5 Common Dispatch Problems in Trucking (and how to fix them)

If you ever managed the dispatch for a transport team, then you will recognize the 5 problems that you encountered this week.

The dispatch process is between you telling someone you have a load to move and the truck leaving the gate. It is a very short time frame, and even a minor problem can cause problems down the road, such as late delivery, unhappy customers, or disputed invoices with the shipper. The majority of these problems can be solved with a few simple procedures that are followed by all and possibly a computer program to help in very busy offices.

The five at a glance

1. The vehicle doesn’t match the load

What it looks like: The biggest truck on your lot is sent to complete a load that would have been better done with a smaller vehicle, or you receive a truck with the incorrect body type. The truck is either under-weight or unable to complete the hauling of scheduled pick-ups.

Why does this happen: Vehicle information, for example, is typically stored in ancient spreadsheets or in the minds of dispatchers who are operating on the fly and making urgent decisions as orders are received. This means that most decisions regarding the assignment of a vehicle are made on an available basis and then a “best guess” as to whether it will "work." Typically weight and volume are not checked in combination to plan a load, and thus a fully loaded truck can end up carrying far less than maximum capacity.

Simple fixes

• Keep one vehicle list with type, payload, volume, body type, and permit for every vehicle you use.
• Write down two or three matching rules, such as “smallest vehicle that fits both weight and volume” or “closed body for anything that can’t get wet.”
• Check weight and volume before you assign the vehicle, not after loading starts.

Capacity and route planning tools apply rules like these automatically. Libera’s capacity and route planning engine work in this layer.

2. The truck doesn’t show up

What it looks like: The carrier confirms the vehicle the evening before and at loading time; nothing has arrived, or it arrives late (hours late). You then try to find an alternative in urgent situations at higher rates.

Why does this happen: Indian trucking is highly fragmented and largely comprises individual owners or small fleets. Therefore, a carrier would typically have only a handful of vehicles on the road. A single vehicle breakdown or a better-paying load can result in last-minute non-performance. This is also because of the huge shortage of drivers on the road. A Deloitte study published in Business Standard found that a surprising 25% or more of total trucks on the road are idle due to lack of drivers. Thus, while a vehicle is confirmed, a vehicle with a driver is a different matter entirely.

Simple fixes

• Confirm twice: once when the vehicle is assigned (vehicle number, driver’s name and phone), and again a few hours before loading, when the driver confirms they’re on the way.
• Keep a short backup list per lane, with two or three carriers ranked by how often they actually turn up.
• Count promised versus arrived for each carrier. A month of simple tallies is enough to change who you call first.
• Set a cut-off time. If there’s no confirmation by then, go to the backup without waiting.
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3. