01
Share lanes and volume
Provide origin-destination pairs, frequency, equipment requirements, and pickup and delivery windows.
ShippersShippers
Dedicated Capacity
Committed trucks on your lanes
A promise of committed trucks is only real if you own them.
Ship Smart Solutions offers dedicated capacity for shippers who need committed trucks and drivers on their lanes — not a rate that evaporates when the market tightens. Because we're asset-based and own our fleet, we can genuinely reserve equipment and drivers for your freight, something a broker can't do with trucks it doesn't control. The result is protected capacity, predictable service, and steadier rates on the lanes that matter most to you.
- Reserved equipment
Committed trucks and trailers are assigned to your recurring freight lanes.
- Consistent drivers
Drivers learn your freight, docks, receivers, and appointment requirements.
- Protected capacity
Your contracted lanes remain prioritized when open-market capacity tightens.
- Steadier rates
Contracted pricing reduces exposure to daily spot-market volatility.
Committed lane coverage
What Dedicated Capacity Actually Provides
Dedicated capacity turns "hopefully covered" into "committed" with assigned equipment, drivers, lanes, and contracted operating expectations.
The asset-based requirement
Why Dedicated Capacity Requires Owning the Trucks
Dedicated capacity is a commitment to hold real equipment and drivers for your freight. A provider can only make that promise credibly when it controls the operating assets behind the commitment.
Broker commitment
A promise built on trucks the provider does not control.
- Equipment must still be sourced from outside carriers
- Driver consistency depends on subcontractor availability
- Peak-season coverage remains exposed to the open market
- The committed base can change from load to load
Ship Smart commitment
Reserved equipment and drivers from an owned fleet.
- Company-controlled trucks and trailers are assigned to lanes
- Consistent drivers support repeatable service expectations
- Reserved capacity is already committed before markets tighten
- Vetted overflow supplements the dedicated base for surges
Right-fit freight
Who Dedicated Capacity Is For
01
Consistent volume on repeating lanes
Your operation moves predictable weekly or daily freight between defined origins and destinations.
02
Exposure to spot-market swings
Dropped loads, seasonal shortages, or volatile rates have disrupted your transportation plan.
03
Tight delivery windows
Production schedules, retail appointments, and customer commitments make missed trucks costly.
04
Specialized or sensitive freight
Reefer, retail, or open-deck freight benefits from consistent equipment and trained drivers.
How it worksHow it worksHow to Set Up
How to Set Up
Dedicated Capacity
We turn your lane history, shipment frequency, equipment requirements, and service windows into a contracted capacity plan sized to your operation.
02
Design the commitment
We size the trucks, trailers, drivers, schedule, and contracted capacity plan to your freight.
03
Assign and onboard
Dedicated equipment and drivers are prepared for your facilities, requirements, and recurring lanes.
04
Run and review
Coverage is tracked, measured, and adjusted as shipment volume or operating needs change.
- Managed Transportation
- Dedicated Capacity
- Freight Brokerage
- Real-Time Tracking
- Warehousing & Distribution
- Expedited Freight
- Reefer & Dry Van
- Specialized Logistics
- Nationwide Coverage
- Last-Mile Delivery
- Reliable On-Time Delivery
- Managed Transportation
- Dedicated Capacity
- Freight Brokerage
- Real-Time Tracking
- Warehousing & Distribution
- Expedited Freight
- Reefer & Dry Van
- Specialized Logistics
- Nationwide Coverage
- Last-Mile Delivery
- Reliable On-Time Delivery
Dedicated Capacity FAQs
What is dedicated capacity in trucking?
Dedicated capacity means a carrier reserves specific trucks and drivers for a shipper's lanes under a commitment, so coverage is guaranteed rather than sourced load by load on the open market.
Why can only an asset-based carrier truly offer dedicated capacity?
Because dedicating capacity means holding specific trucks and drivers for a shipper's freight, and a carrier can only reserve equipment it owns and drivers it employs. A broker dedicating capacity is committing trucks it does not control.
What is the difference between dedicated capacity and a one-off quote?
A one-off quote covers a single shipment at the current market rate, while dedicated capacity is an ongoing commitment of reserved trucks and drivers to a shipper's lanes, priced for stability.
How is dedicated capacity different from managed transportation?
Dedicated capacity is the committed trucks on a shipper's lanes, while managed transportation is the broader program that plans, executes, and reports across the whole freight network, often built on top of dedicated capacity.
Does dedicated capacity save money?
It trades spot-market swings for stable contracted pricing and reliable coverage. For shippers with consistent volume, the reliability and rate stability typically outweigh chasing the lowest spot rate.
Can I get dedicated capacity for reefer or specialized freight?
Yes. Dedicated reefer, dry van, and open-deck capacity are available, with consistent drivers trained on the shipper's specific freight and handling requirements.
What volume do I need for dedicated capacity?
It works best with consistent, recurring volume on defined lanes. Sharing lanes and frequency lets the team advise whether dedicated capacity, a managed program, or spot quotes fit best.
Does Ship Smart Solutions offer dedicated capacity nationwide?
Yes. Dedicated lanes run across all 48 states from the Naperville, Illinois hub.