We often think of truck driving as an occupation that is mostly done by a single person. Only one person can operate the truck at a time, after all. So the narrative of a lone truck driver responsible for the entire haul has been perpetuated for years. And although this is mostly true, it’s not the entire story.
Truck drivers are most often alone as they drive down the road. However, they do have the assistance of a necessary team member. This is the truck dispatcher. A truck dispatcher helps truck drivers behind the scenes. They have many important responsibilities that assists the truck drivers in their day to day duties.
So what is a truck dispatcher? And how do they help truck drivers?
What Does a Truck Dispatcher Do?
Organization is a large part of a truck dispatcher’s duties. They are responsible for coordinating deliveries and scheduling drivers to pick up and drop off the items. This entails a lot of orchestration between the driver’s needs and the customer’s needs. Often, this takes the form of being the intermediary between the two. This saves the driver the hassle of interpersonal communication so they are able to simply focus on performing a safe and time-appropriate delivery.
A truck dispatcher is very important to the trucking industry even though many people aren’t aware of the position. They are in charge of a lot of the nuts and bolts of the industry — maintaining focus on the schedules, equipment, and logs of each trip so the drivers don’t have to.
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Avoid Delays
Delays have negative consequences for everybody involved in a delivery. The driver’s income depends on speedy and efficient deliveries. Delays take a chunk out of their earning potential. Trucking companies make their reputation on getting the goods to their customers on time and in one piece. But a delay can mean they fail to meet their goals and deadlines. And finally, the customer suffers a lack of supplies as a result of any delays.
Truck dispatchers often juggle many tasks at once in order to accomplish this. They must be able to maintain a cool head even when things begin piling up. This will help avoid these delays and get the truckers to their destination on time.
Keep Clients Happy
Happy customers mean long relationships and a continuous source of income for drivers. There’s no point in being a great driver if there’s no materials to bring from one place to another. The truck dispatcher often has direct contact with the customers in order to set up the deliveries and ensure everything is working smoothly for both the client and the driver.
Businesses often have to navigate unforeseen circumstances. This can quickly affect their needs as far as deliveries and products. Truck dispatchers often handle direct communication with the customers in order to maintain healthy relationships and build trust.
Find Solutions
Load consolidation is a great way to maximize each delivery. It can save the drivers time and money by combining various trips into a singular trip. Truck dispatchers manage the progress of deliveries and are always looking for ways to consolidate the efforts of everyone involved.
Unnecessary costs can create a burden on the driver as well as the company. A truck dispatcher will streamline the efforts that go into preparing for a delivery as well as the loading process. This keeps costs down. Optimizing any aspect of the process will have long-reaching benefits for the driver and the trucking company.
Direct Contact With Drivers
Truck dispatchers and drivers must maintain a positive relationship. Open lines of communication will ensure the drivers — as well as the dispatchers — have all of the information they need to do their job.
Dispatchers need to be on top of potential problems and issues. Full access to information is the best way they can find signs of these issues and work toward solutions before they become debilitating. And often, this information is going to come from the drivers. Maintaining a good working relationship is in everyone’s best interest.
Be Available
Trucks are on the road at all times of the day. This means issues or questions can come up at any time. A truck dispatcher needs to be available to field these calls and assist the driver or customer when they need help. Maybe a truck breaks down, a driver becomes ill, or changes need to be made to an order. Whatever the case, the truck dispatcher needs to be ready and willing to assist when these problems arrive.