Published October 14, 2026 · 5 minute read · By the Logcon dispatch team
Dedicated trucking means a carrier assigns specific trucks and drivers to your freight on a planned schedule. A common carrier hauls your load alongside many other customers' freight on its own network. A freight broker does not own trucks: it finds a carrier for you and manages the booking.
Dedicated trucking
In a dedicated arrangement, the carrier builds its equipment, drivers and schedule around one customer's lanes. The same drivers tend to run the same routes, learn the receiving docks and keep to the same appointment windows. The relationship is closer to a standing service than a one-off booking.
It suits shippers with recurring volume, strict delivery windows, special handling or site rules, and a need to know who is arriving and when.
Common carriers
A common carrier offers transportation to the general public on its own network and schedule. Less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers are the familiar example: your pallets share a trailer with other customers' freight and may move through terminals on the way.
This works well for smaller or irregular shipments where a full truck would be wasteful. The trade-off is less control over timing, more handling, and a different driver and truck each time.
Freight brokers
A broker is an intermediary. It sells you a shipment and then sources a carrier to move it, usually from a network of carriers it has vetted. Brokers are useful for finding capacity quickly or covering unusual lanes.
The carrier that actually shows up can change from load to load, so the service is only as consistent as the broker's carrier selection. It is worth asking who will physically haul your freight.
How to choose
- Recurring weekly or daily volume on set lanes: dedicated service is usually the best fit.
- Small, occasional shipments: a common carrier or LTL service is usually more economical.
- A one-off or hard-to-cover load: a broker can help find capacity.
- Strict windows, secure or high-value freight, or temperature control: ask any provider how they guarantee consistency and what records they keep.
Frequently asked
Is dedicated trucking more expensive than a common carrier?
It depends on volume. Dedicated service is priced around reserved equipment and a schedule, so it tends to make the most sense when you ship often enough to use that capacity. For small irregular shipments, a common carrier is usually cheaper.
Does a dedicated carrier own its own trucks?
That is worth asking any carrier directly. Logcon runs a GPS-tracked fleet of dry vans, reefers, straight trucks and cargo vans from its Oakville yard.