Truck Dispatch Glossary (2026)

Bill of lading (BOL): The shipping document that lists the freight, signed at pickup.
Broker: A company with FMCSA broker authority that arranges freight between shippers and carriers.
Broker setup packet: The paperwork a carrier sends a broker before the first load: authority, insurance certificate, W-9 and payment details.
Deadhead: Miles driven empty.
Detention: Pay for waiting past the free time at a shipper or receiver.
Dispatch agreement: The written contract between a carrier and its dispatcher.
Double brokering: Re-brokering a load without permission, a common scheme that can leave carriers unpaid.
Factoring: Selling invoices to get paid in days instead of weeks, for a fee.
Gross: Total revenue before expenses or fees.
Layover: Pay when a truck is held overnight or longer waiting for a load.
Lumper: A worker paid to unload freight at a warehouse.
MC number: A carrier's or broker's operating authority number from the FMCSA.
Power only: Hauling a trailer owned by someone else with your tractor.
Proof of delivery (POD): The signed delivery document needed to get paid.
Rate confirmation (rate con): The broker's written confirmation of a load's rate and details.
Revenue per mile: Gross divided by total miles, including deadhead. The number to watch.
TONU: Truck ordered, not used: a fee when a load is canceled after the truck was dispatched.

Truck dispatch glossary