We are a dispatch service, so read this knowing we have an interest in it. We are also comfortable being asked all five.
1. Will I see my numbers every week?
If a dispatcher cannot show you your miles, your average rate per mile and your deadhead percentage, you are taking their word for how good your week was. Ask what the report looks like and how often it arrives. Every HHL carrier gets a weekly recap on Friday, and that is as much to keep us honest as to inform you.
2. Who exactly is working my truck?
One dedicated dispatcher who learns your lanes, your home time and what you will not haul beats a rotating call centre every time. Ask for a name.
3. What happens at 2 AM?
Breakdowns and detention disputes do not wait for business hours. "24/7 support" is easy to put on a website. Ask what actually happens when you call at 2 AM on a Sunday, and who picks up.
4. Do you handle the paperwork?
Broker setups, carrier packets and invoicing back-and-forth are hours of unpaid work every week. If the answer is no, the percentage buys you less than you think.
5. What is the exit?
A dispatch service confident in its work does not need to trap you in a long-term contract. Ask what happens if you want to leave in a month, and how much notice you owe.
One more thing worth asking
What determines the percentage. If nobody will explain how the number is arrived at, that tells you something. Ours is set out on the pricing page.
