Editorial policy

Our guides and calculators are written for owner-operators and small fleets who run open-deck freight and make real decisions with what they read. This page explains how we research, check and correct them.

Who writes our guides

Guides are written by the FlatbedDispatch Dispatch Desk, the people who book flatbed, step deck and conestoga loads every day. When individual writers are credited, their names and real backgrounds will appear on each guide. We never publish under invented names.

Official sources first

• Regulations are cited to the section, such as 49 CFR 393.110 for tiedown counts or 23 CFR 658.17 for weight, and checked against the current text before publishing.
• Registration, insurance and tax steps link to FMCSA, the IRS or the responsible agency.
• Company facts, such as a lease program or a load board price, come only from that company's own current pages, with the date we checked. We do not invent rankings, ratings or reviews, and any comparison states its criteria.
• Market numbers, such as rates per mile or diesel prices, come from a named public source with the period they cover.

Dates and EXAMPLE labels

Every guide and calculator shows when it was last updated, and every source in its list shows when we checked it. When there is no public source for a number, such as a typical tarp rate or one carrier's costs, we use clearly labeled EXAMPLE numbers and say so. EXAMPLE numbers illustrate the math; they are not market data or promises.

Rate references are reviewed monthly when new national averages are published.

Independence

We sell one thing: flatbed dispatch. We do not accept payment to mention or rank a company, and naming a company is not an endorsement or a partnership. Where our own service is relevant, we say so plainly.

Not advice

Guides are general information, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice. See our terms.

Corrections

If you spot an error or an outdated number, tell us through the contact page. We check it against the source, fix the page, and update its date. Significant corrections are noted on the page.