Truckers' patience is tested regularly by mindless 4-wheelers, rude consignees, and other truckers who leave their rigs on the fuel island. Time away from loved ones can be tough and truck maintenance can be costly. The business side of things is not much easier. To make matters worse, starting a carrier requires a lot of capital and registrations. Using an independent dispatcher can lighten the load.
Dispatchers frequently know all the ins and outs required to get a trucking authority. Sure, you can go to LegalZoom and figure stuff out but you will waste a lot of time and you may end up heading down a wrong path that will cost you a lot of money and more time to fix. Some independent dispatchers have expertise like a third-party compliance company but not all dispatchers do. From setting up a legal entity through registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), they know all the details without the high costs of lawyers. Few people have fun reading the FMCSA's Getting Started with Registration.
Earning the trust of a factoring company or broker is not easy for most new entrants. Independent dispatchers can leverage their relationships to help drivers get going.
Owner-operators are self-starters by definition. They are the type of folks who bet on themselves to win and have been rewarded for doing so. That makes it easy to stay self-reliant. Not every load needs to be shouldered without help.
Access to load boards costs hundreds of dollars monthly. Instead of five drivers each paying those fees, one dispatcher can pay it once and share the benefits across five drivers. And in doing so, the dispatcher can join even more load boards to expand their reach further than just one driver.
Having someone you can trust will get you further than going it alone. We are human and we make mistakes. Road conditions change rapidly. Truck malfunctions occur with little or no warning. The unexpected will happen and when it does, an independent dispatcher is there to help problem solve with you.
Whether it comes to finding roadside assistance or last-mile directions, drivers do not have to be alone. And even if they can do it alone, having a second set of eyes helps avoid human error. Keeping the rig moving is vital and anything that helps keep the wheels turning is hard to ignore.
Like all things in life, you pay for what you get. Self-dispatching saves money but costs you time, which is money. And time is the resource that starts burning the second you are born. Instead of thinking of an independent dispatcher as a 5% - 12% cost per load, consider thinking of it as a teammate you can trust. Independent dispatchers do not have to replace your skills, they can complement your skills. Furthermore, you gain access to the leverage they have from their supporting multiple drivers.
Only you can decide how to spend your time and money. And only you know the true worth of your skills and the value of your time. Independent dispatchers can change the balance of that equation. The challenge is finding someone you can trust. If you'd like help in finding that partner, reach out to Truck Driver Power (TDP) (contact@truckdriverpower.com).
