Model Operating Playbook for U.S. Carrier-Side Truck Dispatch

Purpose and scope

Use this playbook for two distinct intake paths:

• Carrier-selected load: The named carrier has permitted the dispatcher to screen opportunities from an approved broker channel or carrier account. The dispatcher prepares a recommendation; the carrier's designated commercial approver accepts the final rate and terms before the load is committed.
• Booked-load handoff: A carrier sales, planning or customer team has already booked the load. The dispatcher receives the approved terms and instructions, confirms the driver and equipment plan, relays the load and monitors execution. This path does not give the handoff dispatcher permission to source, select or renegotiate the freight.

For either path, keep the operating carrier visible on every record. An owner-operator may run under the person's own motor-carrier authority or provide vehicle and driving services to another carrier; the carrier's compliance owner confirms which entity is operating this trip. A dispatch appointment or continuing carrier relationship defines the work assignment, while the actual authority and transaction facts still matter. Shipper-direct offers, choosing among represented carriers, load-first/carrier-later matching, reassignment to another carrier or handling the broker–carrier payment flow go to the carrier's designated compliance decision maker before any action. See FMCSA's broker and bona fide agent guidance and FMCSA registration information.

The playbook covers the dispatch file, not a carrier's full safety, claims, insurance, tax or accounting process. The driver and carrier safety team own driver-status and log questions; the qualified carrier/driver team owns securement, permits and equipment go/no-go; authorized carrier staff own contract signatures, insurance and tax documents, invoice release and factoring instructions.

People, authority and starting inputs

• Carrier operations owner: Names the operating carrier, dispatcher, service contacts and escalation route; resolves capacity or service tradeoffs. Name a backup, shift coverage and approval limits.
• Carrier commercial approver: Sets lane, broker, credit, all-mile rate and accessorial rules; approves a new commitment or changed terms. Record the rate decision method, permitted counteroffers and signer.
• Dispatcher: Screens or receives the load, records assumptions, coordinates an approved driver plan, tracks milestones and routes documents. Define approved channels, systems and record fields.
• Driver and carrier safety/maintenance owners: Confirm availability, equipment condition, hours-of-service (HOS) feasibility and technical or safety decisions. Name current contacts and a stop-work trigger. An electronic logging device (ELD) records driving-duty information; its availability signal is a planning input, not the dispatcher's safety approval.
• Broker or customer contact: Supplies the opportunity or booked instructions, appointments, rate confirmation and service changes. Use an approved contact and amendment method.
• Carrier compliance, insurance, billing and factoring owners: Resolve authority or coverage questions, release sensitive onboarding records, and decide invoices or payment assignments. Name secure routes, signers and final record owners.

Before intake, obtain the carrier's current dispatch appointment or internal assignment, its legal operating name and applicable USDOT/operating-authority status as confirmed by carrier compliance, approved broker/customer channels, equipment roster, driver availability source, escalation contacts, and a written approval matrix. A certificate of insurance (COI) summarizes insurance evidence; IRS Form W-9 supplies tax information to a requester. Do not infer dispatch permission from a load-board login, either document or an owner-operator's truck. The carrier defines where versioned trip records live, who may see sensitive documents, and how long each record is retained.

For each load, start with the source/reference, operating carrier, commodity and special handling, pickup and delivery locations and time zones, appointment windows, weight and dimensions, trailer type, route constraints, proposed driver/tractor/trailer, loaded and unpaid empty miles, offered or already agreed pay, accessorials, payment terms and required documents. Loaded rate per mile (RPM) divides pay by loaded miles; effective trip RPM also includes planned unpaid empty miles in the denominator. An unapproved offer uses offered pay in a provisional comparison. The bill of lading (BOL) records shipment receipt and goods; proof of delivery (POD) records delivery acceptance or exceptions. Mark missing fields unconfirmed and assign an owner to obtain them. A broker-posted opportunity or automated match is a lead, not a confirmed booking or evidence of equipment fit.

Trigger-to-close workflow

Follow these stages from intake through closure. Return to an earlier check whenever a source fact changes.

