Lease-On vs. Dispatch Under Your Own MC

Owner-operators looking for dispatch support usually run into the same fork in the road: lease onto someone else's authority, or keep your own MC and pay for dispatch services. Both paths can put freight under your wheels and take the back-office work off your plate — but they fit different situations.

Lease-On: Let Someone Else Carry the Compliance

Leasing onto a carrier's authority means you're driving under their MC number, their insurance, and their compliance program. In exchange, you usually give up a percentage of the linehaul rather than paying a flat dispatch fee. For Fair Miles' lease-on program, drivers keep 80% of gross linehaul and get weekly settlements, with insurance, IFTA, and permits all filed for them.

This route tends to make sense if:

• You don't have your own authority yet, or don't want the paperwork of maintaining one
• You'd rather have someone else carry primary liability and cargo insurance
• You want a single weekly settlement instead of managing invoicing and collections yourself

Dispatch Under Your Own MC: Keep the Authority, Outsource the Booking

If you already have an active MC and insurance, dispatch services let you keep full control of your business while someone else books loads and negotiates rates. Fair Miles' dispatch service charges 5% of linehaul or a flat $250 per truck per week, with no setup fee and no forced dispatch.

This route tends to make sense if:

• You already hold an active FMCSA authority in good standing
• You want to keep your own customer relationships and branding
• You'd rather pay a percentage or flat fee than give up a share of linehaul to a lease carrier

Still Not Sure?

The honest answer is that both paths lead to the same dispatch team and the same freight — the difference is who carries the authority and how you're paid. See the full side-by-side comparison, or call (947) 219-3463 and describe what you're running; a dispatcher can usually tell you which option fits in a few minutes.