you need to stay profitable

If you’re constantly moving for break-even numbers, it might not be the market—it might be your dispatch.

Are They Organized With Paperwork and Broker Setups?

Late rate cons, missing BOLs, repeated setup packets—this stuff slows you down and affects payment. A good dispatcher makes your day smoother, not messier.

Things they should be doing:

• Completing broker setups without asking you to resend everything twice
• Sending clean, complete rate confirmations
• Following up quickly on load problems or detention
• Organizing and submitting paperwork on time for payment

If you’re doing most of the back office work yourself, what are you paying for?

Do They Communicate or Disappear?

Silence kills trust. If you have to chase your dispatcher down every time you need help, you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t value your time.

A good dispatcher:

• Checks in regularly during the day
• Answers calls or texts quickly (especially when you’re loaded)
• Lets you know in advance if a load is late, cancelled, or changed
• Updates you on new options without waiting for you to ask

You don’t need someone who talks 24/7—you need someone who shows up when it matters.

Do They Care About Your Preferences and Goals?

This one’s big. Some dispatchers treat every carrier the same—same brokers, same lanes, same routine. But every truck is different. You might want to run long-haul during the week and be home by Friday. Maybe you prefer the Midwest and avoid the East Coast.

Whatever your goals, your dispatcher should be tailoring loads around them—not trying to force you into someone else’s mold.

Look for someone who:

• Asks about your ideal lanes
• Understands your time constraints
• Remembers what you don’t want
• Plans ahead based on your pattern

If they’re not building your plan, they’re wasting your time.

Are You Making Money—or Just Staying Busy?

The point of having a dispatcher isn’t just to stay loaded—it’s to stay profitable. You can run five loads a week and still come up short if the dispatcher is chasing cheap freight and ignoring deadhead, fuel, or layover time.

Track your numbers. If your average weekly gross hasn’t improved—or worse, it’s gone down—your dispatcher might be hurting more than helping.

A solid dispatcher:

• Plans loads that pay well and make sense logistically
• Fights for accessorial pay when needed (detention, layover, TONU)
• Keeps your ELD clock in mind, not just the load board

What’s Their Attitude Like When Things Go Wrong?

Loads fall through. Delays happen. Drivers get tired. Freight isn’t perfect. But how your dispatcher responds in those moments tells you everything.

The wrong kind:

• Disappears
• Blames you
• Pushes you to “just take it”

The right kind:

• Jumps into action
• Updates brokers fast
• Keeps you in the loop
• Tries to recover the situation

Bottom line: You want someone in your corner, not someone adding to your stress.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Settle for “Okay”

A lot of drivers put up with bad dispatching because they think that’s just the way it is. It’s not.

At Lot Pros, we work with one or two carriers per dispatcher—on purpose. You get full attention, steady loads, and fast communication. No BS. No fluff. Just dispatching done right.

If your current dispatcher checks more bad boxes than good, it might be time to make a change.

Want to talk to someone who actually gives a damn about your truck?
Reach out to Lot Pros today and let’s talk.