LEASE PURCHASE DISPATCH
Lease purchase dispatch: who dispatches whom, and how to get it right
Lease purchase dispatch confuses two groups of people for opposite reasons. Carriers running leased owner-operators want those units loaded without breaking the lease. Lease-purchase drivers want better loads than they're getting. The authority, the lease and the rules decide who can do what. Here's the honest map, and where we fit.
UNIT 02
The lease map: who dispatches whom
Everything starts with whose authority the truck runs under. Follow each branch to see who books its loads and what document decides it.
Authorized carrier
Holds the MC and USDOT number, the insurance and the customers. Has exclusive possession and control of leased equipment during the lease.
Leased owner-operator
Owns the truck, leases it with a driver to the carrier
DISPATCHED BY
The carrier, or the carrier's dispatcher, within the lease
DOCUMENT TO CHECK
The lease: compensation, chargebacks, escrow, insurance Truth-in-leasing lease contentsWritten lease: compensation, chargebacks, escrow, insurance, pay within 15 days, freight bill copies49 CFR 376.12: the lease gives the authorized carrier exclusive possession and control of the equipment for its term (c)(1), states the compensation (d), lists every chargeback and how it is computed (h), sets escrow terms with return within 45 days of termination (k), addresses insurance (j), requires payment within 15 days of submitting delivery paperwork (f), and, when pay is a percentage of revenue, a copy of the rated freight bill (g).49 CFR 376.12Checked Oct 2026
Lease-purchase driver
Drives a truck they're buying through the carrier or a related company
DISPATCHED BY
The carrier, under its authority, as the lease and policy say
DOCUMENT TO CHECK
Your lease and the purchase contract: load refusal, home time, who finds freight
Outside dispatcher
Works for one party under a written agreement
DISPATCHED BY
Works for the carrier (us, for example), never for the driver around the carrier
DOCUMENT TO CHECK
The dispatch agreement with the carrier
The key line in federal leasing rules is control. While a truck is leased to a carrier, the lease gives that carrier exclusive possession, control and use of it Truth-in-leasing lease contentsWritten lease: compensation, chargebacks, escrow, insurance, pay within 15 days, freight bill copies49 CFR 376.12: the lease gives the authorized carrier exclusive possession and control of the equipment for its term (c)(1), states the compensation (d), lists every chargeback and how it is computed (h), sets escrow terms with return within 45 days of termination (k), addresses insurance (j), requires payment within 15 days of submitting delivery paperwork (f), and, when pay is a percentage of revenue, a copy of the rated freight bill (g).49 CFR 376.12Checked Oct 2026. That's why a leased driver can't hire an outside dispatcher to book loads on the side under the carrier's name: the carrier is responsible for the truck and the freight it carries.
What the rule doesn't settle is how loads get offered. Whether a leased owner-operator can turn down a load, how many, and what happens if they do is mostly up to the lease and the carrier's written policy. Read that part twice before you sign. This is a plain explanation, not legal advice; a transportation attorney can review a specific lease.
UNIT 03
For carriers with leased units
You hold the authority. We work for you, and we dispatch your leased units inside the terms you've agreed with each owner-operator.
Each lease on its own rules card
Pay basis, load refusal terms, home time and equipment, so offers match the lease.Offers go to the right person
You decide who approves loads for each leased unit: you, or the owner-operator within your policy.Rate cons to the carrier
Brokers contract with your company, so the rate con comes to you and you settle with the owner-operator.Paperwork that supports settlements
Rated freight bills and load details ready for the settlement the lease requires.
A carrier with company trucks and leased owner-operators runs two pay systems at once. Company drivers get mileage or percentage pay; owner-operators get whatever the lease says, minus the chargebacks it lists. If the owner-operator is paid a percentage of the load, the lease rules require that they can see the rated freight bill. The desk keeps that paperwork clean so settlements match.
Fairness matters more with leased units, because they're paying for their own fuel and truck. Owner-operators who feel the company trucks get the good loads leave. Every unit gets offers by written rules, and you can see each unit's weekly report. For a deeper look at running both, read our guide to hiring owner-operators.
The fee: every leased unit counts toward your fleet size, so a carrier with two company trucks and three leased units pays 4% per truck. See the dispatch rates.
UNIT 04
For lease-purchase drivers: the honest version
We can't dispatch your truck while it's leased to another carrier. Not won't: can't. Your loads come through the carrier whose authority you run under, and an outside dispatcher booking freight around them would put you in breach of your lease. Anyone offering to do that is setting you up for trouble.
What you can do is understand your contract. Many lease-purchase programs are built so the truck payment, maintenance escrow and chargebacks come out of every settlement before you see a dollar. Add those up per week and compare them with what you take home. Our guide to lease operator trucking walks through the math.
EXAMPLE A driver grossing $5,800 a week at a 70% split keeps $4,060. Minus a $1,050 truck payment, $1,500 in fuel, $300 escrow and $200 in chargebacks leaves $1,010 before taxes. Run your own numbers; contracts vary a lot.
Payments that never shrink
Escrow you can't find
Chargebacks not in the lease
Walking away costs the truck
The path out is your own authority, if the numbers work: your own MC, insurance, registrations and broker setups. That's where we can help, from day one. Start with our new authority dispatch page, which covers what has to be in place before your first load.
UNIT 05
Lease and dispatch questions
01Can a lease-purchase driver use a dispatcher?
Usually not an outside one. While you're leased on, you haul under the carrier's authority, and the carrier controls the equipment for the term of the lease. Whether you can find your own loads at all depends on your lease and the carrier's policy. Read the lease, then ask the carrier in writing.
02Can you dispatch owner-operators leased to my company?
Yes. We work for your company, the authorized carrier, and dispatch leased units the same way as company trucks, within what each lease allows. Every leased unit counts toward your fleet size for the fee: 4% per truck from two trucks.
03What does a truth-in-leasing agreement have to include?
Federal rules require a written lease that states the compensation, lists every chargeback and how it's calculated, sets escrow terms and when escrow is returned, covers insurance, requires payment within 15 days of submitting delivery paperwork, and gives the owner-operator a copy of the rated freight bill when pay is a percentage. The details are in 49 CFR 376.12.
04What happens when a driver finishes a lease-purchase?
If the contract is completed as written, the driver owns the truck and can keep leasing to a carrier as an owner-operator or get their own authority. Many stay leased on for a while to build savings. Getting your own MC means your own insurance, registrations and freight, which is where an outside dispatcher can help.
Our opinion: lease-purchase isn't always a trap, but it's rarely the cheapest way to own a truck. If you can save a down payment and finance a truck yourself, you usually keep far more of every load. If you can't yet, a fair lease with a clear buyout and an honest carrier can be a bridge. Read every line first.
Leased units, loaded within the lease
Carriers: tell us about your company trucks and leased owner-operators. A dispatcher calls back, sets each unit's rules, and every load stays your call.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new