There are so many opportunities to work in the transportation industry, and millions of people across North America rely on trucking to bring them goods not available or manufactured in their areas. One of the roles needed to make sure delivery of various products and goods goes smoothly is a dispatcher. If you’ve thought you maybe want to move into the trucking industry or perhaps you aren’t quite sure what a dispatcher does, here’s a little more information on how you can become a dispatcher within the trucking industry.

What does a dispatcher do?

There are a couple different roles labeled as dispatcher, so it can be confusing. There are emergency dispatchers, but in the trucking industry the dispatchers are a little different. Their job is to match drivers with loads that need to be picked up and delivered to various clients.

They are responsible for knowing where all the drivers in the fleet are. Sometimes, if a fleet is large, there will be various dispatchers to handle certain areas.

Who will you be dealing with?

Truck dispatchers will be dealing with both clients and drivers on a daily basis. They’ll have to be in constant communication to make sure the drivers know where to pick up loads and the clients know where everything is going.

What type of skills do you need to do this job?

Organizational and time management skills are of top priority for this job. You’ll need to be able to make sure all loads are picked up and delivered on time, and the drivers know where they are going. Further, you’ll definitely want to brush up on your communication skills since you will be on the phone and possibly emailing with everyone involved. In addition to these skills, having a strong working knowledge of the trucking industry and how the trucks in your fleet work.

How can you get a job as a dispatcher?

If you have never worked in the trucking industry, you may not find a position right away in this industry. You might have to start in a position, like administrative, and gain the knowledge necessary to become a dispatcher. If you already have a position in the trucking or logistics industry then this might be a natural transition for you.

The best thing you can do, if you want to move into this position, is the gain experience. Expand your knowledge base, and potentially take some courses or professional development seminars to add to your resume. Potential employers will appreciate the initiative taken with extra courses and further development to show that this is where you want to go with your career.

Further, depending on the company and if you already work there, you may be able to job shadow a current dispatcher for a few days to see how they work and what is required of the position. Talk to you employer to see if you would be able to test drive this position for a day or two. This shows initiative and that you want to move ahead in your career.