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Free guides · updated October 29, 2026

Trucking back-office guides

How the work is really done in US trucking companies: factoring, billing, rate confirmations, broker checks, driver pay and dispatching math. Written from real cases.

Trucking glossarySafety checklists

Factoring and billing

Billing, Factoring & PayrollWhat is factoring in trucking?Freight factoring is selling your load invoices to a factoring company. It pays you most of the invoice within…
Billing, Factoring & PayrollRecourse vs non-recourse factoringWith recourse factoring, the carrier buys back any invoice the broker does not pay. With non-recourse, the fac…
Billing, Factoring & PayrollDetention, TONU, layover, lumperAccessorials are extra charges on a load: detention (waiting beyond the free time, usually 2 hours), layover (…
Billing, Factoring & PayrollShort pay and chargebackA short pay is when a broker pays less than the invoice; a chargeback is when it takes back money already paid…
Billing, Factoring & PayrollHow to invoice a trucking loadA trucking invoice must show your legal name with MC and DOT numbers, a unique invoice number, the exact "Bill…
Billing, Factoring & PayrollHow truck driver pay is calculatedCompany drivers are usually paid per mile (for example $0.70–0.80) or a lower percentage of freight (often 23–…

Dispatching

DispatchingHow to read a rate confirmationA rate confirmation (rate con, RC) is the load's contract: what is written on it gets paid, and everything wri…
DispatchingHow to check a freight brokerA legal broker has active FMCSA broker authority, a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund, and a BOC-3 process age…
DispatchingHow to calculate rate per mileTrue rate per mile = load rate ÷ (loaded miles + deadhead miles). A load paying $2,400 for 800 loaded miles wi…
DispatchingHow to become a truck dispatcherA truck dispatcher keeps trucks moving with well-paid loads, legally and safely, and makes sure every load get…

Safety and compliance

DQ files, drug and alcohol, roadside inspections, audits: see the safety compliance resources, each with a free explanation page.

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