Deadhead is the empty distance between loads. Some is unavoidable, but most of what pushes a carrier’s empty percentage into the mid-20s or higher comes from taking a headhaul without a plan for the return.
The highest-leverage habit is rebooking early. A dispatcher who searches for the next load while the driver is still 200 miles from delivery has options; one who waits until the truck is empty at the dock is negotiating from weakness and often has to reposition to find anything.
Lane selection matters as much as load selection. A strong headhaul rate into a region with little outbound freight can net out worse than a moderate rate into a balanced market where the backhaul is easy. Track which of your regular destinations reload well and weight them when accepting freight.
For repeating freight, arrange a standing backhaul with a broker or shipper so the return is covered before dispatch. Even a backhaul priced well below the headhaul improves the round trip, because the truck was going to make that drive regardless.
Terms in this answer: Deadhead, Backhaul, Load Board
In Trailflow: dispatch.