One truck, your MC
Dispatch for the dry van owner operator running one truck
You're the dry van owner operator, the driver, the bookkeeper and, too often, the dispatcher. We take the last job off your plate: finding and negotiating van loads around your home time and your minimum rate, for 6% of what you haul. New MCs welcome.
- 06:30Load offer by text: lane, miles, deadhead, weight, rate, detention terms.
- 06:40You reply yes. We book it and send you the rate con.
- 11:00Broker check call. We answer it; you keep driving.
- 15:20Delivery runs long. We start the detention clock with the broker.
- 17:00Tomorrow's reload is booked 35 miles away.
Your week with a dispatcher
Pick how you like to run. We plan the week around it.
Three common home-time styles for an owner operator dry van. Tap one to see an EXAMPLE week. The rule is the same in each: the load that gets you home is chosen first.
- SunHome
- MonLoad 1 out
- TueDeliver, reload
- WedLoad 2
- Thu40 mi to pickup
- FriLoad 3 toward home
- SatHome
Short regional runs that start and end near home. The Friday load is picked first.
Want the same lanes every week? Read how dedicated dry van lanes work for one-truck carriers.
New authority
New MC? Here's how we get brokers to load you
Many brokers won't load an authority that's only weeks old, and the ones that will often want proof of insurance above the federal minimum. That's normal, and it's the hardest part of starting out.
We know which brokers set up new MCs, we send your packet to several at once, and we book your first loads with them. As your authority ages and you build an on-time record, more brokers open up.
More on how brokers vet carriers and what to check on them in return: working with dry van brokers.
- 1Packets sent to brokers that work with new authorities
- 2Insurance certificate checked against what each broker asks for
- 3First loads chosen for clean terms and quick-paying brokers
- 4Your on-time record built from week one
Your minimum rate
Set your floor from your real costs
Every owner operator should know the lowest rate per mile they'll haul for. Here's the math we use when we set yours. Change any number.
Example defaults. Replace them with your numbers.
Truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits, phone, ELD
Dispatch fee
Then check single loads against it with the dry van load profit calculator.
Fee and onboarding
6% of what you haul, nothing up front
6% of gross for one truck, 5% for 2+ trucks (limited-time). No haul, no pay.
No setup fee, month-to-month, 30 days notice to cancel. You pay the fee by ACH after the broker or your factoring company pays you for the load. The details are on our pricing page, the steps from application to first load are in how it works, and the bigger picture of our dry van dispatch service is on the home page.
Starting a dry van business
How to start a dry van trucking business
If you're not running yet, these are the main federal steps for an interstate for-hire carrier hauling general freight. States add their own.
- STEP 1
Get a USDOT number and MC operating authority
Register with FMCSA. Your authority becomes active after the protest period and once your insurance and process agent are on file.
FMCSA registration - STEP 2
File a BOC-3 process agent
A designated agent for legal papers in each state, filed with FMCSA. Required before authority goes active.
- STEP 3
Buy insurance that meets the minimum, and what brokers want
The federal minimum for for-hire carriers of non-hazardous property is $750,000 in liability. Many brokers ask for $1,000,000 liability and $100,000 cargo.
49 CFR 387.9 - STEP 4
Register for UCR, IRP plates and IFTA
Unified Carrier Registration every year, and apportioned plates and a fuel tax account if you run a qualifying truck in more than one state.
UCR - STEP 5
File Form 2290 for the heavy vehicle use tax
Due for trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lb or more.
IRS Form 2290 - STEP 6
Get ready for the new entrant safety audit
FMCSA audits new carriers once they've operated long enough to have records, generally at least three months in.
49 CFR 385.307
General information, checked October 2026. Not legal or tax advice; confirm current requirements with FMCSA, the IRS and your state.
Still choosing equipment? Start with what a dry van is and what it hauls.
Owner-operator FAQ
Questions from one-truck carriers
How do I start a dry van trucking business?
Get your USDOT number and MC authority from FMCSA, file a BOC-3, buy insurance that meets the $750,000 federal minimum and what brokers ask for, register for UCR, IRP and IFTA if you run interstate, file Form 2290 for a heavy truck, then get a trailer and set up with brokers. The steps above link the official pages.
Is owner operator dry van work profitable?
It can be, but it depends on your costs, your lanes and the market, not the trailer type. The owners who do well know their cost per mile, refuse loads under it and keep empty miles low. Use the minimum rate builder above with your own numbers.
Can a new authority get dry van owner operator loads?
Yes, though fewer brokers will work with you in the first months. Expect more broker setup paperwork, higher insurance requirements from some brokers and a narrower pool of loads at first. It widens as your authority ages and your record builds.
Can I lease on with you or run your trailer?
No. We don't have trucks or trailers to lease on to. We dispatch owner operators running their own tractor and their own 53 ft or 48 ft dry van under their own MC.
Can I still find some loads myself?
Talk to your dispatcher about it on the first call so lanes and loads don't overlap. Most owners stop searching once they see the board being worked for them every morning.
Apply in about 2 minutes
Drive. We'll handle the phone.
Tell us your lanes, your home time and your floor rate. A dispatcher calls back and builds your first week around them.
6% of gross for one truck, 5% for 2+ trucks (limited-time). No haul, no pay.
Prefer the full form? Open the application