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For carrier best practices, access our carrier security guide here.

Together, we can make the logistics industry safer

With fraud on the rise in our industry, shipping vehicles safely has never been more important. To help our shippers meet this challenging moment, we’ve taken major steps to make secure and confident shipping easier. But everyone has a role to play – while we’ve strengthened our tools and processes, it’s important that you also take steps to protect yourself.  

So be sure to read our best practices for staying safe and secure from listing to delivery, so you can use Central Dispatch with maximum confidence and security.

Secure Your Account

Sharing your sign-in details with others, even people who work for you, can expose you to fraud and unauthorized access. So, we highly recommend setting up User Management as soon as you activate your account with us.

This gives contractors, employees, or people outside your organization their own Central Dispatch login credentials and minimizes the risks of identity theft when sharing your own account credentials. You can also set guardrails on what business information they can view, helping you avoid potential account security risks.

Plus, with reinforced multi-factor authentication, every Central Dispatch account has an extra layer of protection from unauthorized access. Your mobile phone number is the preferred verification method, and the most secure.

Be sure to be cautious about who you add as a user, and always vet any third party companies or contractors before giving them an account under User Management. Account owners and admins should regularly review the user activity history to monitor for unexpected changes.

While Central Dispatch is here to support you with best practices to keep your account secure, you are responsible for any conduct that occurs on your account.

Verify Your Carrier Before Dispatching 

Many cases of fraud can be avoided with a few important security checks before dispatching, and all of them can be done easily from the carrier’s Central Dispatch profile.  

Check their FMCSA details with our FMCSA checklist, which displays a carrier’s current USDOT#, MC# (if applicable), verification of address, and more. Authorized and reputable carriers will have this information up-to-date.  

You can also view any available insurance documents they’ve uploaded to Central Dispatch. Consider contacting the provider and asking to be added as a certificate holder (COI), and conducting your own validation of their insurance outside the Central Dispatch platform.

Finally, view the carrier’s Transactional Ratings. There you’ll find detailed reviews for transactions they’ve completed on Central Dispatch, and get a clear idea of their behavior and reliability. If any suspicious business practices are called out in ratings, we highly recommend not partnering with them.

Secure Communications During Transit

It’s best to keep as much communication as possible within our platform. Dispatching and communicating through private phone calls, emails, and texts exposes you to fraud. 

So, be sure to always dispatch vehicles using our fully electronic dispatch system. Assigning vehicles to carriers allows you to easily see carrier data on the dispatch page in order to review key details before assigning to a carrier, and greatly reduces the risk of falling victim to fake texts and phone calls. Additionally, you may encourage your carrier partner to assign each load to a specific driver. This lets you verify the driver’s identity at pickup and gives you better visibility into your shipments. 

You can also request your carriers to use the Central Dispatch carrier mobile app and enable real-time tracking. This allows for maximum visibility and transparency into shipment location and status.

Get Documentation at Pickup

Before a carrier releases a vehicle to you, it’s important to confirm the delivery truck has an MC number that matches the dispatch sheet, and check their driver’s license against the assigned driver on the dispatch sheet (if assigned). 

After the delivery is complete, always rate and review your carrier partner honestly. It’s a great way for the Central Dispatch community to help each other avoid bad actors, reward honest carriers who do good work, and create a more transparent marketplace for everyone. You can also choose to publish your review later at a later date, so you can more confidently and honestly rate your partners.  

In the Event of Fraud

If you do fall victim to fraud, it’s critical to immediately contact the authorities and file a police report in the jurisdiction of the incident. Provide any information you can to local law enforcement, and also report the incident to the USDOT’s Inspector General, file a complaint with the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database, or contact the Federal Trade Commission.

We also encourage you to report the incident to our dedicated Marketplace Integrity Team. These are dedicated transportation experts who are here to take feedback from our customers and address security issues.

Steps We’re Taking To Help You Ship Safely 

Central Dispatch is making significant strides in addressing this challenge in our industry, and meaningfully reducing the level of fraud.  

