Everyone has a favorite film.
What’s yours? The Godfather? Pulp Fiction? Dumb and Dumber?
No matter what it is, all movies have a one thing in common: scenes that unfold effortlessly on camera actually took an enormous amount of time and effort to set up behind the scenes.
For example, let’s say your favorite film actually is The Godfather. Imagine the first scene of the film, the one with Don Corleone just sitting at his desk in the dark, talking about favors. It seems simple, but dozens of people – the writers, the camera crew, the sound crew, the lighting crew, the makeup crew, wardrobe, set designers, Marlon Brando – worked together to get that shot just right. And Francis Ford Coppola, the director, was responsible for making sure no mistakes were made in this complicated process.
Being a route dispatcher is a lot like being a director. When you do your job right, it all looks easy. No one has any idea how much effort it takes to make things run smoothly.
Both route dispatchers and movie directors have very hard jobs. The level of organization and coordination needed is staggering. But with the software that’s available today, being a route dispatcher is a lot easier than it used to be.
Going Digital
Technology is improving the day-to-day life of route dispatchers. Routing software saves dispatchers an incredible amount of time with route planning. What used to take an hour can now take less than 30 seconds.
Going digital is critical when managing more than just one truck. If you’re GPS tracking the locations of your vehicles and a new order unexpectedly comes up, you’ll be able to dispatch the closest available truck and take care of the order ASAP.
Communicate with the Customer
Customer service is essential for any business. These days, just about everyone has a smartphone in their pocket. Internet is always available. With just a swipe of the finger, anyone can give your company one or five stars, a positive or negative review.
No one uses the phone book anymore – these online ratings will be the first thing that people see when they look you up. They will make or break your business.
So it’s certainly in your company’s best interest to keep your customers happy. Here’s how you can make those customers happy: communication.
GPS tracking allows for fast, simple communication. As a dispatcher, you can get real-time reports of unanticipated traffic while your truck is en route. This feature will help you provide your customers with a more dependable estimated arrival time.
Also, if your truck arrives before the client expects it, then chances are pretty high that they won’t be ready to unload the truck. The client be frustrated by this, and you’ll also have a stagnant truck that could have been on its way to the next job instead of waiting around doing nothing. GPS tracking will help you get the timing right.
Everyone wins with clear communication. It’s the best way to a five star review.
Manage Your Fleet
It can be pricey to run a logistics company, especially when all those extra gallons of fuel start to eat up your profit margin. As a dispatcher, it can seem like every time a job comes up, your only free driver is on the other side of town.
That’s where GPS tracking software comes in. By knowing where all your drivers are at any given time, you can quickly put the right driver in the right place. Efficient deliveries means more profit in your pocket.
Movie directors would kill for the ability to track the location of all their actors and crew members. As of now, this is only something route dispatchers can take advantage of.
What do you think about delivery companies using GPS tracking? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Whether you want to slash the time it takes you to plan routes for your drivers, increase the number of stops they can make, or keep your customers satisfied knowing that your drivers show up on time… Route4Me helps you achieve that!
