Owner-operators often work independently on their own truck. In addition to business management problems, there is also a job as a trucker. What about operational problems? For example, cargo search, communication with customers, and route planning. It’s all complicated to do on your own, but there is also rest and personal life. Those with ambitions and self-motivation may succeed in managing their time, but why strain so much and create unnecessary problems when there is a dispatcher?
Starting a new business may not be easy, but with a professional dispatcher service, you will quickly reach a new level of earnings. You will have more clients and more time for your business while the dispatcher organizes the work. We will tell you in more detail in this article.
Who is the truck dispatcher, and what does he do?
Cargo dispatchers are intermediaries between the owner-operator and the client who needs to ship the cargo at the appointed time. They provide essential services in cargo transportation, which help both owner-operators to free up time, and customers to receive good service. They provide administrative services for the management of shipments and coordination of actions.
What are the duties of dispatchers, and what can they help you with?
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Cargo search
At the beginning of work, many owner-operators face the problem of not finding customers. You need to spend a lot of time and effort searching for them, registering on all platforms, and negotiating a favorable price. Most of the business owner’s time is spent on this. Dispatchers solve this problem by looking for paying customers who are willing to pay a lot for your services. For example, he searches for flatbed loads near me and contacts an available company. They agree on working conditions and costs. All you have to do is take the cargo from point A to point B.
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Route planning
We can’t know all the roads in the country, all the laws of all the states, all the first points. A dispatcher can, and he does it for your business. He plans the route based on the speed of delivery, the customer’s wishes, weather conditions, road repairs, etc. Thanks to this, they achieve maximum efficiency.
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Communication with clients
Customers often have questions or changes already during the delivery of the cargo. The dispatcher constantly contacts them and transmits all the information to you. Communication can also include processing payments and invoices, updating records, collecting data from you, and holding meetings with potential customers.
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Communication and assistance to you
Unforeseen situations occur on the roads that can directly affect the speed of delivery and your reputation as a responsible carrier. To prevent this and quickly solve the problem, you should hire a dispatcher. He will remotely help you deliver the cargo on time despite any problems.
When you open your business, you may decide that you will be able to perform these duties alone. But believe me, as your business grows, you will understand how much effort these tasks take away from you and that it is better to transfer them to professionals. And do it better as early as possible in order to expand your business and your influence on the industry faster.
Good cargo dispatcher: who is he?
This job requires a lot of skills and expertise. Most of them are soft skills that allow the dispatcher to quickly solve problems and negotiate profitable deals with customers. Also, the dispatcher must have time management skills. After all, there are a lot of tasks, as well as responsibilities. And in order not to forget about something important in this chaos, a specialist must be organized and be able to plan.
Communication skills are also very important in this profession, because the dispatcher must communicate clearly and clearly with you, negotiate favorable terms with potential customers, report delays and deliveries, and arrange payment for services. Thanks to the work of the dispatcher, customers become permanent. And this is very important for business.
Is it possible to do it yourself? Yes, if you feel that you have enough time and resources for operational tasks. You will also save money on another employee because you will do it yourself. But there may be a big problem lurking in this. You will achieve it faster if you focus on business management rather than route planning. Therefore, the benefits of cooperation with the dispatch service, although not immediately visible, are very noticeable after years when you have a lot of customers and profitable cargo.
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