Truck Dispatcher job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

10

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$50,340

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (O*NET-SOC 43-5032.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Prepare daily work and run schedules. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios. importance 4.6 of 5
5. Receive or prepare work orders. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules. importance 4.4 of 5
8. Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules. importance 4.4 of 5
9. Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Advise personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
• Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Administrative and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Kronos Workforce Timekeeper, Microsoft Access. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a truck dispatcher.

The most common answer among truck dispatchers surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (47%).

Job title: Truck Dispatcher
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Truck Dispatcher to schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
- Prepare daily work and run schedules.
- Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
- Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
- Receive or prepare work orders.
- Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information.
- Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
- Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and coordination
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Public Safety and Security
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $50,340 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $24.20. BLS estimates about 202,810 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full truck dispatcher salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real truck dispatcher posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only truck dispatcher work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking).