Trucking companies play a pivotal role in the supply chain. They are the life blood of transportation and in the background of it all, lives the dispatcher. At a typical trucking company, a dispatcher is managing two main responsibilities that are essential for the business. The first is managing all inbound freight that the company has accepted to run, and the second is carefully matching up each accepted load with a truck driver. It’s a juggling act, and the most successful dispatchers are able to problem solve and make quick decisions to put out the inevitable little fires that will come along the way.
Typical Trucking Dispatch Tasks
To provide more detailed context into the day-to-day operations of a truck dispatcher, consider you work for ABC Trucking in Cleveland, OH. They own 20 trucks and have two dispatchers, including yourself. The responsibility to manage the dispatch and operations of 10 trucks every day can seem daunting, but if you can take it one step at a time, the day will slow down and you can make informed decisions. Your biggest customer just tendered over a load for Monday. It picks up from their warehouse in Cleveland and it needs to deliver to Nashville, TN on Tuesday morning. Your first step is to check to see if you have any drivers that are scheduled to be in empty in Cleveland on Monday morning. Once you determine which truck is the most reliable in this situation, you will plan the load and turn your attention to getting that driver out of Nashville with a load back home. Depending on your network of customers and brokers, you will then need to negotiate rates for a backhaul after considering which loads are available. It is your responsibility to make sure all 10 drivers stay busy while all your customer freight gets delivered on time and in full.
Tips On Being A Successful Trucking Dispatcher
Although this process can seem tedious, manual and repetitive it’s often rewarding when everything matches up. If you think you’re up for the task, working for an established trucking company before trying to dispatch independently our recommendation. Besides learning from industry veterans, often times trucking companies will provide you with incredibly helpful technology to help you match up your available freight with your available trucks. It’s a great way to learn the ins and outs of how to be a successful dispatcher.