We are constantly evolving our vetting process alongside the changing market landscape to ensure only legitimate companies gain access to our marketplace, and shippers can more confidently find partners. 

We’ve also formed the Marketplace Integrity Team that is dedicated to combating fraud and helping you stay secure. This team collaborates directly with Cox Security and other enterprise teams to investigate issues, deactivate fraudulent accounts, and proactively protect our customers.

We’re partnering with other industry leaders to lobby Congress, advocating for stronger protections against automotive fraud and encouraging action and accountability from the FMCSA.

We all play a part in building a safer, more secure marketplace for shipping vehicles. Let’s keep working together to protect our industry from fraud and ensure Central Dispatch remains a trusted platform for everyone.

See how we help you protect your account data and sensitive business information from unauthorized logins.

Welcome to Central Dispatch! See how to post vehicles, choose a partner with confidence, and dispatch to carriers on the platform.

Transcript:

Welcome to Central Dispatch! 

This quick-start guide will get you on your way to shipping your first vehicle with us. 

To post a vehicle listing, first log into your Central Dispatch account. From the Account Dashboard, click “Ship Vehicles” and click “Create Load” in the drop down menu.  

Next, fill in all your listing information. Start with the vehicle’s pick up location, and then delivery location. 

Scroll down and enter the trailer type and vehicle type. From here, you can see what the current market rate is for vehicles of a similar type and distance using the Price Check tool. You’ll get a table of recent listings, the listed price, and if the job was dispatched.  

Central Dispatch Premium users have the option to use Price Check Plus, which shows you even more real-time market data for more informed decisions, and delivers AI predictive-pricing to ensure you get the most optimal rate possible. 

You can then enter your desired pickup and delivery date and the price you’re willing to pay.  

Now you’re ready to either post to the load board, or dispatch directly to a preferred carrier. No need to double enter! Our seamless data transfer means you can take either option from the same dashboard. 

If posting to the load board, you can expect a call within 15-30 minutes — our carriers are always looking for new jobs. 

You should always review a carrier’s Central Dispatch profile and ratings before doing business with them. Use the carrier scorecard for a quick snap shot of their ratings and authorization, or, get more details on their profile. 

To find a carrier’s profile, enter their name in the “Company Search” bar.  

There, you’ll see their complete FMCSA details. Review these closely to verify the carrier is active and authorized. Review insurance documents provided on their profile, and contact the agent to verify their insurance information is up-to-date. 

You’ll also see a carrier’s overall Central Dispatch rating, as well as ratings for different categories like Timeliness, Communication, and Documentation.  

Central Dispatch also provides ratings at the transactional level — so you can see how exactly they’ve performed on previous jobs and identify any suspicious activity to avoid unreliable partners. 

Once you’ve chosen a carrier, dispatching them is easy with fully electronic dispatch.  

From the Account Dashboard, click “Find Shipments,” then click “Manage Listings” in the drop down menu. 

Here, you can find the vehicle you want to dispatch, and click “assign.” No paperwork required.  

The Assigned Loads tab is also where you’ll keep track of all your listings and shipments. Whether they’re currently listed, dispatched, or have been delivered.  

All these important records are automatically updated, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere there’s an internet connection, as long as you maintain your Central Dispatch subscription. 

For shipments with real-time tracking enabled, you’ll see the “Location Tracking On” bullet on the dispatch card. Simply hit the “Track Shipment” button to view the vehicle’s live location on an interactive map, as well as the latest delivery status updates.  

If you ever want to view your account and subscription information, click “Billing.” Here you can get detailed information on your account billing, and make any changes to your plan.  

That’s all for now. Thanks for choosing Central Dispatch! 

Please contact us with any questions, and visit the resources section of our website for even more videos and guides. 

We look forward to getting you connected with the largest network of carriers in the industry! 

We are excited to share a recent Auto Remarketing Podcast featuring our very own, Lainey Sibble, Head of Business for Central Dispatch, and Eric Schwartz, Head of Product. In this special episode, they dive into the pressing issue of fraud in the vehicle transportation industry, the role we all play in combatting it, and how Central Dispatch is uniquely positioned to lead the way in developing the technology, operational controls and practical tools to help combat fraud.

