If you really want to understand why a fleet struggles, do not start with safety, recruiting, or maintenance. Walk straight to the dispatch floor. The truth sits right there in the noise level, the last minute scrambling, and the “we will figure it out” approach that has quietly drained fleets for years.
The U.S. trucking market today is unforgiving. Costs are high, freight volumes are uneven, and customers expect precision while paying as little as possible. In this environment, poor dispatch is not just inefficient, it is a competitive disadvantage. Yet most fleets still treat dispatch like a task desk instead of the operational control center it needs to be.
This is the real problem: dispatchers are overloaded, under-supported, or flying blind. And the solution is not more technology, more dashboards, or more meetings. The solution is a structured dispatch strategy that turns planning from guesswork into a disciplined operating system.
Let us talk about why fleets fail here, what a modern dispatch strategy actually looks like, and how to rebuild it without overcomplicating your world.
The Hidden Weakness in Most Fleets: Dispatch Runs on Habit, Not Strategy
Walk into any mid sized fleet and you will see the same pattern:
- Dispatchers carrying 50 to 70 trucks each.
- Excel, WhatsApp, and two load boards open side by side.
- TMS tools installed but not used to plan ahead.
- Drivers asking the same questions three times a day because the plan keeps shifting.
- No clear, shared definition of success.
If you look closely, you will notice something else: every decision relies on what the dispatcher remembers, not what the system knows.
That works only when the market is forgiving. Right now, it is not.
With operating costs above two dollars per mile for most fleets, each bad decision compounds. A missed preplan becomes an empty mile, which becomes a late delivery, which becomes an upset customer. That chain is always born inside dispatch.
The issue is not the dispatcher. The issue is the structure around them.
I recently visited a fleet that runs 80 units, mostly regional and cross-border freight. Monday morning looked like this:
- Drivers calling nonstop because preplans were unclear.
- Dispatchers refreshing load boards instead of working the TMS.
- No unified board showing trucks that would be empty in the next 24 hours.
- No planning rhythm.
- No KPI being measured besides “loads covered.”
Everyone was working hard, but the effort had no direction. Their biggest complaint was “the market is killing us.” The reality was simpler: they had no dispatch strategy.
Most fleets operate like this for years and think it’s normal. It is not. It is just common.
Why This Problem Hurts More in 2025
Dispatch has always been important, but right now it is absolutely critical.
Here is the reality:
- Freight demand is unstable.
- Driver shortage has shifted from “not enough drivers” to “not enough qualified drivers.”
- Cross-border freight is increasing due to nearshoring, which requires more precise coordination.
- Customers want real time updates, and they expect accuracy.
- Technology has advanced, so fleets using manual planning fall behind immediately.
When the market is tight and unpredictable, every mile matters. Every hour matters. Every preplan matters. A sloppy dispatch strategy makes you slow at exactly the time you need to be sharp.
This is why dispatch is no longer a support function. It is the engine of fleet optimization.
Where Fleets Go Wrong: The Real Causes
Let us strip away the polite explanations and focus on the real reasons most fleets get dispatch strategy wrong.
1. No universal definition of success
Ask your dispatchers what their job is and you will hear:
“Keep the trucks running.” “Cover loads.” “Communicate.”
None of that is wrong, but all of it is incomplete.
A real definition sounds like this:
“Dispatch is responsible for maximizing revenue per truck per week while maintaining on time performance, driver satisfaction, and safety constraints.”
Until everyone is aligned on that, decisions will always be inconsistent.
2. No documented playbook
Many fleets rely on tribal knowledge:
- “This customer always delays drivers.”
- “This lane usually pays better midweek.”
- “This border crossing gets congested after 3 PM.”
If your entire dispatch operation depends on who remembers what, you are not running a system. You are running a memory test.
3. Wrong KPIs or no KPIs at all
Too many fleets measure:
- Total loads
- Total revenue
- Miles per day
These are outcome metrics. They tell you what happened, not how well dispatch is performing.
Meaningful dispatch KPIs look like this:
- Revenue per truck per week
- Loaded mile percentage
- Empty mile percentage
- On time pickup and delivery
- Driver HOS utilization
- Average detention per stop
- Service failures per 100 loads
These are controllable. These are actionable.
