The “Art” of being a Dispatcher!

If you search the Internet and our job board, here on eTruckBook, you will find many job openings as “Dispatchers”.  As with many business endeavors, brokering loads is more an “Art” than a science.  The heart and soul of successful brokers or carrier operation is the “Dispatcher”.  The dispatcher is the voice of your operation.  They help find loads, select carriers, and sometime determine the rates the carriers are paid.

In some instances, the dispatcher will initiate the call to a shipper.  Once the load has been secured, the rate or price of the load is then determined.  In some circumstances, the shipper will tell the broker the rate they want to pay.  The shipper, of course, will offer the load at the lowest price he can get, hoping the broker is hungry enough to accept a low rate, in the hope that they can find a carrier returning home and will accept a back-haul rate.

After a rate or a price has been determined and agreed to, the dispatcher will fax or email over a “Rate Agreement” specifying the agreed to rate and any other specifications, such as time and place of pick-up and a delivery date.

After the rate agreement has been signed and fax/emailed back, the dispatcher will contact a carrier from an approved carrier list, or post the load on one of the Internet truckload boards.  An approved carrier list is important to maintain.  This list can be obtained through www.TFSMall.com so that you can continue to develop your own network communication in the industry.  This list contains sufficient information to inform the broker that the carrier has a valid Motor Carrier (MC), and Department Of Transportation (DOT) number, and have proper insurance and safety rating.

My thought here, is that your dispatcher is one of the most important employees in your business…as a business owner you should never underestimate the power of the dispatcher and the skills they possess to ensure your business is a success.