What should I ask about a truck dispatch service’s carrier and broker accounts?

Start with the list. Ask for every carrier the service dispatches for and every broker or shipper whose loads it books. Note how long each has been an account, how much income it brings and who on the team manages it. A few big accounts can make the business look steadier than it is.

Next, follow the money. Ask how the service is paid: a share of each load, a flat fee, or something else. See how long payment takes and whether anyone is slow. Ask your accountant to look at the receivables and payables together, and at any disputed or written-off invoices. If the service collects from brokers for its carriers, ask whether any carrier has ever been paid late, and how it reacted.

Then test the relationships. Ask whether agreements are written or informal, and ask your lawyer what they say about ending and transfer. Speak with a few carriers and brokers, with the seller’s agreement. Ask whether they deal with the owner, a dispatcher or the company. If everything runs through the owner’s personal phone, plan how those contacts will move to you.

Key takeaways

• List every carrier and broker account with its share of income and length of relationship.
• Ask how each is paid and how long payment takes.
• Find out whether the relationship belongs to the owner or to the company.
• Speak to a few accounts, with the seller’s agreement.