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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dispatch Clerk

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

As a Dispatch Clerk (also commonly titled Dispatch Coordinator or Dispatcher Assistant), you will be the operational backbone of daily transportation and field service activity. You are responsible for scheduling and routing drivers/technicians, monitoring real-time shipment and service status, communicating proactively with drivers and customers, and maintaining accurate records in Transportation Management Systems (TMS), GPS/fleet tracking software and ERP/WMS platforms. This role demands strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced logistics environment, and a customer-first mindset.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Customer Service Representative (logistics or field service)
  • Warehouse Associate or Material Handler
  • Administrative Assistant with routing/phone experience

Advancement To:

  • Senior Dispatcher / Lead Dispatch Clerk
  • Dispatch Supervisor / Operations Supervisor
  • Logistics Coordinator / Route Planner
  • Fleet Manager or Transportation Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Customer Service Manager (transportation/customer-facing roles)
  • Inventory or Warehouse Coordinator
  • Scheduling / Resource Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Receive, prioritize and schedule new work orders, service requests or shipment pickups and deliveries each day, assigning routes and resources to drivers and field technicians to meet customer SLA and time windows.
  • Monitor live GPS/fleet tracking and TMS dashboards throughout the shift to proactively identify lateness, breakdowns or route deviations and reassign work in real time to minimize customer impact.
  • Communicate clearly and continuously with drivers, technicians and third-party carriers by phone, two-way radio and mobile apps to provide route updates, special instructions, load details and documented confirmations.
  • Create, update and maintain accurate trip manifests, bills of lading, delivery receipts, proof of delivery (POD), and other required transport documentation in the company’s TMS or ERP for every dispatched load.
  • Conduct detailed data entry of pickup and delivery confirmations, time stamps, mileage, fuel usage, and driver notes into TMS/WMS and generate daily exception reports for operations management.
  • Coordinate with warehouse and inventory teams to confirm load readiness, staging, loading instructions and special handling requirements prior to driver departure.
  • Prioritize emergency and high-priority service requests, coordinate expedited routing, and escalate unresolved issues to supervisors while documenting resolution steps.
  • Validate driver qualifications, hours-of-service (HOS), and vehicle status to ensure DOT compliance, including logging driver time, pre-trip/post-trip inspection issues, and reporting safety incidents.
  • Optimize routing and consolidation opportunities using routing software or built-in TMS optimization features to reduce empty miles, save fuel and increase utilization.
  • Communicate estimated arrival times (ETAs) and service windows to customers and proactively notify them of delays, reschedules or exceptions with clear next-step plans.
  • Prepare daily dispatch sheets, route summaries and handbooks for incoming shifts; perform shift handover with clear status updates on outstanding calls and exceptions.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve billing, invoicing and rate discrepancies with carriers, accounting and sales teams by providing accurate proof of delivery and timestamped records.
  • Assist in vendor and carrier coordination, including scheduling third-party pickup/drop-off, confirming carrier arrival windows, and maintaining up-to-date contact and rate information.
  • Maintain and file regulatory and company records such as hazardous materials paperwork, vehicle maintenance logs, permits and driver certifications for audit readiness.
  • Generate and distribute performance and KPI reports (on-time performance, average dwell time, completed stops, exceptions) to operations and management to support continuous improvement.
  • Input and manage customer account requirements, delivery instructions, access codes, and service exceptions within dispatch systems to prevent repetitive errors.
  • Support shift planning by forecasting resource needs for peak periods using historical data, seasonality and promotions to ensure adequate staffing and vehicle coverage.
  • Respond to escalated customer inquiries with professionalism, researching freight location and status, and coordinating corrective actions with drivers, carriers and warehouse staff.
  • Maintain fuel card administration and mileage reporting, including flagging unusual transactions and coordinating with fleet administration to resolve discrepancies.
  • Participate in safety, compliance and process improvement meetings, suggest routing and scheduling enhancements, and document new procedures into the team knowledge base.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with ad-hoc reporting requests and maintain historical dispatch records for trend analysis and audit support.
  • Support onboarding and training for new dispatch team members by delivering hands-on system training and creating practical how-to guides.
  • Collaborate with sales and account teams to provide routing feasibility and ETA commitments for new or modified customer contracts.
  • Help manage spare parts and stock allocation for field service technicians by coordinating with inventory and procurement teams.
  • Participate in after-action reviews for service failures and prepare incident summaries with recommended preventive measures.
  • Maintain relationships with local authorities, gatehouses and customer site contacts to facilitate secure access and expedite deliveries.
  • Verify and upload electronic proof of delivery, images and signed documentation into TMS and customer portals.
  • Perform periodic audits of data quality in dispatch systems and correct mismatches between PODs, invoices and TMS records.
  • Coordinate preventive maintenance scheduling with fleet maintenance teams when drivers report vehicle issues affecting service.
  • Support project-based route optimization or software rollout activities by acting as a subject matter expert from the dispatch perspective.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proven proficiency with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) — experience with systems such as McLeod, Trimble, Oracle/TMS, Cerasis or similar.
  • Comfortable using GPS/fleet tracking platforms (Samsara, Verizon Connect, Fleet Complete, Teletrac) to monitor and reroute assets in real time.
  • Advanced data entry speed and accuracy; experience maintaining manifests, PODs and electronic delivery records.
  • Strong Microsoft Office skills, especially Excel (filters, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables) for reporting and route analysis.
  • Familiarity with route planning and optimization tools or modules and basic understanding of route density and driver hour windows.
  • Knowledge of DOT hours-of-service (HOS) rules, pre/post-trip inspection requirements and basic safety compliance.
  • Experience with multi-line phone systems, two-way radio protocols, and mobile communication apps for driver contact.
  • Basic math and freight calculation skills for mileage, weight, dimensional weight, and charge validation.
  • Experience working with ERP/WMS integrations and EDI transactions between carriers and customers is a plus.
  • Ability to generate and interpret transport KPI reports (on-time delivery, dwell time, utilization) and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication — calm, clear, customer-focused phone and email etiquette.
  • High level of organization and the ability to prioritize multiple live tasks under time pressure.
  • Strong problem-solving and critical thinking — quickly assess trade-offs, make decisions and document rationale.
  • Customer service orientation with empathy, follow-up discipline and commitment to delivering timely solutions.
  • Team-player attitude — works cross-functionally with warehouse, operations, sales and maintenance teams.
  • Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, shifting-priority environment.
  • Attention to detail and strong documentation habits to maintain audit-ready records.
  • Time management and planning skills to handle seasonal peaks and last-minute reschedules.
  • Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills when dealing with frustrated customers or drivers.
  • Analytical mindset to identify trends from dispatch metrics and recommend process improvements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or equivalent (GED) required.

Preferred Education:
Associate degree or certificate in Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Transportation Management, or related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Transportation Management
  • Business Administration
  • Operations Management
  • Customer Service / Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1–4 years of dispatch, logistics, transportation, or field-service coordination experience.

Preferred:
2–5+ years of direct dispatch or TMS-based scheduling experience in a transportation, courier, field service or distribution environment; prior exposure to DOT/compliance processes and fleet operations preferred.

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