Requirements for a Truck Dispatcher is responsible for coordinating the pickup and delivery of various cargo loads between suppliers, drivers and clients. The profession requires effective communication and organizational skills, and many truck dispatch can even work from their home office.
Additionally, working as a truck dispatcher can provide various opportunities to advance within the company you work for. In this article, we’ll discuss what truck dispatching do, what the average salary looks like for the job, how to become a independent dispatching and what the work environment looks like.
What does a truck dispatch do every day ?
Truck dispatch or freight dispatchers work for trucking and freight companies and coordinate the shipping operations between customers, drivers and suppliers. Truck dispatching generally work with company drivers, but many also coordinate with other carrier companies to find available freight drivers to transport cargo. Truck dispatchers commonly perform a range of essential duties to effectively keep operations running smoothly, including tasks like:
- Answering client calls who need drivers to haul cargo and relaying pick-up and delivery information to truck drivers
- Scheduling pick-up and delivery of cargo and monitoring transport of cargo to ensure on-time deliveries
- Recording and documenting freight orders, resolving billing issues and documenting transactions
- Sometimes loading or unloading various cargo into freight trucks
- Using sophisticated software to map transport routes and keep drivers updated during transit
Average salary for a truck dispatching
One factor is a candidate’s professional experience. Some agencies may pay a higher salary to dispatchers with experience working in the field and role.
Additionally, freight dispatchers can advance within their companies, allowing them to obtain a higher income level. Another factor determining the pay grade of a truck dispatchers is where they live and work. The average income for dispatchers can vary from state to state and city to city.
How to become a truck dispatching
You can learn how to become a truck dispatcher from home to get started on your career path. While it’s not always a requirement, later on, you’ll want to consider a degree to further advance in your career. This can also help you build your qualifications, further standing apart from other candidates when you apply for your first dispatch job. The following steps can serve as a guide for becoming a truck dispatcher:
Truck dispatching work environment
Truck dispatching may work in a few different environments, including a centralized location within a company or from their home offices. The workday for a truck dispatcher may commonly be very busy with a consistent workload. A large part of a dispatcher’s day may go toward negotiating transport rates with suppliers and vendors.
Other times, truck dispatchers spend their time finding the most cost-effective options for making deliveries. Truck dispatchers may also rely on mapping and routing software for looking for the fastest transport routes for drivers. Generally speaking, a truck dispatching job is essentially one that requires long hours at a desk, computer and telephone.