4. Tools installed, but not embedded
Most fleets have a TMS. Many even have telematics, ELD data, GPS integration, and customer portals. But the workflow still lives in WhatsApp, whiteboards, and habit.
Technology without discipline is just decoration.
What Modern Dispatch Actually Looks Like
A high performing dispatch strategy is not complicated. It is consistent.
1. A clear operating model
Your team should know:
- What lanes matter
- What freight to avoid
- What driver constraints to protect
- What KPIs drive decisions
Anything outside of this creates noise.
2. A daily planning rhythm
A simple structure like this works:
- 06:30: Prioritize high risk loads
- 07:00 to 09:00: Cover today
- 09:00 to 11:00: Preplan tomorrow
- 14:00: Midday risk check
- 16:00: Handoff to night shift
Predictable rhythm creates predictable performance.
3. Clean driver profiles
No two drivers operate the same way. Smart fleets maintain:
- Home locations
- Preferred lanes
- HOS patterns
- Border readiness
- Strengths and limitations
When planners ignore this, turnover rises immediately.
4. Decision making based on real data, not reminders
If a shipper averages three hours of dwell, it should be in the plan. If a border crossing is slow after noon, it should be in the SOP. If a lane always has detention, pricing must reflect it.
Professional dispatch respects constraints. Amateur dispatch hopes they do not show up.
Fixing Dispatch: A Practical, Realistic Roadmap
Here is a rebuild plan fleets can implement within 60 to 90 days.
Step 1: Observe reality first
For one week, do not change anything. Just watch:
- How dispatchers plan
- What tools they actually use
- How drivers communicate
- Where delays originate
You will find the real gaps fast.
Step 2: Choose three to five KPIs
Pick KPIs that matter right now. For example:
- Loaded miles above 88 percent
- On time delivery above 96 percent
- Revenue per truck per week
- Detention below 90 minutes
Then build your entire dispatch strategy around them.
Step 3: Right size dispatcher workload
If someone is handling 70 trucks, do not blame them for mistakes. Blame the structure.
Segment by region, lane, or complexity. Create a planner role if volume justifies it. Protect planning time from constant interruptions.
Step 4: Create a short, clear playbook
Not a 50 page manual. A simple one that covers:
- How to plan a truck
- When to reject a load
- How to handle delays
- How to manage cross border freight
- What steps come first every morning
Simplicity scales. Chaos does not.
Step 5: Enforce system based work
Everything goes into the TMS:
- Notes
- Plans
- Updates
- Load status
- Driver preferences
If it lives outside the system, it will eventually be forgotten.
Step 6: Establish a weekly review
Thirty minutes, once a week:
- Review KPIs
- Review service failures
- Review driver feedback
- Remove one bottleneck per week
In two to three months, the culture shifts completely.
A Quick Example: How Strategy Changes Real Outcomes
Old way
Driver sits three hours at a slow shipper. Dispatcher says, “Keep me updated.” No backup plan. Driver is frustrated. Next load gets delayed. OTD drops. Customer complains.
New way
Dispatcher checks dwell time data by 09:30. Preplans the next load accordingly. Adjusts appointment proactively. Driver stays calm because the next move is clear. Customer gets accurate updates. Performance stays intact.
Small shift. Big payoff.
The Real Payoff: Calm Floors and Strong Numbers
When dispatch strategy becomes a real system, not just a department:
- Floors get quieter
- Drivers stop leaving
- Customers trust you
- KPIs improve
- Empty miles drop
- Planning becomes predictable
- Growth becomes possible
Fleets with disciplined dispatch outperform fleets with heroic dispatch every single time.
The market is too tight, customers too demanding, and costs too high to rely on intuition. This is the era of structured, data backed, driver aware, customer centered dispatch.
Get that right, and your fleet becomes sharper, faster, and more profitable.
Get it wrong, and no amount of new business will fix your internal leakage.
About the Author:
Bhavya Vashisht is the Director of Operations at Canamex Carbra Transportation and the voice behind Truck & Trade Trends. He shares field-tested insights from the frontlines of U.S. trucking and logistics to help fleets operate smarter, safer, and more profitably.
Connect with me on LinkedIn (Bhavya Vashisht) for more insights on trucking, logistics, and fleet optimization.
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