Tips for Self-Dispatch: How to Protect Your Bottom Line

Learning to self-dispatch effectively as an owner-operator can greatly benefit you in the long run. However, it requires time, determination, and patience. To help you navigate this process more smoothly, here are some essential guidelines that savvy self-dispatchers check before accepting a load.

First, keep in mind that CloudTrucks' load board displays both exclusive freight for our drivers and aggregated listings drawn from various external sources. While we strive to provide accurate information, we cannot control everything listed by brokers on external platforms. Therefore, it's important to exercise caution.

What is CloudTrucks' responsibility as the carrier?

The CloudTrucks Operations team confirms all the load details provided by the driver, including broker load ID, negotiated price, commodity, hours of service, assigned driver, and delivering truck.

What is the driver's responsibility?

• Mileage: Confirm pickup and delivery cities and verify listed mileage against the actual route, as it may differ significantly.
• Broker Email Address: Be cautious of brokers with Gmail, MSN, or Hotmail addresses, as they are likely not genuine.
• Rate: Ensure the agreed-upon rate matches and be aware of potential deductions.
• Delivery Times: Confirm to avoid lengthy wait times. Specifically, note whether the delivery time is a flexible window, or a specific appointment time. If it is a specific time- you must not be late! Plan to arrive early.
• Hours of Service: Ensure your compliance with legal hauling regulations. If you end up delaying delivery due to falling out of compliance, the broker may deduct from your payment.
• Other Appointment Details: Check for weight, accessorials, extra stops along with lumper and loading expectations.

Discrepancy Resolution:

• If an issue arises before booking, contact the broker directly or through support to negotiate better terms.
• If a discrepancy is noticed after booking, for example with rate or weight, but before your trailer is loaded, address it calmly and professionally with the broker, seeking a reasonable solution.
• If no agreement is reached, and particularly if delivery isn't same-day, you may choose to cancel the load. Here is how to request a cancellation.
• If an once arises after you are loaded, please understand that changes are unlikely. Doing so will only drain your clock to get it unloaded and find a new load, so it is usually better to move forward from there.

Cancellation Communication:

• Inform CloudTrucks and your broker promptly about any cancellations or delays, as last-minute changes affect our relationships with brokerages.
• Effective communication helps maintain our reputation and facilitates smoother load bookings.
• Read our CloudTrucks Cancellation Policy article for more details.

By adhering to these guidelines and maintaining open communication, you can navigate self-dispatching more effectively, ensuring smoother operations for yourself and CloudTrucks.