Dedicated freight

Definition

Contracted lanes run for one shipper on a schedule, not loads bought off a board.

Why It Matters

It is the difference between a business and a bet. Dedicated work prices lower per mile and holds through a soft freight market, while spot loads pay well in a strong one and vanish in a weak one, taking the year with them. A book that is mostly spot has revenue a buyer cannot underwrite, and a lender reads it the same way. Ask for the split by month across three years, because a single strong quarter of spot work will otherwise carry the whole trailing twelve months.