Dispatcher job description template

Dispatchers take incoming calls and requests, assign jobs to drivers or technicians and keep everyone on schedule when the day changes, which it always does. A good post names your type of business, how many drivers or techs the dispatcher will coordinate, the software you use and whether the desk covers nights, weekends or after-hours calls.

Post this job free

Dispatcher

Full-time
Your Company is hiring a dispatcher to run our dispatch desk and keep our crews moving. You'll take calls from customers, assign jobs to drivers or technicians, track where everyone is and solve problems as they come up. You'll be the voice customers hear and the person our team relies on to keep the schedule straight. If you stay calm on a busy phone line and like making a plan work, we'd like to meet you.

What you’ll do

  • Answer calls, texts and emails from customers, and enter job details in our dispatch software
  • Assign jobs to drivers or technicians based on location, skills, equipment and how long each job takes
  • Track crews by GPS and rework the board when jobs run long, trucks break down or urgent calls come in
  • Give customers realistic arrival windows and call them right away if a crew is running late
  • Pass job notes, addresses, gate codes and special instructions to the crew before they head out
  • Check driver hours and truck availability before assigning work, following DOT rules as required
  • Log calls, job times and completed paperwork so the office can bill each job accurately
  • Cover after-hours or emergency calls on a rotation and escalate serious problems to the owner

What we’re looking for

  • Experience in dispatch, scheduling, customer service or another phone-heavy role
  • Calm, clear phone manner, even with upset customers and stressed drivers
  • Quick, accurate typing and comfort with dispatch software, online maps and GPS tracking
  • Good knowledge of local roads, or the ability to learn our service area quickly
  • Able to juggle several calls and changing priorities without losing track of details

Nice to have

  • Experience with software such as ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Towbook or Samsara
  • Working knowledge of hours-of-service rules and electronic logging devices (ELDs)
  • Driving or field experience in our line of work, so you know what crews face on a job
  • Speaks a second language used by many of our customers

Schedule

Full-time, weekday daytime shifts that start before our crews head out. Some weekends and a shared after-hours on-call rotation.

What we offer

  • Health insurance and paid time off
  • Paid holidays
  • Paid training on our software, service area and procedures
  • Extra pay for after-hours on-call shifts

Add your pay, location and schedule when you post. Jobs that show pay get noticeably more applicants.

Screening questions for a dispatcher

Ask these on the application form to sort applicants quickly. They’re added automatically when you post this template.

  • Have you worked in dispatch, scheduling or a phone-heavy customer service role?Yes / No · required
  • Which dispatch, scheduling or GPS tracking tools have you used, and for what kind of business?Short answer · required
  • Tell us about a day when plans fell apart and you had to rework the schedule. What did you do?Paragraph

Dispatcher interview questions

  1. It's first thing in the morning, two drivers called out and every slot is booked. Walk me through your next hour.
  2. A customer calls, angry that the crew is two hours late. What do you say?
  3. How do you decide which driver or tech gets an urgent job that just came in?
  4. A driver pushes back on an assignment and says it can't be done in time. How do you handle it?
  5. How do you keep track of where every crew is and what's coming up next?
  6. What information do you collect on a first call so the crew shows up prepared?
  7. Tell me about a scheduling or routing mistake you made and how you fixed it.

Tips for hiring a dispatcher

  • Give finalists a short exercise: five jobs, three crews and a map. Watch how they set priorities and explain their choices.
  • Do the first interview by phone. Dispatchers spend most of the day on calls, so how they sound and listen matters.
  • Have finalists sit with your current dispatcher, or with you, for a paid half shift so they see the real pace of the desk.
  • Look at former drivers, techs and service coordinators. People who've worked in the field often make strong dispatchers.