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Truck Dispatcher Duties and Responsibilities

Meeting the daily responsibilities of this occupation requires that truck dispatchers complete several tasks in the course of their workday. We have examined several job listings for truck dispatches and found that the below job responsibilities are among those most commonly desired:

Arrange for Package Deliveries and Pickups In their main role, truck dispatchers schedule deliveries and pickups. They communicate with customers to arrange times for shipments to be picked up and schedule deliveries by creating a pre-determined route. They make numerous changes to this route throughout the day as dictated by customer requests and shipment arrangements.

Create Shipping and Dispatch Documents Truck dispatchers are often required to maintain records of dispatched calls, driver routes, delivery and pickup times, and truck repairs and maintenance. They also log customer shipping schedules and complaints and maintain details of route changes. In addition, truck dispatchers might keep records of driver training sessions and CDL and other requirements.

Generate Freight Bills and Invoices It is often up to truck dispatchers to create billing and invoice documents for shipments. They are responsible for ensuring that drivers receive any necessary documents before making a pickup. They also invoice customers for payment of shipment pickups and handle all issues regarding charges for these services.

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Truck Dispatcher Skills

Most employers list strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills as among those that are most important for truck dispatchers. In this role, professionals must be able to effectively communicate with drivers, vendors, managers, customers, and other dispatchers; strong written communication skills would be vital in producing the reports generated in this position. Truck dispatchers are expected to work independently, with little or no supervision, and possess strong decision-making, problem-solving, time management, and analytical skills. Besides these vital skills, it is important that truck dispatchers possess the following abilities:

  • Arranging package pickups and deliveries
  • Setting up truck routes and making adjustments to trucking schedules and routes as needed
  • Creating dispatching reports, billing reports, and vehicle maintenance logs
  • Reviewing drivers’ logs for accuracy and errors
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Truck Dispatcher Salary

According to the most recent statistics presented by the BLS, truck dispatchers earn an annual median salary of $37,940, with those in the lowest 10th percentile earning $23,2160 and top earners realizing median wages of $63,420. Truck dispatchers working for government offices or specialized freight companies tend to earn the highest salaries in this field. Truck dispatchers working in North Dakota ($52,510), Illinois ($49,280), and Washington ($48,920) are paid the highest mean annual wages in the country, trailed closely by those in Alaska ($48,840) and New York ($47,870).

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Truck Dispatcher Resources

Below you will find several resources to give you further insight into being a truck dispatcher. It is often helpful to explore additional resources to get a better idea of what is involved in a specific occupation and to learn whether that occupation is for you:

National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) – Established in 1989, this organization provides current news about safety, technology and administrative programs that could be of interest to truck dispatchers.

American Trucking Association (ATA) – A leading association offering up-to-date details about transportation safety and best practices that is worth being reviewed by truck dispatchers.

American Trucker Magazine – Although focusing on drivers, this online publication contains articles and news about current trends and regulations in the trucking industry that can prove useful to truck dispatchers.

Truck Dispatch Manual 2018 – Aimed at both owner-operators and truck dispatchers, this book explores the various responsibilities and practices of this profession. It covers everything from customer service skills to freight handling.