Case study · Calculator live

Dually Dispatch

A free load calculator and a back office for hotshot truckers and small carriers.

Status
Calculator live since October 2026. Back office built, launch pending legal review.
Stack
Go 1.23, pure-Go SQLite, htmx, Cloudflare Pages + D1, Python reference package
Tests
171 Go tests and 114 Python parity tests passing
Links
duallydispatch.com

The problem

Small hotshot carriers often pay a human dispatcher 5 to 10 percent of gross to find loads, then still do their own books.

Whether a load is worth taking depends on fuel, empty miles, hours-of-service limits, and license class. That math usually happens in a driver's head at a truck stop.

What I built

  1. A free calculator anyone can use

    An installable web app: paste a load offer, it parses the offer and shows every cost line. Strict content security policy, self-hosted fonts, and no third-party scripts or trackers.

  2. Python first, then Go

    The first version was Python. I kept it as the executable spec and ported the system to Go as one static binary with pure-Go SQLite. Both test suites still run.

  3. Federal data that fails loudly

    The FMCSA census parser stops the run before touching the database if the file layout changes or the file is cut short. The QCMobile carrier check blocks a record when the screen fails; it never defaults to pass.

  4. Money as integers

    All money is stored as integer cents. The ledger handles expenses, receipt splits, CSV import, variance, and Schedule C and IFTA exports.

  5. Scoring with stated reasons

    Lead and load scoring is rule-based and explains itself, with no language model, by design.

  6. A person closes every deal

    Software prepares the work; a human makes every commitment to a broker.

How it fits together

Shaded steps can stop the pipeline. The public calculator runs separately as a static site on Cloudflare Pages, with a D1 database for the waitlist.

Screenshot

Dually Dispatch load calculator on the Houston to Oklahoma City sample lane, showing 304 dollars net per day with fuel, deadhead, tolls, wear, and duty clock broken out line by line.
The free calculator on the Houston to Oklahoma City sample lane: $304 net per day after fuel, deadhead, tolls, wear, and the duty clock. Sample rates as of October 2026. Captured November 2, 2026.

Results so far

  • Live

    free calculator at duallydispatch.com (v1.3.2) since October 2026.

  • 285

    automated tests passing: 171 in Go, 114 in the Python reference suite.

  • 4/4

    compiler gate stages (gofmt, vet, build, test) required on every commit.

  • 1

    low-severity issue found in a 12-unit security review, then fixed.

Not built yet

  • A live load-board feed. Until then, sample loads are clearly labeled as samples.
  • Booking for signed carriers waits on attorney review of the carrier agreement.