Truck Dispatchers
Overview
Introduction
Truck dispatchers coordinate and manage the schedules of truck drivers to ensure products and goods are picked up and delivered in a timely manner. They receive calls for truck services and contact their fleet of truck drivers to arrange the pickups and deliveries. They maintain contact with truck drivers throughout their routes to monitor their progress and to troubleshoot any problems that may arise along the way. They relay information to customers to keep them informed of delivery dates and time estimates. They may work for loca...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The Department of Labor reported that the average annual salary for dispatchers was $40,190 in May 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned $25,260 and the highest 10 percent earned $67,850 or more. Dispatchers who worked in general freight trucking earned an average of $45,570 per year, which translates to $21.91 per hour. Specialized freight trucking dispatchers typically earn slightly higher incom...
Work Environment
Truck dispatchers work in trucking company offices and sit for much of their workday. Some independent truck dispatchers may work from their home office. No matter where they work, they use computers, phones, smartphones, and mobile devices. They spend much of their time speaking on the phone with customers and truck drivers, and using computers to arrange trucking schedules and to monitor truc...
Outlook
The Department of Labor (DOL) predicts about 3 percent employment growth in the transportation and material moving industry through 2029. In 2020 alone, the trucking industry was projected to have declines in revenue and profit due to the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by IBISWorld. Truck dispatchers will have a 1 percent decline in employment, losing up to 1,900 dispatcher jobs, through 202...