Resources

Free freight dispatch guides: the math that matters

Understand the math, check an offer, and keep the records behind your decisions. Start with the guide you need today.

Or skip ahead — run a real load through the free calculator. No signup.

Analyze a load free See comparison and records →

I run a truck

Owner-operator load decisions

Find your floor, count deadhead, and decide whether an offer is worth taking.

I dispatch my own freight

Self-dispatch guide

Learn the math and red flags to check before you call the broker back.

Dispatch math · 4 min

Loaded RPM vs. effective RPM

Why the headline rate per loaded mile flatters every load — and how to see what you actually earn.

Red flags · 5 min

Freight broker red flags: spot a bad load early

Vague details, tight windows, and slow-pay reputations are risk signals — not automatic passes.

Negotiation basics · 4 min

Building a freight counteroffer that holds up

Anchor to your minimum acceptable rate, add for risk and unpaid work, and round to a clean number.

Dispatch math · 4 min

Deadhead and fuel math: the hidden cost per mile

Empty miles still burn fuel. Here's how to keep them from quietly killing your margin.

Dispatch math · 4 min

Setting your minimum acceptable rate

Your floor isn't a feeling — it's cost plus the profit you need. Here's how to set it and hold it.

Getting paid · 4 min

Detention and accessorial pay

Detention, lumper, and stop pay are real money — but only if they're confirmed in writing.

Red flags · 4 min

Reading a rate confirmation

Before you commit, the rate con should answer five questions. Missing answers are risk.

Equipment · 4 min

Dry van, reefer, and flatbed basics

Each trailer type carries different costs and risks. Knowing them sharpens every load decision.

Decision framework · 5 min

Book, Pass, or Negotiate: a load decision check

Three outcomes, one repeatable check. How to turn any load offer into a clear call.

Dispatch math · 4 min

What is a good rate per mile in trucking?

"Good" isn't a number off the load board — it's relative to your miles, your cost, and your targets.

Dispatch math · 4 min

Calculating your true cost per mile

Every decision rests on one number most drivers underestimate: what it actually costs to run a mile.

Strategy · 3 min

Reducing deadhead: backhauls and positioning

Empty miles are pure cost. A little planning turns dead miles into paid ones.

Equipment · 4 min

Reefer loads: what to watch for

Refrigerated freight pays for the hassle — if you price the temperature, time, and risk that come with it.

Red flags · 4 min

Common load-board mistakes to avoid

The avoidable errors that turn a promising load board into a thin paycheck.

Dispatch math · 4 min

How to calculate rate per mile in trucking

The two RPM numbers every owner-operator should run before booking — and how to do the math.

Decision framework · 5 min

How to know if a load is worth it

A repeatable checklist for turning a load posting into a confident Book, Negotiate, or Pass.

Dispatch math · 3 min

Deadhead miles: calculate and cut the cost

Empty miles are real money. The two formulas that show what deadhead does to a load.

Dispatch math · 4 min

Trucking profit calculator: what you keep

Revenue isn't profit. How to work out real gross profit per load after fuel and operating cost.

Careers · 5 min

How to become a truck dispatcher

No federal license required. What the job actually involves, the four skills that matter, and three realistic ways in.

Careers · 5 min

Truck dispatcher salary: what the data shows

The verified BLS numbers on dispatcher pay, what they do and don't cover, and how the independent per-load fee model actually works.

Careers · 5 min

Dispatcher vs. freight broker: the difference

One works for the carrier, the other stands between shipper and carrier. The legal line, the two pay models, and how to verify authority.

Red flags · 5 min

What is double brokering? How to stay protected

A load re-brokered without consent puts your payment behind a party you never vetted. Verify the MC before you haul.

Dispatch math · 5 min

Owner-operator cost per mile: the real numbers

ATRI measured a record $2.336 per mile in 2025. Here is how to build your own number, line by line.

Getting paid · 4 min

What freight factoring really costs

A factoring fee looks small next to a linehaul. Priced per mile against the loads it funds, it is a cost line like any other.

Dispatch math · 4 min

How fuel surcharge actually works

FSC is not a bonus on top of a good rate. It is a formula, and knowing the formula tells you whether the linehaul underneath is any good.

Running the business · 6 min

Owner-operator taxes and IFTA basics

Quarterly estimates, self-employment tax, IFTA, and the 2290. What the calendar looks like and why tax money is not profit.

Running the business · 5 min

Owner-operator insurance: what it covers

Which policies you actually carry, what moves the premium, and why insurance is the fixed cost that quietly sets your rate floor.

Careers · 4 min

Owner-operator vs. company driver

The comparison almost everyone gets wrong: gross revenue against a wage. Here is how to compare the two honestly.

Next step

Put the guides to work

Run a real load through the free calculator — no signup — or practice the full framework in LoadMerit Academy.

Run the free calculator Practice in LoadMerit Academy

Need a term defined? Open the glossary →

LoadMerit provides educational content, simulations, calculators, and decision-support tools for freight load analysis. Content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, financial, tax, regulatory, insurance, brokerage, carrier, or dispatching advice.