The Ultimate Truck Dispatcher Checklist – 10 Essentials for Dispatchers

It is quite well known that the work of a truck dispatcher is far from easy. You basically manage the entire trucking industry on a daily basis. To make the job of truck dispatching easier, it can be helpful to have a truck dispatcher checklist filled with useful things. 

While truck dispatching looks like a straightforward job at first, it can quickly turn into a challenge. This is because a truck dispatcher’s duties include having to deal with both truck drivers and customers at once, placing enormous responsibility on the dispatcher’s shoulders.

Both dispatchers and businesses around the world must consult a checklist to see if they are missing out on any areas where they could improve their performance. The checklist below contains various overlooked areas where a dispatcher can save a lot of time.

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Truck Dispatcher Checklist

If you are a truck dispatcher or a freight broker, this checklist will surely help you evaluate the areas where your performance can be improved greatly. It consists of activities and things that will help you overcome the most common issues faced by dispatchers. 

10 Essential Things for Truck Dispatchers

Even if you are a dispatcher in an entry-level position, it is important to look out for these 10 things which hold the potential to drastically improve your dispatching ability. Let us take a closer look at these 10 things which can help you ace your dispatching job.

1. Schedule routes in advance 

It is best to schedule routes in advance than to plan at the last minute, especially if you are an independent truck dispatcher. This is because you are held solely responsible for assigning and dispatching routes to the drivers in a timely manner. 

A single mishap in dispatch can cause massive delays and losses for businesses around the globe. This is why it is good to schedule routes in advance to avoid such situations. In that case, you can check out the best route scheduling software for your work. 

2. Greater collaboration with drivers

When you have a greater level of collaboration with truck drivers, you can more accurately identify the issues that they face. This enables you to resolve those issues by modifying your dispatching techniques to better suit the drivers.

A great way to do this is by going on a drive with the driver on their regular routes. Going on a drive lets you see the entire shipping process firsthand. It will also allow you to have a better sense of judgment when looking for ways to make the shipping process faster.

3. Deal with a variety of clients 

When you deal with a variety of clients you get to refine your operations to best suit clients. You will also learn to manage different loads by diversifying your client base. Once you have gained experience with diverse customers you will learn to deal with difficult customers.

4. Understand your capabilities and choose clients accordingly

Dispatchers that have taken up multiple jobs will be more finicky with their choice of customers. This is because they realize what their capabilities are, and would like to cater to customers that realize their limitations. Doing this, helps them set clear expectations with their clients. 

If you understand your capabilities then you must be diligent when choosing your clients. Ideally,  you should not take up responsibilities that you cannot cater to. Doing this will not only give you less stress but will also consolidate your reputation in the industry.

5. Save time by streamlining regular tasks

Having more time is crucial for any truck dispatcher as it allows them to better serve the companies or search for new clients to boost their income. Typically, dispatchers can save a lot of time if they implement some changes to their regular processes.

One way to do this is to use the same mode of communication for all clients so that you don’t have to spend time switching platforms to communicate. This also lets you keep better track of business operations. 

6. Be aware of business requirements

Those who want to get hired as an employee by any company must first understand what their requirements are. While the job description does give you a rough idea of what the company wants, it is still better to do your own research to know what companies require.

If your services are able to drastically improve the company’s dispatching performance then you will be hired regardless of your location. This is why it is important for you to evaluate the relevant shortcomings of a business and market your solutions to them.

7. Apply to the right employers

Going on to any random site and applying to all the jobs that you find is neither an effective nor a quick way to get the perfect job. Depending on your niche you will have to visit different sites to look out for the perfect openings.

For example, a freight broker will have to scout sites frequented by truck drivers looking for a freight broker. Ideally, you would want to visit sites that post a lot of job details. This will help you to understand the company’s requirements and how you can cater to them. Similarly, exploring platforms that connect tow truck service drivers with customers can provide valuable insights into the needs of that sector and help you tailor your services accordingly.

8. Collaborate with other departments

A big part of dispatching is resolving customer queries. This is why it is a good idea to collaborate more with the other departments in your company to broaden your knowledge and perform better on the job.  

You might also learn about other areas where your skills could be applied. Such greater collaboration allows you to stay informed about all company activities.

9. Stay up to date with technology

Dispatchers with experience know that they can save hours of time working by simply integrating modern technology into their workflow. You too can use stuff like time managers and digital schedules to improve your work quality. 

Using software to manage tasks essentially allows you to free up more time and have more control over your dispatch duties. Some bits of software such as route planners can greatly cut down on the time and effort spent by companies. 

10. Use route optimization software

Dispatchers hold a lot more power in the supply chain than they realize, as they have the ability to control the efficiency of the delivery by creating optimized routes. With these optimized routes in hand, the delivery driver can save a lot of time and fuel. 

Any delivery business can benefit greatly by simply using such route planning software. Though for the longest time, finding the perfect route planner has been challenging. Thankfully, you can rely on route planners to handle all of your route planning concerns. 

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Unlock the true potential of your delivery routes by using Upper. With the state-of-the-art route planning abilities of Upper, any business can greatly cut down on cost and time. Though why stop at simply planning routes when Upper gives you amazing additional features? 

Features such as on-demand reports, real-time ETA, proof of delivery truly do a great job of providing assurance to both customers and dispatchers alike. You can even get customers to electronically sign on mobile to confirm the delivery.

Dispatchers can also start managing drivers in real time as they get to passively track their progress. Upper gives dispatchers perfectly crafted delivery routes within minutes and allows them to dispatch them to multiple drivers with just one click.

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In a nutshell, a  dispatcher plays a crucial role in the supply chain as they are responsible for assigning routes to drivers. This is why all ways to make their job more effective are crucial to explore. At this point, a checklist surely does help in making this endeavor fruitful.

Though even with a checklist the final responsibility of implementing new ways to make delivery easier, lies on the dispatcher’s shoulders. As a result, there is a huge demand for dispatchers that are well-equipped to deal with issues related to dispatching.

An easier way to make deliveries faster and easier is by using Upper. Many businesses have already made Upper a routine part of their route planning process, thanks to its sophastciated algorithm. It is best to experience the amazing features of Upper yourself with our 7 days free trial.