Start of main content

Rate Negotiation

Most dispatchers book the first available load at the posted rate and call it done. We don't. Every load offered to one of our drivers has been negotiated against the current lane average, the broker's recent history with us, and the freight's urgency. The rate you see is the rate after we've pushed.

// Included for every driver

What we handle.

Rate Negotiation is included in every driver's dispatch — no separate charge, no upcharge tier. Below is exactly what's covered.

What's covered

  • Pull current lane RPM data on every offer (from DAT RateView + our internal book)
  • Compare the broker's posted rate to the lane average — if they're below, we push back with data
  • Layer in freight urgency: "drop tonight" pays more, "drop within 5 days" pays less
  • Use broker history: brokers who routinely lowball get pushed harder; brokers who pay fair get faster yeses
  • Negotiate detention, lumper, and accessorials separately — these add up
  • Reject loads that won't move past a certain RPM floor (you set the floor at onboarding)
// Negotiation as a system

Five questions we ask before we ever counter on a rate.

Rate negotiation isn't haggling. It's a system that asks the right questions before the call. Every load we're offered, we run through five checks before we counter:

1) Is this rate above or below the 30-day lane average? If below, we counter to at least the average. If above, we accept and move on — no need to push and lose the load.
2) How urgent is the freight? "Drop tonight" loads have leverage we can use. "Drop within 5 days" don't.
3) What's our recent history with this broker? Brokers we've booked 50+ loads with get fast yeses on fair rates. New brokers get scrutiny.
4) What's the round-trip math? A great headhaul rate with no reasonable backhaul is worse than a fair headhaul rate that pairs with a $2.30 RPM return run.
5) Are detention + lumper handled? If the load has live-load risk or appointment chains, we negotiate accessorials in writing before we accept.

This system gets us a measurable 12–18% RPM lift over solo-dispatched comparable lanes. The owner-operator who wants to negotiate this hard themselves can — but it's 30 minutes per load. We do it on volume.

// FAQ — Rate Negotiation

Common questions.

Do you ever lose loads to negotiation?
Sure — about 1 in 8 loads we counter on, the broker walks. Those weren't loads worth taking. We'd rather you have one fewer load at a fair rate than five at a bad one.
Can I set my own rate floor?
Yes. At onboarding you set a $/mile minimum we won't go below. We adjust as your situation changes (e.g., last week of the month, you might lower it for volume).
What about detention?
We negotiate detention pay into every offer that has live-load risk. Standard is $50/hr after 2 hours. We also negotiate lumper reimbursement for any load that requires it.

All FAQ →

Ready to drive smarter?

Apply now and a US-based dispatcher will call you within the hour to walk through onboarding. No contract. No setup fee. Just better loads.