A Day in the Life of a Dispatcher: A Preview for Students Taking Dispatch Courses

In the transportation industry, dispatchers are typically required to wear many hats. In fact, these professionals are responsible for ensuring timely freight delivery, customer satisfaction, effective route planning, driver safety and more. For dispatchers, no two days are exactly alike, and the many tasks and challenges that present themselves make this career choice worthwhile.

If you are planning to enroll in dispatcher courses, or you’ve recently started your program, read on for a preview of what a typical workday will look like once you break into the field.

Professionals with Dispatcher Training Help Plan & Coordinate Routes

While each member of a dispatching team may have different responsibilities, a task that’s common among all dispatchers is strategically planning and coordinating routes for drivers.

The first step for planning routes within a transport company is to match available freight loads with available drivers. To accomplish this, dispatchers must check transport logs for a clear picture of where drivers start and finish each day in order to plan their next route as efficiently as possible.

Dispatcher training will teach you that efficiency is critical when you are planning routes, so that you can ensure that fuel, time and trips are not wasted.

Dispatcher Training Teaches Students How To Monitor Drivers

Dispatchers are responsible for communicating with drivers and monitoring their logs while they’re on the road. Whether a company delivers locally or nationally, a driver’s safety is always top priority. Professional dispatchers also work hard to ensure that drivers always have enough time to complete their trips.

Students in dispatcher schools learn the appropriate laws and regulations regarding a driver’s hours of service. These regulations are set up so that drivers can complete their trips within a certain amount of hours, and the risk of fatigue or accidents is reduced. During longer trips, dispatchers keep in touch with drivers to ensure that they’ve reached their checkpoints, taken breaks, and that their trucks are functioning properly.

If a customer requests that his or her delivery arrive at a certain time, dispatchers are required to calculate the distance, travel time and logged hours of available drivers before committing.

Pros with Dispatcher Training Provide Top-Notch Customer Service

Not only do they communicate with drivers, but dispatchers are also the point of contact for customers who have questions or issues they’d like to discuss. For example, if a customer calls in to change the hours that he or she is available to receive a delivery, a dispatcher will coordinate with the driver as quickly as possible and notify the customer once the necessary changes have been made.

Dispatchers are also responsible for processing orders. Some transport companies deliver many loads in a day, and orders can come in a few hours, days or weeks in advance, by phone, fax or email. In many cases, dispatchers receive such orders and process them. Dispatchers also make sure that the transportation rates are up-to-date and that all the right information is ready for the billing department.

Dispatchers serve as a valuable resource to drivers, customers and other departments within the organization. By working hard to ensure that deliveries arrive on time, and that drivers are safe and happy, the dispatch team contributes to a company’s success every day.

Are you interested in learning more by enrolling in dispatch courses? Visit ATC for more information or to speak with an advisor.