How the dispatcher fee calculator works
The math is simple on purpose, so you can check it by hand. For a percentage fee, the calculator multiplies your weekly gross by the percentage. For a flat fee, it uses the flat amount. Then it subtracts the fee from the gross to get your net, and divides both by your total miles, loaded plus deadhead, to get rate per mile before and after dispatch.
- Percentage fee = gross × fee % ÷ 100
- Net after dispatch = gross − fee
- Net per mile = net ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles)
- Effective rate = fee ÷ gross, as a percentage
"Our fee" follows the same rules as our pricing: 5% for one truck with authority older than 6 months, 7% for authorities under 6 months, 26 ft box trucks and hotshots, and 4% per truck once you run two or more. Change the equipment or tick the boxes and it updates.
A worked example
A dry van owner-operator with a year-old authority grosses $8,000 in a week over 3,000 loaded miles and 300 deadhead miles.
- Fee at 5%
- $400
- Net
- $7,600
- Gross per mile
- $2.42
- Net per mile
- $2.30
The fee takes about 12 cents off every mile, deadhead included. Now try a flat $350 weekly fee: in this week it costs less, but in a $4,000 week it would be close to 9% of gross. That's the trade-off between the two models, and the calculator shows the exact gross where they cross over.
Try the box truck or hotshot setting too. Those trucks often gross less per week than a tractor-trailer, so a flat fee takes a bigger share, while a percentage scales down with the smaller loads. Share any result with the "copy result link" button; the link carries your inputs.
Reading your result
A good result isn't the lowest fee. It's the highest net per mile once the dispatcher has done their job. A dispatcher who finds better-paying loads and cuts your deadhead can leave you ahead even after the fee; one who books cheap freight to fill the week can cost you far more than the fee itself.
So use the result two ways. First, check what the fee itself costs on a normal week. Second, compare net per mile with your floor, the lowest rate you can run for after all costs. If net per mile sits under your floor, the problem is the loads, not just the fee. See how we approach that on better rates dispatch.
Our fee by truck
The fee depends on the truck and how long you've had your authority. For one truck with authority older than 6 months:
| Equipment | Fee on gross |
|---|---|
| 26 ft box truck | 7% |
| Car hauler | 5% |
| Dry van | 5% |
| Dump truck | 5% |
| Flatbed | 5% |
| Hazmat & tanker | 5% |
| Hotshot | 7% |
| Oversize & heavy haul | 5% |
| Power only | 5% |
| Reefer | 5% |
| Step deck | 5% |
New authorities pay 7% on any truck until the authority is 6 months old, and fleets of two or more pay 4% per truck.
Dispatcher fee vs doing it yourself
Doing your own dispatch isn't free either. You pay for a load board ($59 to $339 a month across DAT One carrier plans), plus the hours spent searching, calling and negotiating instead of driving or resting. Put a value on those hours and add the subscription, then compare it with the fee the calculator shows.
Source: DAT load board pricing page, October 2026
For some carriers with steady direct customers, self-dispatch wins. For others, especially new authorities and anyone running long weeks, a dispatcher pays for itself in better loads and less empty time. See dispatcher vs load board for the full comparison.
What a fair fee should include
Whatever the number, check what you get for it. A fee should cover load search and negotiation, broker setup, check calls and paperwork. You should see every load before it's booked and be able to say no, and the rate confirmation should come from the broker straight to you, so you can match each charge to a load you agreed to. Watch for setup fees, minimums and long contracts, which turn a low headline fee into a commitment.
Our full terms are on the pricing page: no setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month with 30 days notice, and the fee only on loads you haul.