Dispatcher fee calculator: what a dispatch fee really costs you
Enter a typical week: linehaul, accessorial pay, reimbursements, loads and miles. Then enter the fee you were quoted and what it applies to. You see the weekly cost, the share of your earned pay, the rate per mile after the fee, and our tiers next to it.
A typical week
Detention, layover, TONU
Lumpers, tolls, scale tickets
The fee you were quoted
The quoted plan costs
$520 /week
That's 8.3% of what you earned, leaving $2.31 per mile. Over 50 weeks: about $26,000.
Green: linehaul. Tan: accessorial pay. Striped: reimbursements, your own money coming back. We never charge on the striped part.
| Plan | Fee/week | Of earned pay | Per mile after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quoted plan | $520 | 8.3% | $2.31 |
| New authority 7%MC under 6 months, any equipment | $441 | 7% | $2.34 |
| Standard 5%1 truck, MC 6+ months | $315 | 5% | $2.39 |
| Fleet 4%2+ trucks, MC 6+ months | $252 | 4% | $2.42 |
Price my week
Example weekOur fee (5%)
$315
You keep
$6,185
Fee on $6,300. $200 in lumper money passes straight to you.
Same week with us: $315 at 5% for one truck, nothing on reimbursements, and nothing in a week you don't haul. You approve every load.
See if I qualify for 5% or 4%A dispatch fee is usually quoted as one number, and that number hides two questions: a percentage of what, and what else on top? This dispatcher fee calculator answers both on your own week. The X-ray bar splits the week's money into linehaul, accessorial pay and reimbursements, then shows which parts the quoted plan charges on and which parts ours does. The table puts the quote side by side with our three tiers.
How it is calculated
- Earned pay = linehaul (with fuel surcharge) + accessorial pay, such as detention, layover and TONU.
- Reimbursements = lumper fees, tolls and scale tickets you paid and get back. Your own money.
- Fee = percentage × the base it applies to + flat weekly fee + flat per-load fee × loads.
- Effective fee = fee ÷ earned pay, so any structure becomes one comparable percentage.
- Rate per mile after the fee = (earned pay - fee) ÷ miles.
- Annual cost = weekly fee × 50 weeks, a rough year allowing for time off.
Our fee, in full
- 7% new authority: MC under 6 months, any equipment
- 5% standard: 1 truck, MC 6+ months
- 4% fleet: 2+ trucks, MC 6+ months
- Charged on linehaul and the accessorial pay we collect (detention, layover, TONU and the like). Never on lumper reimbursements, tolls or scale tickets.
- New authorities drop a tier in month 7.
- No setup fee. No minimums. Month-to-month, cancel with 30 days notice. No haul, no pay.
- You approve every load. The rate con comes straight to you. Saying no costs nothing.
A worked example
One week, two waysExample
- WEEK$6,000 linehaul, $300 detention, $200 lumper, 3 loads, 2,500 mi
- QUOTED8% on everything: $6,500 × 8% = $520
- EFFECTIVE$520 ÷ $6,300 earned = 8.3%
- OURSStandard tier on $6,300 earned; nothing on the $200 lumper
- READThe difference is the base as much as the rate
The quoted plan here is an EXAMPLE. Put in the quote you actually received, then switch the week to a slow one and run it again.
How to read the result
Look at the effective percentage first, because it's the only figure that compares structures fairly. Then look at a week in a slow freight market: lower the linehaul and loads and see which plan still charges you. A plan that looks cheap in a busy week can cost the most when freight is thin. Finally, check what you'd keep per mile. That number has to stay above your cost per mile, or the dispatcher is booking loads you can't afford.
Questions to ask any dispatch service
- What exactly does the percentage apply to? Linehaul, accessorials, reimbursements?
- Is there a setup fee, a weekly minimum, or a charge in weeks I don't haul?
- Who receives the rate confirmation, and can I say no to a load?
- How do I cancel, and with how much notice?
- What's included: broker calls, paperwork, detention and TONU claims, invoicing?
Get the answers in the agreement, not just on the phone. A good service answers all five without hesitating, because the answers are already written down. If a question gets a vague answer, assume the cost is higher than it sounds and run the worst case through the calculator. Our full terms are on the pricing details page.
Related calculators
The dispatch ROI calculator weighs the fee against the hours you spend on load boards. The DEF usage and cost calculator covers a running cost that's easy to forget when you budget. For how freight is priced from the shipper's side, see freight shipping cost (coming soon) and our freight cost analysis (coming soon).
You approve every load, the rate con comes straight to you, and a declined load costs nothing. Send an application to see which tier fits your authority and fleet.