Classify intake

• Action/decision: Record whether the load is a new carrier-selected opportunity or an already booked handoff. Confirm the named carrier, allowed channel, instruction source and approval path. If carrier identity or scope is unclear, stop the commitment path and escalate.
• Record/handoff: Save the intake source, timestamp, path, carrier, instruction and open questions.

Screen the load

• Action/decision: For a selectable opportunity, compare lane, commodity, weight, appointments, equipment and stated terms with the carrier's requirements. For a booked load, compare the handoff with the approved booking and flag differences instead of silently changing it.
• Record/handoff: Save the feasibility checklist and exact source/version of the offer or booked instruction.

Check the truck plan

• Action/decision: Ask the carrier and driver for current tractor, trailer and driver status. Check travel and appointment timing with current carrier-provided HOS/ELD availability signals. Screen dry van, reefer, flatbed or step-deck needs against actual trailer details. Refer temperature, securement, permits, unusual dimensions and maintenance questions to the qualified owner.
• Record/handoff: Save the timestamped driver/equipment signal, proposed schedule, unresolved constraints and specialist decision.

Prepare the commercial decision

• Action/decision: On the selection path, compare offered all-in pay ÷ loaded miles with offered all-in pay ÷ (loaded + unpaid empty miles) as provisional screening ratios. Show the denominator and fuel/accessorial assumptions. Compare the offer with this carrier's current costs and decision rule; ask its commercial approver to approve the rate, counteroffer and terms. After approval, record the agreed pay basis. On the booked path, relay approved terms and send change requests to the booking owner.
• Record/handoff: Save the provisional calculation, assumptions, approval identity/time and exact agreed terms. Do not invent a universal rate floor.

Reconcile and dispatch

• Action/decision: Compare the rate confirmation with approved pay, parties, locations, appointments, equipment, accessorials and payment instructions. Route differences to the authorized signer or approver before release. After approval, give the driver the current instruction, reference, contacts and appointments; request acknowledgment.
• Record/handoff: Save the current confirmation version, carrier approval, dispatch instruction and driver acknowledgment.

Monitor and recover

• Action/decision: Log pickup, transit and delivery milestones from attributed sources. Revise the estimated time of arrival (ETA) when facts change. Tell affected broker/customer and carrier contacts what is known, the next check time and the decision owner. Use the exception path below for delay, breakdown, safety concern or disputed term.
• Record/handoff: Save timestamped status, revised ETA, notices, response and next owner.

Reconcile paperwork

• Action/decision: Track the BOL at pickup and POD or delivery record after delivery, including recorded exceptions. Compare references, dates, quantity/condition notes and accessorial support with the current rate confirmation. Route a mismatch to claims or billing; preserve the original version.
• Record/handoff: Save a document inventory with source, version, receipt time, discrepancy and resolution owner.

Close the dispatch file

• Action/decision: Hand approved documents and unresolved exceptions to carrier billing. Route onboarding COI or W-9 requests to insurance or tax-record owners through the secure carrier channel. If factoring applies, follow the current carrier accounting/factor handoff. Close only when operational status and billing handoff are acknowledged or an exception has a named open owner.
• Record/handoff: Save final status, handoff receipt, open items, approved storage location and retention rule.

The FMCSA HOS summary supports a provisional timing check, not a promise of a driver's legal availability from incomplete data. The driver certifies the ELD record; the dispatcher does not edit or certify it. A device problem goes to carrier compliance, which checks the current FMCSA ELD information and approved fallback. A declared emergency or commodity-specific waiver applies only after the carrier confirms the operative declaration or waiver, eligibility, dates, route and purpose; ordinary freight stays on the ordinary plan.

Operating cadence

• Each staffed shift: Review open loads, driver/equipment readiness, appointments, current versions, status due times and unassigned exceptions. Hand over anything that outlasts the shift. Output: prioritized board and named next owner.
• Weekly, if assigned: Review recurring appointment misses, avoidable empty miles, document gaps and open disputes with the relevant owners. Output: short action list with owner and due date.
• Monthly, if required locally: Recheck access and approval contacts, retention, recurring onboarding issues and the carrier's measure definitions. Output: approved SOP/contact updates and trend review.
• At each load or event: Recheck the offer or booking, driver status, equipment, appointments, changed terms, incident, ELD status or applicable waiver before acting. Output: updated trip record and escalation when a premise changes.