Auto Remarketing Podcast · SPONSORED EPISODE: Combating Fraud in Transportation and Logistics

With cargo fraud experiencing a 1,500% increase since 2022, it remains one of the most critical issues within the logistics industry due to the high value of goods and vehicles in transport as well as the multiple players and touchpoints involved in the end-to-end process. Lainey and Eric discuss how Central Dispatch, as part of Cox Automotive, plays a vital role in addressing these challenges head on. As well as the important role we ALL play to help curb fraud in our industry.

They explore trends in fraud, including increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by bad actors and the role identity theft plays as a major root cause. And discuss the technological advancements, operational enhancements, practical tools and educational resources that help shippers and carriers stay vigilant and be better safeguarded against fraudulent activity at every step – from log-in through delivery.

For anyone interested in learning more about how to be better protected from fraud, this podcast offers valuable information, directly from industry leaders at the nation’s largest self-managed auto transportation marketplace, Central Dispatch.

You can now choose when your review is published. Selecting this option means your review will be publicly posted only after your partner has also submitted their rating or after the 14-day review window passes. This enhancement helps to create more transparent partnerships and ensures you can share your feedback honestly, fostering trust in the marketplace.  

Want to learn more? Visit our Transactional Rating features page to explore all the details or check our out Tips for Rating article for helpful guidance on making the most of this feature. 

Transactional ratings and reviews are a vital part of the Central Dispatch platform. They help everyone make better partnering decisions, reward top-performing businesses, and serve as a place to disclose issues that come up during a job. It’s important that you fully understand our ratings system, so you can leave reviews that are clear, fair, and accurate.

Because leaving more accurate ratings doesn’t just help others —  it helps you grow your business network and transact with new partners confidently!

About each rating category
The importance of leaving a written review

While rating across the different categories is important, it sometimes doesn’t tell the full story. Use the “Additional Comments” section to get into more details about working with a partner, and explain why you gave the ratings you did. 

This is the place to call out specific things you liked about working with a particular partner, which is extremely helpful for other businesses who might have similar needs or preferences as your own. 

So don’t be afraid to get detailed! And if you need to call out things that caused problems on a job, keep your tone and language constructive. All comments are reviewed to make sure our content guidelines are being followed.

Resolving disputes privately

Once posted, Central Dispatch ratings and reviews cannot be changed. So before leaving a negative rating or review, you’ll be prompted to reach out to the other party and resolve any disputes directly with them. Be sure to take advantage of this feature if you think any problems or misunderstandings can be solved privately.

NEW: Control when your review is published, and rate with confidence!

You can now choose when your review is published, giving you the confidence to share your experience. Selecting “Publish Later” means your review will only be publicly posted after your partner has also submitted their rating, or the 14-day review window passes, making it easier to provide honest feedback, and helping foster more transparent partnerships.

What if my review was rejected?

If your review is ever rejected, you can always resubmit within 45 days of the job’s completion. Just visit the “Rejected Ratings” tab on your business profile page to see exactly why your rating was rejected. You’ll also receive an email notification with a full list of our content guidelines and can access them when writing a comment.

Rating canceled transactions

If someone you’ve partnered with cancels a job for any reason, you can still give them one overall rating and write a review. Please note any specific issues related to the cancellation, and partner with more confidence, knowing you’ll be able to hold everyone accountable for every transaction on Central Dispatch.

For a step-by-step video guide on Transactional Ratings, click here!

At Central Dispatch, our biggest priority is your security. We’re continually working to ensure that our marketplace is the safest place to connect with the right partners to transport vehicles online, and part of that is making sure our shippers know how to identify and avoid any fraudulent accounts. 

As we continually work to vet carriers, ensure only shippers can post loads, and suspend users who do not abide by our terms, there are some easy steps you can take to avoid fraud and use our marketplace with complete confidence. 

Best practices for shippers:

Best practices for shippers: 

We welcome feedback from our users. Please reach out to us with any concerns or suggestions, so we can work to continually roll out new security features and policies that help make the Central Dispatch marketplace a safe place to operate for everyone. 

