What is a truck dispatch services agreement?
A truck dispatch services agreement is signed when an owner-operator or small fleet hires an independent dispatcher to find freight, negotiate rates, book loads and keep the paperwork moving. Because the dispatcher may book loads and sign rate confirmations in the carrier's name, the agreement should spell out exactly what the dispatcher may and may not do.
This template covers the trucks dispatched and the carrier's preferred lanes, the services (load searching, rate negotiation, trip planning, broker set-up packets, rate confirmations, invoicing and collections follow-up), whether the dispatcher may book within written minimums or must get approval for every load, the carrier's right to refuse any load and final say on safety, a limited authority to sign rate confirmations and set-up packets, a clause that the dispatcher is not a broker and takes no money from brokers or shippers, the carrier's duties, a percentage, per-load or weekly fee, handling of shared accounts and passwords, confidentiality, a liability cap, and ending the agreement.
- Best for
- Independent truck dispatchers and the owner-operators and small fleets they work for
- Signed by
- The carrier and the dispatcher, each with a job title
- Fee
- A percentage of each load, a flat fee per load, or a flat weekly fee per truck
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to use a truck dispatch services agreement
- A new owner-operator hiring a dispatcher to find loads on the boards
- A dispatcher onboarding a new carrier client
- A two-truck fleet outsourcing dispatch and broker paperwork
- Moving from a handshake percentage deal to written terms
- Limiting what a dispatcher may sign in the carrier's name
What you fill in
21 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: carrier, dispatcher.
1 The parties
- Effective date*
- Dispatcher's legal name*
- Dispatcher's address
- Carrier's legal name*
- Carrier's authority or registration numbers
- Carrier's address
2 Services
- Trucks and equipment dispatched*
- Preferred lanes, regions and freight
- Back-office services included* broker set-up packets and rate confirmations only · broker set-up packets, rate confirmations and invoicing · broker set-up packets, rate confirmations, invoicing and collections follow-up
3 Authority
- Dispatcher's authority to book loads* may book loads that meet the Carrier's written minimums without asking first · must get the Carrier's approval for every load before booking
- Carrier's minimum rate and limits
- Dispatcher may sign for the Carrier* rate confirmations and broker set-up packets only · nothing — the Carrier signs everything itself
4 Fee
- Fee model* A percentage of each load's gross rate · A flat fee per load · A flat weekly fee per truck
- Percentage (%)
- Percentage applies to the line-haul rate including fuel surcharge · the line-haul rate excluding fuel surcharge and accessorials
- Currency*
- Flat fee amount
- Fee invoiced* weekly, for loads delivered in the previous week · per load, after delivery · weekly in advance (flat weekly fee)
- Dispatcher's invoices paid within (days)*
5 Term and other terms
- Notice to end the agreement (days)*
- Governing law*
6 Who signs
- Carrier signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The owner-operator or an authorised person at the trucking company.
- Dispatcher signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The independent dispatcher, or an authorised person at the dispatch company.
What the truck dispatch services agreement covers
- Services
- Authority and the Carrier's right to refuse
- The Dispatcher is not a broker
- The Carrier's duties
- Fee
- Accounts and confidentiality
- Responsibility
- Term and ending
- General
Using the truck dispatch services agreement, step by step
1 Describe the trucks and preferences
List the trucks and trailers to be dispatched, and the carrier's preferred regions, lanes and freight — and what it won't haul.
2 Set the authority
Choose whether the dispatcher may book loads that meet the carrier's written minimum rate and limits, or must get approval for every load, and whether it may sign rate confirmations and set-up packets in the carrier's name.
3 Choose the services and fee
Pick the back-office services included, then a percentage of each load (with or without fuel surcharge), a flat fee per load or a weekly fee per truck, when it is invoiced and how quickly it is paid.
4 Notice and governing law
Set the notice period to end and the governing law.
5 Send for signature
Send it to the carrier (or, if you are the carrier, to your dispatcher). Once signed, it's filed in your vault.
Tips before you send it
- Put the carrier's minimums in writing. The template lets the carrier update them by email at any time.
- Freight payments should go straight to the carrier or its factoring company, never through the dispatcher — the template requires this.
- In some places, arranging freight transport for others can require a broker's licence or registration. Dispatchers should check what applies to them.
- Never let a dispatcher change payment details on broker portals. The template forbids it.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Truck dispatch services agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a truck dispatcher a freight broker?
Not under this agreement. The dispatcher acts only for the carrier, doesn't take freight in its own name, doesn't collect freight payments, and doesn't accept commission from brokers or shippers. Loads are contracted directly between the carrier and the broker or shipper.
Can the carrier refuse a load the dispatcher found?
Yes. The carrier may refuse any load before it is booked, for any reason and without penalty, and the carrier and its drivers have the final say on safety, hours of service, routes and whether a load can be handled legally.
Is a fee due on cancelled loads?
With a percentage or per-load fee, no fee is due on a load the carrier didn't haul or that was cancelled, except that a percentage fee applies to any truck-ordered-not-used fee the carrier is paid. A flat weekly fee is due for each week a truck is available, but not for a week the carrier said in advance the truck would be off duty.
Can a dispatch agreement be signed electronically?
In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. FileIt keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in FileIt, and the people you send it to don't need a FileIt account to sign.