Truck Dispatcher – Job Duties & Responsibilities

Company: Rosewood Freight Services Inc.

Position: Truck Dispatcher

Department: Operations / Dispatch

Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview The Truck Dispatcher is responsible for coordinating and managing the company's daily trucking operations. The Dispatcher will communicate with drivers, customers, shippers, receivers, brokers and internal management to ensure trucks are dispatched efficiently, loads are completed safely and on time, and equipment utilization and profitability are maximized.

The ideal candidate must have strong knowledge of the Canadian and U.S. trucking industry, transportation regulations, freight markets, load boards, rates, driver hours-of-service requirements and day-to-day fleet operations.

Key Duties & Responsibilities1. Load Planning & Dispatching

- Plan and dispatch company trucks and drivers efficiently based on available equipment, driver location, hours of service and customer requirements.
- Assign loads to drivers while considering current location, available hours, equipment type and delivery schedule.
- Monitor all loads from pickup through delivery.
- Ensure drivers have accurate pickup and delivery information, appointment times, reference numbers and special instructions.
- Coordinate multi-stop, LTL, dedicated and cross-border shipments.
- Minimize empty miles and maximize truck utilization.
- Plan reloads and backhauls whenever possible.

1. Load Boards & Freight Procurement

The Dispatcher must be experienced and comfortable using major transportation/load-board platforms, including:
- DAT Load Board
- Loadlink
- Other applicable Canadian and U.S. freight/load boards and broker portals.

Responsibilities include:
- Search for available freight based on truck location and equipment.
- Monitor market availability throughout the day.
- Identify profitable loads and avoid unprofitable freight.
- Understand lane-specific market rates.
- Negotiate rates with brokers and customers when authorized.
- Compare the offered rate against estimated operating costs before accepting a load.
- Maintain awareness of deadhead miles, fuel costs, tolls, waiting time and other trip expenses.

1. Current Freight Rates & Market Knowledge

The Dispatcher must maintain a strong understanding of current trucking market rates and how rates change by:

- Lane
- Distance
- Equipment type
- Fuel prices
- Freight volume
- Season
- Border conditions
- Weather
- Capacity
- Supply and demand

The Dispatcher should understand that freight rates can change significantly depending on market conditions and must communicate major market changes to management.
1. Seasonal Freight Knowledge

The Dispatcher must understand seasonal changes in freight volume and pricing, including:
- Produce season
- Holiday freight
- Retail peak season
- Christmas/New Year freight
- Back-to-school season
- Construction season
- Winter freight
- Agricultural/harvest season
- Seasonal LTL opportunities

The Dispatcher should anticipate changes in freight demand and plan equipment and drivers accordingly.
1. Driver Communication & Management

- Maintain regular communication with drivers throughout their shifts.
- Provide drivers with complete and accurate dispatch instructions.
- Monitor driver progress and identify potential delays.
- Communicate appointment changes, customer requirements and route changes.
- Handle driver questions and operational issues professionally.
- Ensure drivers understand pickup and delivery requirements.
- Escalate serious operational, safety or customer issues to management.

1. Hours of Service & Compliance





The Dispatcher must have a strong working knowledge of applicable Hours of Service (HOS) regulations for both Canada and the United States.

The Dispatcher must

- Review available driver hours before assigning loads.
- Ensure dispatch plans are realistic and can be completed legally.
- Understand driving, on-duty and off-duty requirements.
- Consider mandatory rest periods and cycle limits.
- Avoid dispatching drivers in a manner that could encourage HOS violations.
- Understand the differences between Canadian and U.S. HOS requirements.
- Work with electronic logging/ELD information when required.
- Monitor drivers' available hours and plan future loads accordingly.

Dispatchers must never pressure or instruct a driver to violate Hours of Service or other safety regulations.

1. Route Planning

- Plan efficient routes based on pickup and delivery requirements.
- Consider traffic, construction, weather, border crossings, tolls and road restrictions.
- Consider truck restrictions, weight restrictions and equipment limitations.
- Plan fuel stops and rest locations when appropriate.
- Identify potential delays before they affect delivery appointments.

1. Cross-Border Operations

For U.S.-Canada shipments, the Dispatcher should understand the basic requirements associated with cross-border transportation, including:
- U.S./Canada border crossings
- Customs documentation
- ACE/AIT requirements where applicable
- PARS/PAPS processes
- Commercial invoices
- Customs brokers
- FAST requirements where applicable
- Driver documentation
- Border delays and operating procedures

The Dispatcher must ensure drivers receive the necessary information and paperwork before proceeding to the border.
1. Customer & Broker Communication

- Communicate professionally with customers, brokers, shippers and receivers.
- Confirm pickup and delivery appointments.
- Provide accurate ETA updates.
- Notify customers promptly about delays, breakdowns, weather issues or other service disruptions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with brokers and customers.
- Follow up on missing paperwork and delivery confirmations.