Shippers and carriers are responsible for determining what partners they want to do business with and validating any credentials. Central Dispatch is not a party to any agreements. 

Pricing data is for illustration purposes only and does not reflect actual prices


The billing page has been updated with a reorganized layout to prioritize the most important information and provide an intuitive, user-friendly experience. Multi-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security to the account and is required to make any changes to the page. Users with the role of Owner or Admin in Manage Users have permission to make changes after the multi-factor authentication. The billing page is available from the account name dropdown, by selecting Billing.

Billing Status

  1. Link available to Print last statement
  2. Click on the History tab to view and print previous months’ statements
  3. View Balance due and the due date
    • Note: Please note the amount displayed is not due until the Balance due date
  4. Make a payment by clicking on Make a one time payment
    • Note: If moving to a new tier, make a one time payment for only the dollar amount difference between the tiers to get access to the new tier
    • Choose to pay balance or another amount
    • Choose payment method
    • Users can also click toggle to Enroll in autopay when making a payment
  5. Previous payment information including payment amount, date and payment method
  6. Toggle to Enable Automatic Payments on or off

Result: A confirmation message will appear for users to confirm automatic payments

Your Subscription

  1. View your subscription plan and any add-ons to your account, such as notifications
    • Tier limits are based on vehicles that are posted or dispatched
    • Each vehicle that is listed or dispatched counts toward the monthly vehicle quota
    • When the tier limit is reached, it will trigger a notification to the user, and additional vehicles will not be able to be dispatched or listed until next billing cycle, and the user cannot upgrade to the next tier
  2. Click on Manage subscription to view the subscription plan options, tiers available, and any add-ons selected
    • Select Plan
      • If you are interested in an Enterprise Solution, please complete the form, and a member of our Enterprise team will be reaching out within 1- 2 business days
    • Select Tier
      • Available tiers change depending on the plan selected
    • Select Add-ons
    • Review any changes and click Update subscription
    • Note: Changing Notifications tiers:
      • If Adding Notifications, the user will need to verify the contact email and phone number for the notifications
      • If Removing Notifications, the change will take place on the next billing cycle.
  3. If signed up for search Notifications, the MANAGE EMAIL AND PHONE link will be visible to update the email address and the phone number to receive the notifications
    • Result: Communications tab on the Company Profile page will open to update or add email and phone for notifications

Payment Methods and Billing Contact Information

  1. Manage payment methods, including setting a default card, and adding or removing a card
  2. Click on EDIT INFORMATION to update billing contact information
    • Result: The Company Profile page will open to the Contacts section and Billing Contact

Upcoming Charges and Recent Transactions

  1. View upcoming charges
  2. View the five most recent transactions.  Users can view additional transactions under the History tab on the Billing page

 Billing History tab

  1. Select the number of transactions per page to view the previous transactions
  2. Click View Statement to view statements for previous months

Learn what actions do and don’t affect your vehicle counts 

Starting on your first billing date after February 14, 2025, Central Dispatch will be aligning with the industry standard vehicle count methodology. That means that each vehicle you post will count towards your tier limit, even if it is part of a multi-vehicle listing or dispatch.  

This change will apply to every shipper account and impact your tier limit, no matter what Central Dispatch tier plan you have. As part of this update, we are increasing all tier limits to account for this change. Our updated plans start at $139.95 for 10 vehicles per month, with revised vehicle limits across all tiers. Learn more about our different plan options.

To help all our customers adjust to and get the most out of this new system, we’ll be sending you in-platform notifications if you approach your monthly vehicle tier limit. 

And don’t forget to read the lists below to see which in-platform actions will and will not impact your monthly vehicle tier limit. 

Vehicles will now be counted toward your tier limit when: 

Vehicles will NOT be counted toward your tier limit when: 

We want to make this process seamless for you and are committed to continuously improving the platform with new features to help you operate your business efficiently and profitably. Please reach out to us with any questions at 800-928-7869. 

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