The amount of trucks a dispatcher can handle will vary depending on the needs of their business or the company they work for. Ideally, a truck dispatcher can handle around 10 to 30 trucks at any given time; however, note that some can still handle as many as 50.
Having a comprehensive insight into the number of trucks you can dispatch at a time is very important. Too many trucks will cause confusion and inefficiencies in your business.
Howbeit, if you operate below the threshold, you might impede your growth. Some dispatchers can be tasked with handling a few trucks, while others might have the job of coordinating a large fleet.
This will most often depend on the company’s scale of operations, industry specialization, and the geographic area covered.
In smaller companies or operations, a single dispatcher can manage a few trucks, often between a handful to several dozen, while in much bigger companies, the job falls on a team of dispatchers who are all jointly tasked with handling a more extensive fleet of trucks.
In these establishments, each dispatcher might be asked to focus on a particular region, route, or customer account, but jointly they function as a unit.
How to Be Efficient as a Truck Dispatcher
One particular skill you need to flourish in this line of business is the ability to work under pressure. In this line of duty, you will be expected to be up and doing, get solutions to issues, and make really fast decisions. Nevertheless, below are a few tips to ensure that you can efficiently manage trucks and logistics as a truck dispatcher;
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Know your Truck Drivers
Since your job entails working with drivers, it is important you make conscious efforts to know and interact with them personally.
This will ensure a good working atmosphere where drivers feel valued. Since drivers are a vital component of the shipping and delivery business, you will want to ensure that they are appropriately treated.
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Explore Your Service Location
Since the primary job of a truck dispatcher is to organize and manage the schedules of truck drivers to guarantee speedy and efficient delivery of products and goods, you really need to have adequate knowledge of the shortcuts and fastest routes in the delivery region.
This will make it easy to tackle challenges in route planning. As most haulers and contractors are always on the run, this knowledge will ensure you dispatch routes quickly.
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Practice Professionalism and Transparency
In this line of business, integrity, and transparency will work to your own benefit when you face issues. Note that keeping things hidden might backfire and take a toll on your job.
As such, it is recommended you put honesty at the forefront of all your dealings as a dispatcher and be open to accepting your mistakes.
Ensure to foster a professional environment because it is important to guarantee you have a healthy relationship with your co-workers.
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Always Have a “to-do” List
It is important you are always updated on the schedule of your dispatch operations, and having a to-do list will help you stay on track and organized. This is more efficient when you have to deal with some other things that come up in between your work.
As such, a properly noted “to-do” list will function as a good companion in your daily tasks. You can conveniently add all the information about your truck dispatch operations and keep it handy.
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Adopt the Latest Technology
Leveraging the latest technology as well as adopting delivery management software can easily streamline your dispatch process and make management more efficient.
Some of the software in the market today comes with features that let you plan routes and schedule them months in advance. Note that this will most definitely reduce a lot of your workload.
In addition to saving you time through automated dispatch, it also ensures that you can conserve fuel as drivers won’t have to search for routes while on the road.