Have you ever been dispatched on a load and wondered why in the world you were assigned to it? Maybe you’re annoyed to be on the load for a list of reasons: It doesn’t pay as high as you want it to, it has a tight transit time, or it goes into an area that doesn’t make sense.
Some loads make sense — the loads take you through the house, pay really well, help you with your goal to haul loads in a higher freight class, and so on. But sometimes, priority is put on a load and the reason isn’t so obvious.
As a driver manager (DM) and customer service manager in the vans division at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), we've teamed up to help you understand why you might be dispatched on a load that doesn’t make sense to you.
- Five reasons you’re dispatched on a lower-paying load
- The importance of service in this customer market
Reason #1: It Gets You Out of a Bad Market
By now, even if you’re a new driver, you’ve probably at least heard the terms “headhaul market” and “backhaul market” thrown around. But you might not know exactly what they mean or how they work.
A headhaul market is a market with an abundance of freight. Some markets are always headhaul markets and some areas become headhaul markets during particular seasons.
The area could be a headhaul market because it has high production and manufacturing levels or it could be an area a lot of drivers don’t like to go (think: New York City or the Midwest during the dead of winter). A headhaul market gives you plentiful opportunities for good loads and you won’t have to wait long to get one.
A backhaul market is essentially the opposite. Either there isn’t a ton of freight in the area and it’s difficult to get a load out or the area is flooded with drivers (which drives down rates). Loads leaving the area usually don’t pay the greatest.
Questioning why you were dispatched on a low-paying load? It could be because you’re in a backhaul market and your DM is trying to get you out as quickly as possible. The load will get you into a better area with more freight opportunities. Taking a lower-paying load back to a headhaul market right away is better financially than waiting a day or two for a “golden load” opportunity.
Your DM is always thinking a few loads down the road for you. They’re concerned about what you’re averaging per week. They know that, even if this load doesn’t pay the most, they can even you out with the next load.
Remember: You can ask your DM why they’re putting you on this load and their plan.
Reason #2: It Takes You Back Into the Network
Some companies rely on contract freight, some rely on the spot market, and some do a little of both. ATS, for example, is primarily a contract freight carrier.
If you’re working for a contract freight carrier, there are customers you have to serve. Your DM will try to keep you in the company’s freight network so the customers can be serviced. If you leave the network, that would deplete truck capacity in that network and then the company can’t service the customer as needed.
For example, if the carrier’s customers are primarily in the East and you’re off in California, it doesn’t make much sense to keep you there. You might’ve been sent there for a one-off, high-paying load, but your DM may want you back in the primary freight network. It’s about being in the right places at the right times to service contracted customers.
Without any customers outside the network, your DM may simply give you a lower-paying load to get you back to the freight network.
Reason #3: It Takes You Home
If you’ve requested home time, it might not always be so obvious that a load is dispatched to get you back home.
For example, if you live in Texas, it probably doesn’t make sense to take a load to the East Coast if you need to be home in a few days. However, your DM is probably trying to move you into a market that has freight going into Texas. Sometimes your DM has to shift you into a different market to get you home.
Reason #4: The Customer is New
Sometimes customers put new carriers on a probationary period. New customers may have carriers they use already, but they’ll take a chance on a new carrier. They’ll try them out for a probationary period — maybe 90 days — and if the carrier performs and doesn’t have any service failures, the carrier can bid on all their freight come bid season and try to land more lanes.
If you’re questioning a load you’re being put on that doesn’t pay well, it could be a new customer load. It’s important to service these customers to build a strong relationship and secure more freight down the road.
Failing to service a new customer might not make your carrier lose them, but it may not allow them to secure more freight with the new customer. Servicing these customers well is a great team-player move and will help you and the company as a whole in the long run — leading to more loads and better rates.
Reason #5: The Lane is Important
While all customers and all lanes are important, some lanes may take a higher priority sometimes. These loads might be crucial because there have been service issues in the past, they’re a new customer, it’s a harder lane to service, it has tight transit times, and so on.
Because of that, the lane may have higher visibility on it. Failing to deliver the load on time — even five minutes late — can result in losing that customer.
Maybe the load doesn’t pay as much as you’re used to, but in the long run, servicing that lane will pay off — either with more freight, better-paying freight, or both.
The Importance of Servicing the Customer
Servicing the customer always matters, but it’s even more important in the customer market we’re currently in.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a carrier market. Customers would simply be glad for a driver to show up and move their freight. It didn’t matter if they were late; they just wanted a truck.
Very quickly following the height of the pandemic, we moved into a customer market due to the economy and the influx of drivers entering the market. With less freight to go around and lower rates, the customers are in control. If a driver shows up just one minute late, they can go find another carrier down the road; they have their pick.
They’re looking for perfect service. If they don’t get it, it’s easy for them to get someone else. That’s why arriving on time, communicating, and working with the customer when you’re onsite is crucial in today’s market.
Repeated service failures can make you lose customers. That won’t help you or your company out long-term. Being a team player and servicing the customer won’t just positively impact you, but it’ll help out the whole company.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Being dispatched on a load that seems less than ideal can be frustrating, but understanding the reasoning behind these decisions can help put things into perspective. Each load you haul plays a crucial role in the bigger picture of the trucking company you’re hauling for and your career.
When you're sent out of a bad market, it’s about positioning you for better opportunities. When you’re routed back into the network, it's to ensure the stability of contract freight and service commitments.
If you’re on a load heading home, your driver manager is working to honor your home time requests. And when you’re serving a new customer or an important lane, you’re contributing to building and maintaining essential relationships that benefit everyone.
In today’s customer-driven market, your performance and reliability matter more than ever. Every on-time delivery and every load, even the less desirable ones, contribute to your reputation and the company’s success. By understanding and trusting the strategies behind load assignments, you can see the long-term benefits of your efforts.
So the next time you’re questioning why you’re on a particular load, remember that each assignment is part of a strategic plan to maximize your opportunities, ensure customer satisfaction, and ultimately, boost your success in the industry. Don't be afraid to ask your driver manager why they have you on a particular load.
Remember that you can always talk to your driver manager about your concerns. Learn more about how they can make you successful and how you can work with them more efficiently in this article.