Georgia Flatbed Fleet Scaled from 2 to 5 Trucks with Dedicated Operations
Atlanta-based open-deck fleet moving structural steel, building products, and industrial machinery across the Southeast and Midwest.
How an Atlanta-based flatbed carrier scaled from 2 to 5 power units in 9 months, lifting fleet gross revenue to $112,000/month with zero in-house dispatch overhead.
- Customer
- Southeastern Heavy Transport LLC
- Role
- Fleet Owner & Operator
- Equipment
- Flatbed & 48ft Step-Deck
- Fleet size
- 5 Power Units
- State
- Georgia
- Published
- 10/15/2025
Problem
- Owner was driving one truck while attempting to dispatch a second unit via mobile phone, leading to operational burnout and idle equipment.
- Could not recruit or retain skilled company drivers due to erratic load scheduling and unpredictable weekend home-time.
- Failing to collect tarping, pipe stake, and over-dimensional accessorial fees, losing an estimated $800 to $1,200 per week across the fleet.
- Cannot justify a $65,000/year full-time salaried dispatcher while operating only two power units.
Solution
- Partnered with Bonafide's dedicated fleet dispatch desk to manage daily dispatch, route planning, and broker check-calls for all units.
- Standardized open-deck accessorial billing: mandatory $100 tarp fees, $50 stop-off charges, and strict 2-hour detention thresholds.
- Created structured weekly regional lanes linking Atlanta steel mills with Midwest manufacturing hubs and Gulf Coast pipe facilities.
- Instituted daily driver communication check-ins and Friday delivery staging to ensure consistent weekend resets.
Implementation
- Month 1: Offloaded all dispatch duties from the fleet owner; stabilized revenue on the initial 2 trucks at $21,000/month per unit.
- Month 3: Added a 3rd power unit (step-deck); Bonafide integrated the new driver and matched specialized machinery freight within 24 hours.
- Month 6: Expanded to 4 trucks, capturing regional contract building materials freight between Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.
- Month 9: Added the 5th power unit; total fleet gross stabilized above $112,000 per month with zero internal office staff payroll.
Results
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active fleet size | 2 trucks | 5 trucks | +150.0% |
| Monthly fleet gross | $41,500 | $112,400 | +170.8% |
| Average revenue per truck | $20,750 | $22,480 | +8.3% |
| Driver retention rate | 45% | 90% | +100.0% |
| Billed tarp / accessorials | $450/mo | $3,800/mo | +744.4% |
- Fleet owner successfully stepped out of the driver's seat to focus 100% on fleet maintenance, safety compliance, and driver recruitment.
- Total fleet gross expanded by over $70,000 per month without adding a single dollar in fixed administrative payroll.
- Driver turnover dropped to near-zero due to organized weekly load schedules and predictable home time.
- Accessorial recovery increased eightfold through systematic billing of tarping, extra drops, and dock detention.
The Small Fleet Growth Trap: Driver vs Dispatcher
Derrick Reynolds established Southeastern Heavy Transport LLC in suburban Atlanta with two 48-foot flatbed trailers. Derrick drove truck #1 while attempting to dispatch truck #2 from his hands-free headset while negotiating highway traffic. When his hired driver faced a loading delay in Birmingham, Derrick had to pull off onto the shoulder to email broker rate confirmations and request insurance certificates.
This dual role was exhausting and dangerous. Truck #2 frequently sat empty half a day waiting for Derrick to finish driving and find a reload. Derrick wanted to buy more trucks and hire drivers, but managing the operational paperwork for even two trucks was already consuming all his evenings and weekends.
Scaling with Outsourced Operations Infrastructure
Partnering with Bonafide provided Derrick with the back-office capability of a 50-truck motor carrier without the overhead of an office lease or salaried personnel. Bonafide assigned a dedicated fleet dispatcher who took over direct daily coordination with Derrick's drivers, tracking their empty times, booking pre-loads, and monitoring delivery appointments.
With back-office dispatch running smoothly, Derrick was able to secure commercial financing for two additional trucks in month 4 and a fifth truck in month 8. Because Bonafide charges a variable percentage rather than fixed payroll, Derrick’s dispatch costs expanded and contracted cleanly with his actual fleet revenue, eliminating cash flow stress during driver vacations or scheduled maintenance cycles.
"I was working 80 hours a week driving one truck and trying to dispatch another. Bonafide gave me my sanity back and gave my business the operational backbone to grow to five trucks without hiring office staff."
FAQ
How does Bonafide coordinate with multiple company drivers across a fleet?
Our dispatchers communicate directly with your drivers via phone and text for morning load details, address verifications, and status check-calls. We provide the fleet owner with daily summary dashboards showing loaded status, revenue, and delivery schedules.
Can Bonafide dispatch specialized open-deck equipment like step-decks and RGNs?
Yes. Our flatbed dispatchers understand equipment specifications including deck height, ramp requirements, chain and binder ratings, coil racks, and tarping requirements.
What happens if a company driver calls out sick or a truck breaks down?
Our dispatchers immediately notify brokers, reschedule delivery appointments, or reposition reloads with minimal operational disruption, keeping your other fleet units running smoothly.
Does Bonafide help fleets negotiate direct shipper contracts?
While our core dispatch sources freight across extensive broker networks, we also help carriers maintain consistent service records with repeat brokers, often turning spot connections into consistent weekly dedicated lanes.
What is the fee structure for multi-truck fleets?
We offer discounted tiered percentage pricing for fleets operating 3 or more power units, providing enterprise dispatch capabilities at favorable economies of scale.