What should I ask about a trucking company’s dispatch software and load board access?
Ask who holds the accounts, whether the dispatch system and load board logins are in the company’s name or the owner’s personal name, and what happens to the data if the seller leaves. Ask how much freight comes through the boards versus direct customers, and whether you can see recent history.
Dispatch software is where a trucking company’s day-to-day knowledge lives: customers, rates, driver history, routes and delivery records. Ask whether the subscription is held by the company or by the owner personally, and whether the contract can be assigned to you. If the seller built custom reports or spreadsheets around the system, ask to see them and find out who can maintain them after closing.
Load boards deserve their own questions. Find out how much of the weekly freight is booked through them and how much comes from direct contacts. A company that depends on spot freight behaves differently from one with steady contract lanes. Ask to see a few months of booking history and compare the rates the seller reports with what the records show.
Also ask who the dispatcher is and how much of the process lives in that person’s head. If one employee knows every customer’s quirks, you want that person to stay, and you want to understand what they expect. Your lawyer can make sure account transfers, data access and any staff commitments are written into the purchase agreement. Ask for a short demonstration on a normal day, with the current dispatcher driving the screen, so you see the real workflow rather than a prepared one.
Key takeaways
- Confirm accounts are in the company’s name.
- Separate spot freight from contract customers.
- Find out who really runs dispatch day to day.
Related reading
15 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerCan a purchase agreement require the buyer’s own board approval first?
- Expert answerHow do building access keys and codes change hands when a cleaning company is sold?
- Expert answerWhat should I check before buying a board game cafe?
- Expert answerHow do I take over a contractor’s scheduling and dispatch after buying?
- Expert answerIs a truck dispatch service the same as a freight brokerage?
- Expert answerIs it better to buy an existing dispatch service or build my own?
- Expert answerWhat am I buying when I buy a truck dispatch business?
- Expert answerHow do I check a trucking fleet’s maintenance records before buying?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how many of a freight brokerage’s shippers use it for every load?
Selling
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentBusiness continuity plan (BCP) in 8 steps, with templates
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.