Like many logistics-oriented sectors, the world of truck dispatching relies on systemic efficiency in order to work. There are often multiple stopping points to make, different types of cargo to load and offload, and no small degree of communication to uphold.

Being prepared for hold-ups and mistakes along the way is crucial for avoiding issues and ensuring that goods get transported successfully at every point of the route.

But which mistakes are the most common, and how can drivers and the companies they work for avoid them? Below, we’ll explore ten of the most frequently occurring mistakes in truck dispatching and how to avoid them for a better, faster, and more seamless logistics process.

The trucking and logistics industry has seen steady growth over the past few years as the e-commerce market continues growing exponentially year-on-year, driving the need for products to be transported across local and international lines. This has spurred many entrepreneurs to start their own trucking business and capitalize on the growing demand for trucking services.

If you want to follow their lead, now is a good time to enter this industry and establish your business. However, whether you decide to embrace being an owner-operator or open a full-scale trucking business with multiple employees, you’ll need a comprehensive business strategy and a clear idea of how you want to run it.

Below, we’ve gathered some key statistics about the current state of the trucking industry as well as seven steps you can follow to build a trucking company that is profitable and sustainable.

Post-pandemic, many jobs have been shifted to remote, cutting out many hours wasted in commuting, and working from the comfort of the home.

You may consider the benefits of working as a truck dispatcher from home, for a trucking company, where you can work with no cap on your income with a commission-based job. As a truck dispatcher, you are a point of contact between brokers, clients, and drivers. In order to do your job, you should be able to communicate and organize schedules.

In order to work remotely as a truck dispatcher, you will need your phone and your computer/laptop with internet service. This will allow you to perform your job duties as a truck dispatcher remotely, which is to locate, negotiate, and book loads for their clients. As long as you have internet service on a computer/laptop, you can open the load board and fulfill your truck dispatcher duties. You can negotiate then with a broker, once you’ve found a load that meets your client’s needs.

We teach the exact steps on what exactly is required to fulfill your duties as a truck dispatcher in our online Truck Dispatcher Training course, answering any questions you may have.

Now, once you’ve negotiated the load with a broker, you complete paperwork such as a broker carrier agreement. You can complete this paperwork remotely by using a PDF editor app and e-fax the completed paperwork to the broker.

Then, you simply wait for the rate confirmation, which will most likely be communicated via email. Then, you relay this information to your client/driver. Thus, your job is complete and you have successfully fulfilled your duties, even while working remotely. You can work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have good phone and internet service, allowing seamless communication between you and the parties to the transaction.

In our Truck Dispatcher Training Course we show you exactly how this can be done remotely, and you can live and make money as a truck dispatcher from the comfort of your own home, averaging about $1,500-$1,800 a week as a top-performing dispatcher for trucks.

If you want to learn more about How To Become A Truck Dispatcher, read our step by step guide we’ve created for you here. 

Semi-trucks get an average of 6.5 miles/gallon. This number depends on the make, model, and the conditions of driving the semi (incline, load weight, etc…). On a full tank of diesel fuel, semi-trucks typically travel around 2,000 miles (referenced for a tank of 300 gallons). Semi-trucks on average drive 54,000 miles a year. Due to the large mileage that trucks need to drive due to the nature of their work, it is important to consider what trucks have the best MPG.

Currently, these are our top semi-trucks that get the best fuel mileage:

To make the best of your truck, you need the best truck dispatch company on your side.

Insurance is necessary for truckers and trucking businesses. The specific type of insurance will depend on the type of vehicle or cargo. We suggest staying in touch with your insurance broker so you can get the best benefits from each policy.

In order to operate legally, these entities need insurance. It is a federal requirement to have auto liability. This provides protection if a 3rd party is injured. 

Required insurance For Truck Drivers: 

• Proof of liability insurance

This insurance is necessary for the Operating Authority/MC number application for the DOT and FMCSA. Under any safety inspection, you will be asked for proof of insurance.

Safety Assurance for Customers

Shippers want to trust you with freight, proof of liability insurance provides peace of mind. They don’t want damaged cargo or late deliveries to affect their business negatively. If an accident does occur, the shippers are protected by your liability insurance.

Safety Assurance for Yourself

Not only does insurance provide peace of mind for shippers, it protects you. If there is damage to your freight, vehicle, or driver, you won’t have to pay for it out of pocket. Insurance will cover the cost, and you can continue running your business. These insurances protect you from the high costs of potential lawsuits. Also, you will qualify for leases and contracts as long as you have insurance and shippers will want to work with you. 

What Insurance Do Truck Drivers Need to Operate?

Required:

• Public liability insurance 

• Cargo insurance 

• Surety Bond/Trust Fund Agreement 

• Service of Process Agents 
• Endorsement for Motor Carrier Policies of Insurance for Public Liability 

Overview: 

• • Public liability insurance

You need this for physical injury or property damage that was caused by your truck. Not only does it cover the driver, it covers third parties who may have been injured. Also, if you damage public property, it will cover that as well. Normally this insurance covers between $750,000 and $5,000,000. 

• • Cargo insurance 

This is for damage to the freight itself, including employee mistakes, Customs problems, theft, etc… You are required by FMCSA to get cargo coverage of $5,000/vehicle and $10,000/occurrence.  

• • Surety Bond/Trust Fund Agreement. 

This is needed for drivers. Coverage of $75,000.

• • Service of Process Agents

This is a representative who you can designate/may have to pay for who will be responsible for court papers that may be served in a proceeding against an entity. 

• • Endorsement for Motor Carrier Policies of Insurance for Public Liability 

Additional insurance considerations for yourself

These may not be required but they are there to protect you when things inevitably go wrong.

• Health insurance 
• Disability insurance 

Insurance may seem like a hassle to obtain, however, insurance protects you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Truck Dispatch 360  at (404)-987-8447.

The truck industry is growing fast. Drivers are increasingly switching over to owner-operators as the financial reward is much greater.

Becoming an owner operator truck driver is attractive because owner operators generally earn higher per-mile rates than company drivers. If you run your company efficiently, you can make significantly more money as an owner operator. As an independent contractor, you control how much money you can make and this makes world of a difference.

Being a truck dispatcher means negotiating, booking loads, handling paperwork, arranging and coordinating the delivery of various cargo loads between two primary groups: brokers and carriers (truck drivers).

To be a successful truck dispatcher, one must communicate effectively, have strong organizational skills, and be able to problem-solve.

There are many benefits of becoming a truck dispatcher. Since it is a profession, one of the main questions interested parties have is how much you can reasonably expect to make. According to salary comparison site Comparably, the middle 57% of truck dispatchers make between $42,806 and $107,015. Salary research site Salary.com puts the median salary at $51,176, with the top 75% of earners earning at least $60,013.

Beyond the salary for truck dispatcher, it also offers the flexibility of being able to work from your home. In a world where more and more work is going remote, having the security of a job that can be done from the convenience of one’s home is an undeniably positive aspect.

Beyond the basic elements of the job and the salary lie many important details. We have put together this guide to becoming a truck dispatcher to help those interested with the following:

• The job duties and responsibilities of a truck dispatcher
• How much truck dispatchers make, along with their earning potential
• The steps to take to become a truck dispatcher
• The skills necessary to be a successful truck dispatcher
• Where to find the training to start your career as a truck dispatcher

On the road to becoming a successful owner-operator, you’ll need to answer an important question: should you manage your own dispatching or outsource to a dispatch service provider? Depending on your specific needs and goals, you’ll have to make the choice that best suits you and the future of your business.

In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into everything you need to know about using a dispatch service, whether you should try self-dispatching, and how to make the right choices for your long-term success.