How to find your first carrier as a new dispatcher

The first two weeks, step by step

1. Pick one state you can serve: the lanes, the brokers and the rates you know best. Your home state is a fine start.
2. Pick one or two equipment types whose freight you understand, such as dry van or reefer.
3. Get a list of carriers granted authority in that state in the last week, filtered to one truck and first-time authorities.
4. Get your paperwork ready before the first call (the list is below), so you can send it the same day someone says yes.
5. Call by hand, newest grants first, and email the owners who don't pick up the same day.
6. Offer a trial: one week of loads at your normal percentage, no long contract, so the owner can judge you on results.
7. Call everyone again a few days later. New carriers are busy and get many calls, so plan on more than one try.

Which state should you start in?

Carriers in one state share brokers, lanes and weather, so each one you sign teaches you something the next one needs. These five states had the most new for-hire carriers in the 30 days ending November 15, 2026. The link opens the free list builder with that state, one-truck carriers and first-time authorities picked. Every other state is on the state pages.

Which truck type should you dispatch?

New carriers' cargo registrations point to dry van (86.9%), flatbed (14.2%), car hauler (7.6%), hopper/bulk (7.4%) most often. One carrier can register several cargo types, so the shares overlap.

An owner with a reefer wants a dispatcher who knows reefer brokers and rates, not one who books anything. Say which freight you work in the first sentence of the call. Numbers by type are in which equipment a new dispatch service should target.

What to have ready before the first call

• A dispatch agreement: your percentage or flat fee, what you do (find loads, negotiate rates, handle broker setup), when you get paid, and how either side ends it.
• A carrier packet list for broker setup: the carrier's MC authority letter, certificate of insurance and W-9, plus a notice of assignment if they factor.
• Written permission to sign rate confirmations, if you'll sign for the carrier.
• A business phone number and email, and a one-paragraph description of the freight and lanes you work.
• A way to track every call: the USDOT number, the date, what they said and when to call back.

What should you charge your first carrier?

Dispatch services commonly charge 5% to 10% of the load's gross, most often 6% to 7% (OTrucking). Charging the common rate with a short trial, instead of a discount, means you never have to raise the price on your first carrier.

Want to see what a list is worth at your close rate? The lead value calculator works it out from your states.

What to say when they pick up

Open with the carrier, not with you: the owner's name, the truck, the state and the freight you work. Most callers to a new carrier know only the MC number, so specifics are what get you a second minute.

Call by hand. 30.8% of new carriers list a number FMCSA marks as a cell, and autodialed calls or texts to cells need prior written consent. The calling rules guide covers the rest.

If the answer is no, ask when you can check back, and put the date in your tracker. Some owners want to try booking their own loads first.

A list of new carriers every Monday

Rookiefeed's Weekly plan is $59/month: one state's new carriers every Monday, with the owner's name, phone (cells flagged), email, truck count and equipment. That's the list a new dispatcher works through in a week. When you outgrow it, the State plan sends the same state every morning for $149/month.

Start free: get 25 new one-truck carriers in Texas, or change the state in the list builder.

Questions

Where do new truck dispatchers find their first carrier?

Most start with carriers that just got their own MC authority: one truck, no broker relationships and nobody booking their loads yet. A weekly or daily list of new grants in one state, called by hand within days of the grant, is the fastest route to a first agreement.

How many carriers should a new dispatcher start with?

One or two. Dispatching well for one truck teaches you the brokers and lanes for that equipment, and a happy first carrier is a reference for the next call. Add carriers once loads are booking without gaps.

What paperwork does a dispatcher need from a new carrier?

A signed dispatch agreement, plus what brokers ask for at setup: the carrier's MC authority letter, certificate of insurance and W-9, and a notice of assignment if the carrier factors. If you'll sign rate confirmations for them, get that permission in writing too.

Should I charge a percentage or a flat fee?

Percentage is the most common: 5% to 10% of each load's gross, most often 6% to 7% (OTrucking). Some dispatchers charge a flat weekly fee instead. Whichever you pick, put it in a written dispatch agreement before the first load.

Is it legal to cold call new trucking companies?

Manual calls to a business are generally fine. Autodialed or prerecorded calls and marketing texts to cell numbers need prior express written consent under the TCPA, so call cells by hand, keep an internal do-not-call list and stick to 8am to 9pm local time.

Related

• Where dispatchers find new carriers now that the FMCSA Register is gone
• New owner-operator leads for dispatchers
• Which equipment types to target as a new dispatch service
• Calling new carriers: TCPA, DNC and CAN-SPAM basics for reps
• Trucking leads: a daily list of carriers that just got authority