Dedicated lane trucking is when a company dedicates their trucks and drivers to a specific customer or shipper. This means they’re hauling the same freight on the same route at the set rate. Drivers might have set pickup and dropout times and locations, and the routes can vary from local to regional to even long distance.
On a dedicated lane, the carrier plans things carefully, like making sure experienced drivers are driving and putting the trucks in the right places ahead of time. This makes deliveries happen at the right time and creates trust with shippers.
For carriers, dedicated freight lanes mean steady income and financial security. Because the carrier is so reliable, shippers give them competitive freight transportation rates as compensation for this consistent and dependable service. Both sides benefit from the increased efficiency, stability, and openness.
“Same freight from the same place to the same place at the same rate”
Table of Contents
How to get dedicated lanes as an owner operator?
Explore Freight Insights
- Review load boards and market data
- Identify lanes with consistent, high-volume freight flows
- Focus on origin-destination pairs with frequent postings
Sketch Your Routes
- Develop a trucking zones map
- Map potentially profitable routes
- Prioritize connections between major markets
Crunch the Numbers
- Calculate operational costs for dedicated lanes
- Include fuel, tolls, driver wages, and equipment leases
- Consider potential revenue from backhaul truckloads
Seal the Deal
- Negotiate favorable contracts with shippers
- Secure written agreements for guaranteed volumes
- Ensure a year commitment
Ready, Set, Deploy
- Assign reliable driver teams
- Position trailing equipment along the route
- Establish support facilities like drop lots
Keep Refining
- Continuously refine strategies
- Fine-tune freight prices
- Optimize loads through market analysis
Pros of owner operator dedicated lanes
Stability
As an owner operator, you can enjoy a consistent income with a clear understanding of your earnings. Additionally, in times when the market is tough, having a dedicated lane can give you the sense of financial security. Since you’ll be driving the same route every day, you’ll more likely accumulate miles as well.
Consistent loads
Being a dedicated lane carrier not only means having a stable income, but also knowing what to expect each week. You’ll have a clear understanding of the freight you’ll be hauling, the days you’ll be running your routes, and the type of cargo you’ll be transporting. Many drivers like this kind of consistency as it eliminates the stress of securing new loads every day.
Consistent home time
Shippers have established pickup and delivery times that you must adhere to, but this can assist you in maintaining a consistent schedule. You won’t have to deal with fluctuating hours, working intensely one week and then returning to normal hours the next.Depending on the route arrangement, you may have the option to go home daily, every other day, every weekend, or every couple of weeks. The key advantage is that you’ll always have a clear understanding of when you’ll be heading home.
Strong relationships
You get to see the same shippers and receivers over and over. This can be a big plus for drivers who like to interact with people, plus it can make this job feel less lonely since you’re building those relationships with those familiar faces.
Safety
Driving the same routes consistently as a dedicated lane carrier allows you to become familiar with the roads, locations, and people you’ll encounter. TThis can help you stay safer on the road. Knowing the route well enables you to anticipate and avoid potential hazards.
Tools to construct dedicated lanes
Intellitrux
IntelliTrux uses smart technology to suggest the best routes for your trucking business. It is great for making custom routes that fit your business.It looks at your specific details, like how much you charge, your costs, and who your customers are.
Unlike other tools, IntelliTrux keeps working for you, helping you manage your routes in a way that fits your business.
IntelliTrux Benefits
- Increase revenue per mile with optimized lane planning
- Minimize empty miles and backhaul costs
- Maximize asset utilization, adapt to business changes, and strengthen customer relationships
SONAR
SONAR delivers users the latest and most current freight data. It helps identify opportunities to optimize your network and see emerging market trends before the competition.
The platform consolidates data from various freight sources, including electronic tenders, transportation management systems, electronic logging devices, fuel purchasing systems, bills of lading data, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and telematics.
SONAR Benefits
- Efficiently identifies optimal freight lanes
- Offers real-time transparency into the market
- Enhances operational performance through data-driven decision-making and risk reduction
Truckstop
In revolutionizing freight optimization, Truckstop stands out by integrating load board and lane analysis tools into a unified platform. Now, carriers can quickly find and secure the best routes for their deliveries without extra steps.
What sets Truckstop apart is its commitment to embedding crucial data, such as truck rate data and consistency metrics, directly into load offers. This means that lane intelligence becomes an integral part of the load evaluation process, eliminating the need for separate and time-consuming analysis. Truckstop is like having a smart helper that not only finds the best routes but also gives all the important info in one go. It’s perfect for anyone who wants a simpler and smarter way to plan their deliveries!
Truckstop Benefits
- Easily find the best trucking lanes
- Do tasks without switching between systems
- Make smarter load decisions and negotiate better rates
Profitable freight lanes
According to FreightWaves, the following are the profitable freight lanes based on the historical data:
Dallas to Los Angeles: Major ports, distribution centers, and inland hubs for long-haul opportunities and attractive dry van freight rates.
Atlanta to Chicago: Major markets with abundant backhaul loads, featuring quick transit times.
Orlando to Atlanta: Constant trucking demand for theme parks and tourists, often involving refrigerated loads.
Salt Lake City to Portland: Essential for connecting port shipments to inland hubs, offering profitable backhauls in biofuel and agricultural loads.
Denver to Dallas: Mileage-rich runs with high freight lane rates, driven by oil and gas shipments. Return loads include consumer goods and electronics.
Nashville to Memphis: Bustling short-haul route connecting major logistics hubs, ensuring consistent loads, especially in retail store deliveries.
Boston to Newark: Travels the bustling I-95 corridor, facilitating imports to densely populated centers. Specialized loads elevate truckload rates.
New Orleans to Houston: Key lane for petrochemical and oil products, with heightened demand post-hurricane rebuilding efforts.
Conclusion
Finding your way to owner operator dedicated lanes from shippers might feel tricky, but this guide has given you a good overview. It’s a bit like planning a road trip – you need the right tools, such as IntelliTrux, SONAR, and Truckstop, to make the journey smoother. So, stay consistent and focused.
Yoga Laxmi
Sometimes English is just silly. That's what got me hooked on writing in the first place. Why on earth can't "grateful" be spelled "greatful"? Here's the thing, I love untangling the knots of language just as much as I love untangling the complexities of logistics. In my blog posts, I'll do both! No "greatful" mistakes here, just good info and a smooth journey through the world of shipping.