Weekly and monthly reviews are employer choices, not a claim that every dispatch job has those duties. Shift coverage and response times come from local policy.

Decisions, escalation and handoff rules

• Dispatcher within assigned limits: Gather and verify facts, propose a driver/load plan, relay already approved instructions, request status, update an attributed ETA and route the correct document version. Record the instruction and approval source.
• Commercial approver: Accept a new load, authorize a counteroffer or changed rate, approve a material appointment or payment-term amendment, and decide whether a carrier-specific all-mile comparison meets its criteria.
• Operations owner: Resolve competing capacity, reassignment within the carrier, major route or service changes, and who contacts the customer when a commitment is at risk.
• Driver, safety or maintenance owner: Decide whether a driver may continue, how to handle HOS/ELD uncertainty, whether equipment is roadworthy, and whether securement, temperature control, permits or dimensions make the load feasible. A dispatcher must not pressure a driver to violate a limit.
• Compliance owner: Review carrier/agent authority ambiguity, a shipper-direct request, cross-carrier allocation, a device revocation or proposed exception to ordinary HOS practice before the desk relies on it.
• Insurance, tax, billing and factoring owners: Issue or release COI and W-9 documents, approve a carrier packet, decide invoice and claims treatment, and confirm any notice of assignment or remittance instructions. The dispatcher never signs carrier records on another person's behalf, fills a carrier tax ID, certifies coverage, changes a payee or promises factoring funds.

For any escalation, send the load reference, fact and source, deadline, operational effect, proposed options and the precise decision needed. Record who answered, when, the decision and the next check. If the approver is unavailable before a commitment deadline, let the offer lapse or follow the carrier's documented backup route; do not create approval by silence.

Exceptions and records

• Missing load fact: Mark the commodity, appointment, equipment or rate fact unconfirmed. Request it from the approved contact and hold the affected commitment or instruction. Close when the source and approver are recorded and the driver has the current version.
• Driver or equipment concern: Pause the plan for uncertain HOS/ELD status, breakdown or unsafe equipment. Get driver facts, contact safety/maintenance and operations, and communicate only a provisional ETA. Close when the qualified owner decides and updated instructions are acknowledged.
• Rate confirmation conflict: Preserve both versions, identify exact field differences and route to the commercial approver and signer. A revised confirmation or documented carrier resolution must precede dispatch.
• Delay or accessorial dispute: Log the actual time and source; notify service contacts. Seek approval before promising a changed appointment or charge. File revised terms and support, or leave a named dispute owner open.
• BOL/POD issue: Preserve the shipper, receiver and driver records as received; send shortage, damage or missing proof to claims/billing. Close when the recipient acknowledges it and the dispatch file shows any unresolved item.
• Identity or payment mismatch: Stop document release or payment action for an authority, COI, W-9 or factoring mismatch. Route securely to the appropriate compliance, insurance, tax or accounting owner. Close when that owner verifies and records the correct instruction.

Maintain one carrier-controlled trip record per load with immutable source references or preserved versions: intake, authority/appointment check, approved terms, rate calculation where used, driver and equipment feasibility, dispatch acknowledgment, status/ETA history, exception decisions, rate confirmation, BOL, POD, billing/factor handoff and closure. Use approved systems and access controls. A BOL, POD, invoice and ELD supporting record serve different purposes; do not treat one as a substitute for another or infer liability from a missing attachment.

Useful measures, defined by the carrier, include on-time pickup and delivery against the agreed appointment, status-update timeliness, loads with complete approval before dispatch, document packet completeness at handoff, avoidable empty miles, exception acknowledgment time and aged open disputes. Report the denominator, time window and known data gaps. For rate review, keep loaded RPM and effective trip RPM separate, and refresh lane, fuel and carrier-cost inputs before a new decision. Market reports or automated document flags are prompts to check the actual transaction, not approval of a price or proof that a document is correct.

Worked dispatch file

Fictional example for learning purposes.

Carrier and authority: Cedar Ridge Motor Carrier LLC is the named interstate operating carrier. Its compliance lead confirmed the current authority status and the dispatcher's continuing carrier assignment at 08:00 EDT. The dispatcher may screen this carrier's approved broker channel but may not commit a load or change pay without the operations manager's recorded approval. The driver operates under this carrier's trip instruction.

