When it comes to a trucking business, it helps to have a competent dispatcher choose the best loads for you when the market declines. However, you may soon find yourself in a difficult financial scenario if your dispatcher has the experience to assist you in earning more.

For this reason, many truckers have decided to dispatch themselves in recent years. They feel they can negotiate, locate loads that pay more, and plan their journeys more effectively than a dispatcher because of their experience behind the wheel. But the question is: are they correct? Can they really benefit from their decision to use self-dispatching?

Let’s find out in a bit.

Should You Self-Dispatch Or Not?

Pros Of Self-Dispatching

Reduces Costs – Dispatchers often bill you between 2 and 10% of the gross load revenue. By going self-dispatch, you can reduce these costs and save more money for yourself.

However, keep in mind that this calculation only makes sense if you can secure lucrative loads for yourself. If, on the other hand, your gross income declines dramatically, there is no reason to reduce your dispatching expenses.

No Forced Dispatch – If your organization does not have a policy against it, you may have seen instances where dispatchers try to talk you into taking a load you do not want to. For truck drivers, those items might be extremely uncomfortable.

This one should go without saying: if you move to self-dispatching, you won’t have to worry about being pressured to accept loads you don’t want to.

Acquiring New Skills – If you are new to dispatching, it might be difficult at first to handle things on your own. But as you get experience, it will become a useful ability that will let you think about other options for your job. Most of the top dispatchers for trucking companies were drivers first.

Cons Of Self-Dispatching

Time-Consuming – Operating an over-the-road) OTR truck involves a lot of nerves and time due to the complexity of the task, which includes meeting deadlines, maneuvering through heavy traffic, and maintaining a constant focus on the road. You run the danger of overscheduling yourself when you include broker negotiations, monitoring your overtime, and heavy booking into an already hectic schedule.

Exhausting – Self-dispatching puts additional responsibilities on top of already taxing work. Truck drivers have driving responsibilities in addition to learning the art of dispatching. The driver’s general well-being and safety on the road may be impacted by this increased workload, which can raise stress levels and increase the danger of burnout.

Lack Of Established Contacts -Dispatchers frequently have established relationships and connections within the business, which can provide truckers with chances and access to better-paying cargoes. Truckers may lose out on these advantages if they choose self-dispatching, which could restrict their access to premium cargo and ultimately reduce their earning potential.

Possible Poor Load Selection – Although some truckers think self-dispatching allows them to obtain higher-paying loads, this belief might not always be accurate. If dispatchers lack industry expertise and market intelligence, drivers might choose less profitable cargoes or find it difficult to bargain for better prices. For self-dispatching truckers, this inefficiency in load selection may ultimately lead to decreased pay and unstable finances.

Is Self-Dispatch Worth Your Time?

Finding loads on your own and self-dispatching your trucks gives you more control, maybe bigger profit margins, and the most long-term business chances, even though the top truck dispatch services can save you time and provide invaluable experience.

There are a few important considerations for many carriers when determining whether to use a truck dispatch service or self-dispatch. The trick is figuring out how to include advanced routing strategies into your load booking and scheduling process in the most economical manner.  

To succeed, a trucking company owner must ensure that trihaul routing, merging partial loads, and load stacking are all integrated into load planning, trip scheduling, and truck dispatching operations. Business revenues and profitability might suffer significantly if any of these strategies are ignored, particularly in a slow or difficult market.