Overview
A deadhead in trucking refers to the distance and time a driver travels without cargo, typically between the last delivery stop of one order and the first pickup stop of the next order. Deadheads help you track driver locations, plan future loads, and manage driver pay for non-revenue miles.
Quick Answer: You can create deadhead stops to track where drivers are going when they don't have freight, whether they're heading home, waiting for orders, or going for maintenance. Deadheads can be paid or unpaid depending on your company policy.
What is a Deadhead?
A deadhead represents driver movement without cargo. This could be:
Between orders: Driver has completed a delivery and is traveling to pick up the next load
Waiting for orders: Driver is positioned in a specific location waiting for load assignments
Heading home: Driver is traveling to their home location for time off
Going for maintenance: Driver is traveling to a shop for truck inspection or repairs
Repositioning: Driver is moving to a better freight area at company's request
Why deadheads matter:
Helps planners see driver locations in real-time
Tracks actual driver routes and mileage for accounting
Shows where drivers will be available for next loads
Documents paid vs. unpaid movement for payroll
Provides complete visibility of driver activities
Deadhead Purposes
When creating a deadhead, you select the purpose to categorize the movement:
Waiting for Orders
Use this when you've instructed the driver to go to a specific location to wait for available freight. The driver is available and ready to pick up a new load.
When to use: Driver has finished current order and you're directing them to a high-freight area
Heading Home
Use this when the driver is taking home time or personal time off. This helps planners know the driver won't be available for new loads.
When to use: Driver is going out of service for time off
Inspection
Use this when the driver is traveling to a facility for truck inspection, maintenance, or repairs.
When to use: Scheduled maintenance, DOT inspections, repair appointments
Shuttle
Use this when the driver is moving a trailer or equipment without freight, such as repositioning empty trailers or moving equipment between yards.
When to use: Empty trailer moves, equipment repositioning
Unauthorized Movement
Use this when the driver has moved without dispatch approval or authorization. This tracks unexpected location changes.
When to use: Driver went somewhere they weren't supposed to go
Deadhead Driver Pay
One of the most important aspects of creating a deadhead is specifying whether the driver will be paid for this movement.
Not Paid Deadheads
When to use: Select "Not Paid" if the driver won't receive compensation for this deadhead movement.
Common unpaid situations:
Driver is heading home for personal time off
Driver made an unauthorized movement
Driver is going somewhere for personal reasons
Company policy doesn't pay for certain types of deadhead
What happens:
The deadhead is tracked for location and routing purposes
No driver pay is calculated or added to settlement
Mileage is still recorded but marked as unpaid
Driver can see the stop but knows there's no pay associated
Example: Driver finishes delivering in Chicago and wants to go home to Milwaukee for the weekend. You create a "Heading Home" deadhead with "Not Paid" selected, since this is personal time.
Important: For pay per load, per hour and per day drivers deadheads are not paid by default.
Paid Deadheads
When to use: Select "Paid" if the driver will be compensated for this movement. You'll need to specify the pay type and rate.
Common paid situations:
Company directs driver to reposition to a different area
Driver is instructed to wait in a specific location for orders
Driver is going for company-required maintenance
Empty miles to pick up equipment at company's request
What happens:
You'll enter the pay type (per mile, flat rate)
You'll enter the pay amount or rate
Pay is added to driver's settlement
Tracks as compensated deadhead miles
Example: You direct a driver to deadhead from Dallas to Houston to wait for orders in that market. You create a "Waiting for Orders" deadhead with "Paid" selected, set pay type to "Per Mile" at $0.50/mile.
Pay types available:
Per Mile: Rate per mile traveled
Flat Rate: Fixed amount regardless of distance
How to Create a Deadhead
Follow these steps to add a deadhead stop:
Step 1: Access the driver's jobs
1. Go to Planning -> Dispatch in the main navigation
2. Find and select the order the driver is currently on
3. Click on Jobs to view the route details
Step 2: Add Deadhead
1. Click the Add Deadhead button
2. A modal window will open with deadhead options
Step 3: Configure Deadhead Details
Purpose: Select the appropriate category from the five options:
Waiting for orders
Heading home
Inspection
Shuttle
Unauthorized movement
Location:
Click the Select button next to the location field
Choose from your saved location list, or
Create a new location by entering the address
The map preview will show a pin for the selected location
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival):
Click the date/time picker
Enter when you expect the driver to arrive at the destination
Format: MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm
This helps with planning and tracking
Deadhead Driver Pay:
Select Not Paid if driver won't be compensated
No additional fields required
Deadhead is tracked but no pay added
Select Paid if driver will be compensated
Choose pay type from dropdown
Enter the rate or amount
Pay will be added to driver settlement
Trailer Actions:Trailer from previous order:
Keep: Driver keeps the trailer they currently have
Drop: Driver will drop the trailer at this location
Attach new trailer:
Click Add Trailer if driver needs to pick up a different trailer
Select the trailer from your equipment list
Step 4: Save and Commit
1. Review all information for accuracy
2. Click Save and Commit
3. The deadhead stop is now added to the driver's route in committed status
Important: Multiple deadhead stops can be created
Examples
Example 1: Repositioning for More Freight (Paid)
Context: Driver delivered in a low-freight area and you want them in a better market
Goal: Move driver to high-freight location and compensate them for the move
Steps:
1. Create deadhead with purpose "Waiting for Orders"
2. Set location to the target city/area
3. Set ETA based on drive time
4. Select "Paid" for driver pay
5. Choose pay type "Per Mile" at $0.45/mile
6. Keep existing trailer
7. Save and commit
Result: Driver receives instructions to deadhead to new location, knows they'll be paid $0.45/mile, and system calculates pay based on actual miles driven.
Tip: Setting realistic ETAs helps planners know when the driver will be available for the next load.
Example 2: Driver Going Home (Not Paid)
Context: Driver requests home time after completing deliveries
Goal: Track driver's location and mark them as unavailable
Steps:
1. Create deadhead with purpose "Heading Home"
2. Set location to driver's home address
3. Set ETA based on drive time
4. Select "Not Paid" for driver pay
5. Save and commit
Result: Driver is tracked going home, marked unavailable for new loads, no pay added to settlement, and trailer is noted as available at drop location.
After creation
When deadhead is completed and you dispatch a new order to that driver, the system will:
Will merge deadhead stops with started order leg