Intake and screen: At 08:10 EDT, a broker contact offered an Atlanta, Georgia to Charlotte, North Carolina dry-van load, with pickup today 11:00–12:00 EDT and delivery tomorrow 09:00–11:00 EDT. The initial posting omitted commodity and weight. At 08:18, the broker confirmed 18,000 lb of retailer-owned boxed kitchenware inventory, no special handling, and a standard dry-van trailer request. The carrier's equipment owner confirmed the assigned trailer and payload fit; no temperature, open-deck, permit or securement-specialist question remained. The broker requested a current COI and W-9 for onboarding; the dispatcher routed both requests to the carrier's insurance and tax-record owners through the approved secure channel. Those owners confirmed release before the commercial commitment.

Driver and commercial check: The proposed driver reported current availability to the carrier at 08:22; carrier safety reviewed the ELD availability signal and appointment plan at 08:29, with no exception claimed. Planning miles were 245 loaded and 35 unpaid empty. The broker's proposed all-in pay was $840. For screening, provisional loaded RPM was $840 ÷ 245 = $3.43 and provisional effective trip RPM was $840 ÷ 280 = $3.00. The carrier's current decision worksheet required at least $2.85 effective trip RPM for this specific plan. The dispatcher sent the worksheet, equipment confirmation and terms to the operations manager, who approved the $840 all-in commitment at 08:35. From that approval onward, $840 was the agreed pay basis. The calculation did not treat a posted market average as the carrier's cost or claim a final trip margin.

Confirmation and dispatch: At 08:42, the broker sent rate confirmation RC-104. The dispatcher compared the carrier name, lane, appointments, equipment, all-in pay, payment terms and accessorial wording with the approved offer. The confirmation listed pickup at 10:00 EDT, so the dispatcher held the driver instruction and requested a correction. The authorized carrier signer reviewed the corrected 11:00–12:00 version RC-104B at 09:02 and approved it at 09:05. The dispatcher sent the current load instruction to the driver at 09:08; the driver acknowledged at 09:11.

Execution and exception: The driver reported arrival at pickup at 11:18 and sent BOL reference B-104 after loading. At 15:20, congestion changed the estimated arrival at the overnight stop. The dispatcher recorded the driver's report and timestamp, asked safety to confirm the revised driving plan, and gave the carrier operations owner and broker a provisional delivery ETA with a 17:00 update time. Safety confirmed a feasible revised plan at 16:05; the appointment remained intact. The dispatcher recorded the answer and updated both contacts at 16:12. No log entry was changed by the dispatcher.

Documents and close: Delivery was reported at 09:36 EDT the next day. The driver provided the signed delivery record at 10:04 with no shortage or damage notation. The dispatcher matched RC-104B, B-104 and the POD reference, preserved their receipt times and handed the packet to carrier billing at 10:18. Billing acknowledged at 10:26. The onboarding record showed the COI and W-9 release by their authorized owners; dispatch had neither created nor signed those documents. Carrier accounting confirmed that this invoice would follow its ordinary billing path. The dispatch record closed at 10:31 with no open exception and the carrier's retention rule attached.

Quality check before a carrier adopts this model

• Is the operating carrier named, with authority and dispatch appointment confirmed by the right owner?
• Does the record say whether the desk selects a new load or relays an already booked one, and who may approve each change?
• Are commodity, equipment, driver status, HOS-aware timing, appointments and missing facts checked against current sources?
• On an authorized selection path, are loaded and unpaid empty miles, all-in terms, both RPM denominators and carrier-specific approval visible?
• Do the rate confirmation, driver instruction, BOL and POD have distinct sources, versions, owners and discrepancy routes?
• Are COI, W-9, claims, billing and factoring requests routed to authorized owners without changing a payee or signing for the carrier?
• Can another shift see the latest status, decision, exception owner, next check and closeout evidence?

The role basis is the MTF U.S. carrier-dispatch vacancy study and the separate current-changes review, both read as of 15 October 2026. The studied roles include direct assignment desks and booked-load handoff desks; employer permissions and current official rules govern the actual carrier procedure.