Like many of you owner-operators who have been company drivers for a number of years, I have been a company dispatcher for 7 years. In the US, 91% of carriers have less than 6 trucks, and 97% have less than 20 trucks. I would say that those who have 5-7 trucks or more probably rent an office where they have a dispatcher, accountant, safety person, recruiter, and manager, or even more people, depending on the size of the company. However, smaller carriers can save by outsourcing and having their staff work remotely without a physical office. Surely, one owner-operator might do everything by himself as well (the multitool analogy). It's an advantage for smaller carriers.

When I started, I noticed that an independent dispatcher is not really welcome in the trucking industry because the DAT load board and Truckstop, two main players, refused to let me, an independent dispatcher, even register with them. They haven't explained the reason, but I assume it's because there has been a lot of fraudulent activity going on lately, for example, fake carriers pretending to be somebody else and booking loads. That's not a big deal for me because I can use the carrier's MC # and work under their MC.

I know for sure as a fact that some carriers who have owner-operators working under them are cheating by altering rate confirmations and paying owners less. This happens because money goes through the larger carriers under whom the owner-operators are working. When I was looking for a job as a company dispatcher, I was offered a job that paid a percentage and 20% of the "cut" that I, as a dispatcher, may take off the owner-operator's load rate. "Cut," as I was explained, is the money that the owner-operator will not even know existed since the rate confirmation he got was "cured," showing a lesser rate (which is very easy to do with any PDF editing software). It is one of the dishonest practices that bigger carriers use, taking advantage of drivers.

I hope I can help owner-operators as an independent dispatcher working remotely and getting paid exclusively by the owner-operator without even touching the money that the owner-operator receives directly into his account from the broker (or Factoring Company). And I suppose my clients are small (1-5 trucks) carriers who cannot afford to rent an office.

As an independent dispatcher, I can serve as a One-Stop Remote Office for owner-operators and provide not only dispatching but also paperwork handling, including billing. I researched and found Transportation Management Software (TMS) that allows me to do this. I researched and liked three TMS programs: trucking365.io, truckingoffice.com, and thefreetms.com (AscendTMS). I decided on the last one since it is the most sophisticated and offers the possibility of integration with other software tools in case I need them. Even the free version allows for limited driver track and trace via cell phone GPS, load financials and profit monitoring, automatic route review and load optimization, all load documentation, invoicing, simple broker credit checks, location management, load search, truck matching, and much more.

With the development of AI and the recent arrival of Chat GPT and its possibilities, one might think that truck drivers will no longer be needed in 10-15 years. However, I would like to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to my advantage as a dispatcher. I checked Chat GPT version 3.5, and it's still lacking; however, Chat GPT version 4.0 is ten times smarter and faster, and it lets us optimize very simple processes that repeat themselves. At this time, as a solo entrepreneur, I would not have the resources to create such an app that could book loads. But I heard that some big carriers already have an app that can book loads according to the parameters provided. It was IT people who created and started this particular carrier company. What happens is a Voice Bot calls the broker and asks main questions about the load, such as the time of pickup and delivery, the weight and commodity, and the rate. The interesting thing is that this Voice Bot can be the fastest in calling the broker and surpass all the other 30-50 dispatchers since they can never beat a computer in how fast it can dial a phone number. I cannot say for sure if it's accurate, but the idea is very appealing. The world is truly changing, and changing faster than we might imagine. The future looks bright, where we will no longer need to work but can enjoy family time, nature, and its beauty.

In conclusion, we can provide a One-Stop Remote Office solution for Owner-Operators, handling not only Professional Dry Van Dispatch Service but also Invoices, Full Accounting Features, IFTA Reports, and Document Management. However, at this time, it is in the testing stage, and you still have to do your own taxes or hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Since everything a CPA receives will be well organized, the work for them will be a breeze, potentially resulting in lower costs for you. For drivers who have lost paper BOLs or checks in the past, submitting these documents to us will ensure they are digitally saved in the Cloud and cannot be lost. When tax time arrives, everything will be neatly organized, simplifying the process. This setup allows the owner-operator to focus on driving, truck maintenance, and have more time for family and leisure activities. Additionally, the Transportation Management System (TMS) features a reminder setting for tracking driver's license, medical, plates, insurance, or other related document expirations, providing ample time for preparation. Some drivers have faced unexpected rushes to renew it due to not paying attention to expiration dates, resulting in lost time and money, which could be avoided with our assistance.

Currently, many carriers are facing financial challenges, with some going bankrupt. It is crucial to innovate as the old ways of doing things may no longer be effective. Flexibility is key. While many carriers still prefer traditional "brick and mortar" offices, taking a cue from Amazon's digital transformation, which begun in 1994 as a bookstore, can illustrate the benefits of digitization and adaptation. Outsourcing your office functions can lead to cost savings. Post-COVID, people have become adept at working from home efficiently, achieving similar results while saving on office rental and maintenance costs. By leveraging software and AI, one person can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency by digitizing and optimizing repetitive daily processes. In the future, every carrier will operate akin to an Uber driver, potentially eliminating the need for brokers and dispatchers. However, with the advancement of "smart" trucks, even the drivers themselves may no longer be necessary.