How do I write down my dispatch company’s load assignment rules for a buyer?

Begin by watching yourself. For a week, note each load, who you gave it to and the reason: the driver’s location, hours, equipment, the customer’s preferences, or fairness between drivers. These small reasons are your rules. Most owners are surprised how many there are.

Then put them in order. Write the rules in the sequence you use them, and mark the exceptions: the customer who only accepts certain drivers, the driver you protect after a hard week, the load that is hard to cover. Add what you do when no one fits. Keep each rule short and give one example.

Finally, test it. Choose a handful of recent loads without telling a colleague what you chose, have them apply the rules and compare. Fix gaps. Show the final version to a buyer along with how it has changed over time. Ask your lawyer whether any of the rules touch employment or contract terms, such as how drivers are treated. Keep the document in one place, with a date, so the buyer knows it is current.

Key takeaways

• Note each load and the reason behind your choice for a week.
• Write the rules in order, with exceptions marked and one example each.
• Test them on real recent loads with someone who did not make the original choice.
• Date the document and keep it in one place.