Trucking Jobs

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In today’s ultra-competitive logistics landscape, trucking companies need every advantage they can get. Dispatch services can help trucking companies save time, money and fuel through smarter routing, faster load and unload times, optimized driver performance and more advanced predictive analytics. Data-driven dispatch services use automated load tracking and real-time traffic info to optimize truck schedules and keep drivers moving as efficiently as possible. Automated tracking also means faster load and unload times, which helps reduce downtime and keep costs down. Dispatch services can also help trucking companies reduce their carbon footprint by optimizing routes to avoid high-traffic areas that waste time and fuel. These services can also reduce driver fatigue by reducing the amount of time spent idling or waiting for loading or unloading to complete. By partnering with a data-driven dispatch service, trucking companies can access a broad range of advanced analytical tools that help them make smarter decisions about everything from routing to driver management.

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Trucking dispatch services are not just a luxury for logistics professionals. They are a necessity that makes the entire operation run more smoothly. Without trucking dispatch services, getting drivers and their trucks on the road becomes a complicated process. In addition, you need to check every driver’s hours, fuel levels, etc., before they leave so that there is no risk of them exceeding safe driving hours or weight capacities. With so many companies offering trucking dispatch services, it can be challenging to find the best one for your business needs. So, we’ll look at 6 tips for finding the best trucking dispatch services as well as what you should be looking for when interviewing potential providers.

1. Ask for referrals

Before you even begin to review trucking dispatch services, ask your existing carriers and business partners if they have any recommendations for a good dispatch provider. It’s likely that some of these carriers already have a dispatch service that they use. If so, they can easily refer you to their current provider, and you can start there. If you don’t have any existing carriers, try posting your request on industry forums or other trucking-related websites. Not only will you get some referrals that way, but you may also get some suggestions on which providers to avoid. A trucking dispatch service is a critical piece of your business, so it is important to make sure you choose the best one for your needs.

2. Ensure transparency

The best way to ensure that you are getting quality trucking dispatch services is to find providers that are transparent about their business practices. Trucking dispatch providers that offer a clear look into their operation, with detailed information about how they manage a fleet, staffing and dispatching, are more likely to have a service that meets your needs. To get this insight, you’ll want to look for trucking dispatch companies that offer a fleet management solution that is accessible online, or where you have the ability to log in and view the information or where you are getting regular reports. 

3. Measure service provider performance

To ensure you are getting the best trucking dispatch services, you’ll want to monitor your provider’s performance. This is especially true if you use a service-based model, where you pay based on how much time your dispatchers spend on your behalf. To do this, find out if the provider has a monitoring system in place that you can access. Ideally, you should be able to view the amount of time each dispatcher has spent on your account each day. This is critical information as it helps you understand where you are spending too much time and where you are being overcharged. If you are able to access this information, you can go one step further and use it to create a trucking dispatch services KPIs that you can use to measure and improve the service. This will not only help you determine whether the dispatcher is meeting expectations, but also gives you data that you can use to interact with the dispatcher for things like coaching and feedback on their performance.

4. See-through Tariff Rates

As part of your research into trucking dispatch providers, you’ll want to look for those that offer a see-through tariff. What this means is that you are able to see the actual tariff, or rate, that is charged for your dispatching service. This way, you can understand how the rate is calculated and what factors are included in the final rate. This will help you better understand your costs so that you can plan for them as part of your overall budget.  If the trucking dispatch company does not offer a see-through tariff, you won’t be able to understand the rate, which would make it impossible to budget. You also won’t be able to identify any instances where you are being overcharged.

5. Solid Fleet Management Practices

As part of your research into the best trucking dispatch services, you should also be looking at how the provider manages its fleets. Does the company manages a single fleet or a combination of trucking companies and owner-operators? How are the drivers managed? One way to assess fleet management practices is to look at how the provider assigns loads to their drivers. Ideally, dispatchers will assign loads based on driver preferences, location and position in queue to help create some consistency in how the drivers are assigned loads. This also helps keep drivers from constantly having to turn loads down. When interviewing potential trucking dispatch providers, you can ask them about their fleet management practices as well as request to be given an overview of their fleet management system. This will allow you to see how the fleet is managed, which will help you assess the quality of the service.

6. Responsive Staff and User Interface

Finally, when you are interviewing potential trucking dispatch providers, make sure to pay attention to the staff and the user interface of their system. Do they respond to your inquiries in a timely manner? How has your experience been interacting with them so far? Ideally, you want a trucking dispatch provider that you can have a conversation with and ask questions as you go through the selection and onboarding process so that you can be sure you have all the information you need to make a good decision. The user interface of the fleet management system is also important to assess. Ideally, you want a system that is easy to navigate, simple to use and provides you with the information that you need. You also want to make sure that the system is up to date and has any latest software updates.

Summing up

As you can see, finding the best trucking dispatch services is a critical part of running a successful logistics business. To do this, you need to do your research to select the providers that offer the best service at an affordable rate. You can do this by asking for referrals, ensuring transparency, measuring performance, and assessing fleet management practices, as well as being responsive and having a user-friendly system.