If you are running on your own, you can pick and choose what you haul, if you lease to a carrier, you need to find up front if they have "forced dispatch" this means you will haul whatever they tell you to.

If you own the truck you can decline any load for any reason. Just because a load is offered doesn't necessarily mean that you must take it. There are a few carriers who still have forced dispatch, even for owner operators. Most don't. You know that when you sign the contract. I suppose that I am still not completely clear as to whether you plan on running your own authority or leasing to a carrier. To be honest, the most important thing I look at is the total rate. If the rate is good enough then the fsc becomes less important. Military freight has been pretty cheap the last several months. We were getting good rates last year on military runs. Of course, we were getting good rates on pretty much everything last year. The fsc becomes more important when you lease to a carrier. If you have your own trailer and lease to a carrier you will probably be paid about 75% of the rate plus fsc. The fsc is taken out of the gross rate and then you will be paid 75% of the balance. When you run your authority it really makes little difference other than as a negotiating tool. Either he load pays enough to haul or it doesn't.

that not how it works with me, I get 80% of the gross rate and then the fuel surcharge is added to that.
example. lowest paid load last week gross rate $1,1250 brokerage 20% $222.50 net rate $890.00 fuel surcharge .26 cents a mile 827 miles. $215.02 total pay $1105.02.

Wow, $13.60 plus fsc! man, where do i sign up!? Still, a $1.51 plus fsc is a pretty good rate. Is this typical with tankers? Reefers are averaging $1.40 all told.

I only used 75% since that seems to be what most carriers pay owner operators with their own trailer. I know of one carrier who did pay 85%. I have no idea if that is still the same cut. If the fsc is not separated from the rate then most carriers will back out the fsc and then do the split with the owner operator. The fsc should be passed along at 100%.

The fsc is basically like a shell game. It can help to offset the high fuel cost spikes, but the real problem has always been the rate. If the rate is high enough the fsc becomes less important. Most carriers will take the fsc out of the rate and pay on the balance unless it is already separated on the rate confirmation. The only difference is in how the fsc is calculated.

for all miles last year, I averaged $1.68 a mile, this is pretty typical for non-hazmat tanker, we have one load about twice a month,that goes 12 miles round trip and pays $240.00 to the truck.. try that with a reefer.

Don't know about the reefer, but occasionally, i did 10 miles round for $350 to the truck, with dry box. I'm not saying that's a norm tho.....

After my new RoadBrute step arrives from the Wilson plant, I'm switching from Cnd$1.12/mi + FSC to 82% of the gross plus 100% of FSC they get from shippers. On the dry van side (where I'm now) they calculate the FSC based on the price of fuel in our yard. On the flatbed/stepdeck side, O/Os get 100% of what the carrier gets from each shipper. Deductions from the pay include charges for health insurance, truck insurance, plates, and "licensing". I'm in Ontario, Canada.

I tried saying 'no' to a return load from US to Canada and my dispatcher said I cannot do this. Turns out I can only decline loads that originate in Canada (my home). Weird ...

Well, here is a "catch21" No pay for DH miles, and if you are going to run US, I'd guess, it might be a lot!
It might be nothing, especially with the brokers freight.
Not saying it ain't worth it, just pointing a downside....