I worked for a large trucking company in Georgia for years as a truck dispatcher. After moving back to Alabama I went to work for another trucking company as a truck broker. In comparison to the duties, communicating, and the paperwork the two jobs differ in some ways.
The company where I worked as a dispatcher had 500 trucks. We hauled carpet from Georgia to all 48 states. My job was the mid-west. I had 40 to 50 trucks a day to load back to Georgia, Alabama, and the Tennessee area so they could reload another carpet load. As a broker, I have loads to be picked up or I may have a truck looking to go to a certain place. Therefore, I"m always looking to match a load and a truck up. Also, I have access to all outside carriers, not just one-company trucks. I have several customers that I can get loads from to get a truck anywhere he/she wants to go. I may have a driver wanted to go home or one that's trying to get to an area where he/she has another re-load. .
Communications with the truck drivers are similar for both jobs. As a dispatcher and a broker I have to give a phone number for directions of the pick up, a pick up number, and the time they need to load. After they get loaded I have to give them a phone number to where they are going, a date, and the time for delivery. The driver always prefers to call for their directions, which makes my job and theirs easier. While under a load the driver calls in each day letting me know where he/she is. When he/she delivers I receive a call letting me know the trailer is empty.
As far as paperwork, being a dispatcher had a lot less paperwork than being a broker. As a dispatcher I only had to produce an invoice with the drivers name, truck number, date loaded and delivered. I also had to include what the charge was for hauling the load. As a broker I have to fax a profile of our company and the carrier has to fax me their information on their company.
