Dedicated freight is a trucking solution in which a carrier allocates a fixed fleet of trucks and drivers exclusively to a single shipper under a long-term agreement. In this model the carrier “dedicates” equipment and personnel to the customer’s lanes or regions on a multi-year contract.
Dedicated trucking provides reliable capacity that is contracted, and consistent, yet flexible to scale with business needs. Unlike common carriers or brokers that haul loads on a spot-by-shipper basis, a dedicated provider guarantees committed trucks to one customer. And unlike a private fleet (where the shipper owns the trucks and hires the drivers), dedicated carriers own the tractors and trailers themselves and assume the risks of maintenance, insurance, and driver management. In effect, a dedicated freight solution gives shippers the benefits of a private fleet without the capital investment and liability of owning the assets.