Truck dispatcher cold call script for owner-operators
A complete script your agents can use today: the first twenty seconds, the questions that qualify a carrier, the pitch, the close, a voicemail and the texts that follow. Copy any block, change the parts in brackets and say it out loud a few times before the first call.
Trial includes 2 sales agents and 1 dispatcher. No credit card.
Before you dial
Have these in front of you, so the call sounds like you called this carrier on purpose:
- The carrier's name, the owner's name if you have it, and the MC number
- Equipment and fleet size, and where the truck is based
- How long the carrier has had its operating authority
- The lanes and freight your dispatchers book well
- Your fee and terms, in one sentence
- Your calendar, so a callback gets a real time
The opener: the first twenty seconds
Say who you are, why you are calling this carrier, and ask a question the owner can answer in a few words. A question about how they find loads today gets a real answer more often than a pitch does.
Hi, is this [owner name]? This is [your name] with [company]. I'll be quick. We dispatch [equipment] trucks running [region or lanes], and I'm calling owner-operators who run there. Are you booking your own loads right now, or does someone handle that for you?
Questions that qualify the carrier
Ask, listen and write the answers in the carrier record while you talk. These answers become the dispatcher's first briefing if the carrier signs.
Where is the truck sitting right now, and where do you like to run? What are you hauling most weeks, and what do you stay away from? How many trucks do you run, and do you drive yourself? What do you need per mile to make the week work? How are you finding loads today, and how much of your day does it take? When do you go home, and how many days are you usually out? Do you work with a factoring company?
The pitch
Keep it to what you do, what the carrier keeps control of, and the fee. Owner-operators have heard long pitches before; the short one gets questions.
Here's what we do. We find and negotiate the loads, handle the broker setup and the rate confirmation, and send you the options before anything is booked. You approve every load. Our fee is [your fee] of the gross on loads we book for you, and [your terms, for example: no long-term contract].
The close
If they hesitate, agree on a time for the next call before you hang up. A call that ends with a date on both calendars is a good call.
Let's try one week. Send me your MC, your certificate of insurance and a W-9, and I'll have load options for you by [time] tomorrow. What's the best email for our dispatch agreement?
Answers to six common objections
That makes sense, most owner-operators start that way. How many hours a day go into searching and calling brokers? We take that part off your plate, and you still approve every load.
Fair question. Let's look at one week. If we book you more in gross than you'd book on your own, the fee pays for itself. If we don't, [your terms].
I'm sorry to hear that. What went wrong? Here's how we work: you see every rate confirmation before it's signed, you approve every load, and you get a statement every week that shows the gross, our fee and your net.
Sure. What's the best email? I'll send our agreement and a one-page summary, and I'll call you [day] at [time] to answer questions. Does that work?
No problem, stay safe. When are you stopped today, at lunch or after you deliver? I'll call you then.
Got it. Are you planning to run under your own authority at some point? When you do, I'd like to be your first call. Can I check back with you in a couple of months?
Voicemail
Hi [name], this is [your name] with [company]. We dispatch [equipment] trucks in [region], and I have a quick question about your lanes. Call or text me back at [number]. Again, [your name], [number].
Follow-up texts
Send the first text right after a voicemail or a missed call, then space the next ones out. Put your name and company in the first line every time.
Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. Just called about dispatching your [equipment]. Are you looking for help booking loads, or all set for now?
Hi [name], [your name] again. We're booking [equipment] out of [region] this week. Want me to send you a couple of load options so you can see how we work?
Hi [name], last check from [your name] at [company]. If you ever want a dispatcher for [region], save this number. Safe driving.
Make the script your team's habit
A script works when every agent uses the same version and the manager can hear how it lands. Practice the opener and the six objections in pairs before the shift, and review a few recorded outcomes at the end of the week to see which line loses people.
In KeepCarrier, the Call Guide shows your version of this script on every carrier record next to that carrier's details, and the Academy trains new agents on it before their first call.
Questions
Is this truck dispatcher script free to use?
Yes. Copy it, change the parts in brackets and use it with your team.
Can I save the script as a PDF?
Use your browser's print option and choose Save as PDF, or copy the blocks into your own document.
How long should a dispatch cold call be?
Long enough to qualify the carrier and agree on a next step. A short call that ends with a scheduled callback is better than a long pitch to someone who is driving.
Should I call or text owner-operators first?
Call first. A text works best as a follow-up that mentions the call, with your name and company in the first line.
Put the script on every carrier record
Start the 7-day trial with 2 sales agents and 1 dispatcher. Add your script to the Call Guide and give every agent a targeted queue to call.