How to hire a transportation dispatcher

How to hire a transportation dispatcher, step by step

Here's a step-by-step transportation dispatcher hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a transportation dispatcher job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation dispatcher
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a transportation dispatcher do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the transportation dispatcher you need to hire. Certain transportation dispatcher roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A transportation dispatcher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, transportation dispatchers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of transportation dispatchers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Transportation Dispatcher	Description	Hourly rate
   Transportation Dispatcher		$13-22
   Dispatch Coordinator	A dispatch coordinator is primarily in charge of dispatching and tracking vehicles that provide different services. The extent of their duties varies upon their industry or institution of employment... Show more	$14-22
   Dispatch Technician	A dispatch technician specializes in providing technical support to clients, particularly when it comes to network services. They primarily gather client information, identify their needs, sort out emergency and non-emergency calls, help clients troubleshoot issues, process requests, coordinating field technician services when necessary, and provide step-by-step instructions to solve problems... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • Data Entry
   • Patient Care
   • Patient Transport
   • CPR
   • Two-Way Radio
   • Inbound Calls
   • GPS
   • Computer Aided Dispatch
   • Computer System
   • Service Vehicle
   • Emergency Situations
   • IV

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
   • Monitor and report various GPS routes, road and weather conditions.
   • Work with different lines of accounting (LOA) for DTS and PCS transactions.
   • Keep track of all drivers on the road and delivery times and departure times through GPS tracking.
   • Schedule and coordinate HVAC technician's daily activities, part requisitions, and deliver detail customer information for technicians.
   • Determine the nature of the call and deploy the proper medical units and equipment need within the contracted eta time standards.

   More transportation dispatcher duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the transportation dispatcher job description is a good way to get more applicants. A transportation dispatcher salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a transportation dispatcher in Mississippi may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level transportation dispatcher. Additionally, a transportation dispatcher with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average transportation dispatcher salary

   $36,218yearly

   $17.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level transportation dispatcher salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average transportation dispatcher salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$42,597	$20
   2	California	$42,150	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$41,439	$20
   4	Vermont	$39,962	$19
   5	New Hampshire	$39,644	$19
   6	New York	$39,210	$19
   7	Ohio	$39,132	$19
   8	Michigan	$38,130	$18
   9	Pennsylvania	$36,156	$17
   10	Illinois	$36,140	$17
   11	Colorado	$35,755	$17
   12	Georgia	$34,594	$17
   13	Oregon	$34,554	$17
   14	Arizona	$32,749	$16
   15	Texas	$32,735	$16
   16	North Carolina	$32,449	$16
   17	Maine	$32,214	$15
   18	New Mexico	$32,165	$15
   19	Tennessee	$28,883	$14

   Average transportation dispatcher salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Northrop Grumman	$47,705	$22.94
   2	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$47,546	$22.86	1
   3	Lancaster General Health	$40,955	$19.69
   4	PepsiCo	$40,706	$19.57
   5	Miller Transportation	$39,021	$18.76	1
   6	Mayo Clinic	$38,903	$18.70	2
   7	Coe	$37,883	$18.21
   8	Cemex	$37,180	$17.88	4
   9	Spectrum Health	$37,161	$17.87
   10	Towne Park	$36,813	$17.70
   11	United Natural Foods	$36,800	$17.69	5
   12	Harrisburg School District	$36,762	$17.67
   13	Waste Management	$36,739	$17.66	8
   14	Salem-Keizer Public Schools	$36,722	$17.65	1
   15	Cleveland Clinic	$36,378	$17.49	5
   16	Kelly Services	$36,227	$17.42
   17	HD Supply	$35,906	$17.26	15
   18	Dead River	$35,756	$17.19	5
   19	Westaff	$35,560	$17.10
   20	Geisinger Medical Center	$35,550	$17.09	3

4. Writing a transportation dispatcher job description

   A job description for a transportation dispatcher role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a transportation dispatcher job description:

   Transportation dispatcher job description example

   Lactalis Group, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION , ENGAGEMENT , and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do.

   
   

   If you're looking for a unique experience with a company that offers strong brands, professional expertise, and a dynamic work environment that champions entrepreneurial spirit, hands-on responsibility and real opportunity for career development, we want to hear from you!

   
   

   At Lactalis USA we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY , your PASSION , and your EXPERTISE ! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

   
   

   From your PASSION to ours

   The Dispatcher is responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects of planned domestic and exporting shipment. They are expected to work collaboratively with all cross-functional staff to assure the transportation plan is achieved.

   
   

   From your EXPERTISE to ours

   Key responsibilities for this position include:

   
   

   · Coordinate with others to ensure all functions of Transportation Operations are successfully performed to achieve the transportation plan.

   · Coordinates activities with Lactalis' carriers to ensure that on-time performance is achieved.

   · Become subject matter expert for all consignee within their assigned responsibilities. This includes location detail, receiving hours, general ordering patterns and other pertinent information necessary to provide an excellent level of customer service.

   · Communicate on an on-going basis with customers and Customer Service on a variety of issues including appointments, service exceptions or any other areas of concern.

   · Manage delivery services ensuring maximum equipment utilization by balancing order patterns, routing and customer service.

   · Use judgement and has authority to negotiate financial commitments with carriers, lumpers, and regional warehouses.

   · Maintain effective working relationship with carriers, ensuring proper communication and data maintenance of service, quality, and cost items between Lactalis and the carrier.

   · Relies on own discretion in resolving grievances with carriers during the freight movement.

   · Manage deliveries ensuring that the company obtains the most efficient routing and freight rates after comparing and evaluating possible options and making a decision after the various possibilities have been considered.

   · Able to perform duties of other dispatchers within the department to provide assistance and back-up as required.

   · Manages delivery exceptions related to service and over/short/damaged, while freight is in-transit or at the time of delivery. Coordinates solutions to in-transit service failures between carriers, customers, Quality, Customer Service, and Sales.

   · Maintains Transportation Management System (3Gtms) with required system transactions for all dispatch areas of responsibility.

   · Dispatch Operations is staffed 7 days a week and will be scheduled accordingly.

   · This description reflects management's assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

   · Travel and / or extended or off work hours may be required

   · To fulfill these responsibilities, tools such as a computer, phone or, and / or allowance(s) may be provided.

   · Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these Essential Duties and Responsibilities.

   
   

   Requirements:

   
   

   From your STORY to ours

   Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

   
   

   Education

   · High School diploma or equivalent required;

   · Associates degree or higher preferred; or equivalent experience to include a minimum of five (5) years job related experience

   
   

   Experience

   · 2+ years experience in Transportation & Logistics preferred.

   · OR 2+ years experience Warehousing and Distribution.
   

   Specialized Knowledge

   · TMS Software

   · Freight tracking apps: Macropoint, FourKites, Project44, TruckerTools

   · DOT Hours of Service Regulation

   · US Geography

   · Transportation Market Conditions
   
   

   Skills / Abilities

   · Strong communication abilities, written and verbal.

   · Demonstrated effectiveness in maintaining good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

   · Attention to detail and thoroughness related to work processes.

   · Knowledge of computer software, specifically Microsoft Office applications.

   
   
   

   PI192761462

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5. Post your job

   To find transportation dispatchers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any transportation dispatchers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level transportation dispatchers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your transportation dispatcher job on Zippia to find and recruit transportation dispatcher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit transportation dispatchers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new transportation dispatcher

   Once you've decided on a perfect transportation dispatcher candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new transportation dispatcher. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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