Looking Inside a Truck Dispatcher`s Job

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When we order the shipment of goods, we have no idea about the complexity of this process. This is not only the acceptance of requests but also a huge chain of people, supplies, documents that must be organized with high precision.

Any truck dispatching service must perform efficient actions, so the position of a dispatcher has certain specials and difficulties. This profession is quite stressful, nervous, but interesting and active in a certain way.

Peculiarities of the Dispatcher’s Work

The job of the truck dispatcher can be called difficult because the main goal is to make the client, boss, and driver glad. This specialist has to find the perfect solution so that all factors match.

The new rules for working with mandatory 30-minute breaks give dispatchers more rest because there is a certain amount of tension and stress. It is also important to follow the rules and regulations so that the work is done efficiently and legally.

5 Things a Dispatcher Does Every Day

We can say that the dispatcher is the cornerstone of the transport company because such a person controls many processes. The main goal of this profession is to help truck drivers focus on specific routes and deliver their goods safely. But dispatchers are also responsible for:

1. Saving money. The company needs to get the maximum profit at the lowest cost. The most cost-efficient solutions in the context of haulage dispatching are required.
2. Features of shipment. Each cargo has its own needs that must be taken into account to provide the correct trucking factoring (transporting antiques is different from transporting chemicals).
3. Use different technologies. These are communications and tracking of drivers, smartphones, computer information systems, databases, office equipment, and so on.
4. Knowledge of drivers. Each person has his characteristics so dispatchers must know the drivers so that the work can be done without difficulties and emergencies.
5. Strategic thinking. It is important to plan all actions, anticipate every problem, and find a solution quickly (the best-matching routes, dispute regulations, etc.).

Dispatcher’s Working Day

There are day and night shifts so that any situation can be resolved promptly. Each dispatcher regularly checks the company’s mail and has a work phone number for round-the-clock communication with organizations, warehouses, customers, drivers, and so on. Such a job may have irregular schedules because you always have to be available and ready to solve certain problems:

• The client may change his mind about the cargo.
• The driver can get sick.
• Truck breakdown or accident.
• Loss of documents.
• Incorrect fuel calculation.
• Unexpected costs along the way.
• Late to the warehouse.
• Loss of cargo.
• Delivery schedule violation, and so on.

Cargo Reporting & Process Coordination

The main responsibilities of the dispatcher are to organize the acceptance of orders, search for a driver and a car, dispatch, and deliver. All of these items are accompanied by ongoing communication with the customer, storage, truck, and pick-up point.

It is also important to consider certain factors for flatbed dispatch services to take the goods, not all companies take every cargo. This includes deadhead mileage, driver hours available, the type of driver, where the load delivers, the timeline, and other points.