1. Rate Negotiation

- Negotiate freight rates with brokers and customers within company-approved guidelines.
- Understand the difference between gross revenue and actual profitability.
- Consider fuel, driver wages, deadhead, tolls, maintenance and other operating expenses when evaluating a load.
- Avoid accepting freight solely based on gross rate without considering the complete trip economics.
- Obtain rate confirmations before dispatching loads whenever required.

1. Documentation & Paperwork

Ensure all required transportation documents are properly collected and organized, including:
- Rate confirmations
- Bills of lading
- Proof of delivery (POD)
- Delivery receipts
- Lumper receipts
- Scale tickets
- Fuel receipts where required
- Detention documentation
- TONU documentation
- Damage/shortage documentation
- Customs documentation for cross-border loads

1. Detention, TONU & Accessorial Charges

The Dispatcher should understand and properly document:
- Detention
- Layover
- TONU (Truck Ordered Not Used)
- Driver waiting time
- Extra stops
- Stop-off charges
- Lumper charges
- Tolls
- Re-delivery charges
- Other applicable accessorial charges





The Dispatcher must notify brokers/customers and management when these charges occur and obtain supporting documentation.
1. Equipment & Trailer Management

- Track the location and availability of trucks and trailers.
- Ensure the correct equipment is assigned to each shipment.
- Monitor trailer pools and trailer availability.
- Coordinate trailer swaps and repositioning when required.
- Prevent unnecessary empty trailer movements.
- Report equipment problems to management or maintenance.

1. Tracking & Technology

The Dispatcher must be comfortable using transportation technology and tracking systems, including:
- ELD systems
- GPS/fleet tracking systems
- Electronic dispatch systems
- Load boards
- Email and communication platforms
- Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet software
- Transportation management systems (TMS), where applicable

The Dispatcher must maintain accurate and timely updates in the company's systems.
1. Problem Solving & Emergency Response

The Dispatcher must be able to respond quickly to operational problems, including:
- Truck breakdowns
- Driver illness or emergencies
- Accidents
- Road closures
- Severe weather
- Border delays
- Missed appointments
- Mechanical problems
- Trailer problems
- Freight damage
- Load cancellations
- Customer complaints

The Dispatcher must remain calm under pressure and communicate clearly with management, drivers and customers.
1. Revenue & Profitability

The Dispatcher is expected to contribute to company profitability by:
- Maximizing loaded miles.
- Reducing empty/deadhead miles.
- Finding reloads and backhauls.
- Monitoring lane profitability.
- Avoiding unnecessary waiting time.
- Evaluating freight based on total trip economics.
- Identifying opportunities to improve truck utilization.
- Communicating low-rate or difficult lanes to management.

Required Knowledge & Skills The successful candidate should have:
- Previous trucking dispatch experience.
- Strong knowledge of the Canadian trucking industry.
- Working knowledge of U.S. trucking operations.
- Experience with DAT and Loadlink.
- Strong knowledge of current freight rates and market conditions.
- Understanding of seasonal freight patterns.
- Knowledge of Canadian and U.S. HOS regulations.
- Understanding of cross-border trucking.
- Strong negotiation skills.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Strong geographical knowledge of Canada and the United States.
- Ability to work under pressure and make quick decisions.
- Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
- Good computer skills.
- Ability to communicate professionally with drivers, brokers and customers.

Preferred Experience
- 2+ years of trucking dispatch experience preferred.
- Experience with both Canada and U.S. freight preferred.
- Experience dispatching tractor-trailers and dry vans preferred.
- Experience with LTL, FTL, dedicated and spot-market freight is an asset.
- Experience negotiating rates with brokers is an asset.
- Experience with ELD/GPS tracking systems is an asset.

Performance Expectations The Dispatcher is expected to:
- Keep trucks moving efficiently.
- Maintain strong communication with drivers.
- Protect the company's equipment and customer relationships.
- Maximize revenue while maintaining acceptable operating margins.
- Reduce empty miles.
- Maintain compliance with all applicable safety and transportation regulations.
- Provide management with accurate, timely information.
- Maintain professional relationships with customers and brokers.
- Take ownership of assigned trucks and loads from dispatch through delivery.

Pay: From $50,000.00 per year

Advantages

- Casual dress
- Discounted or free food
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

📌 Truck Dispatcher (Cambridge)
🏢 Rosewood Freight Services
📍 Cambridge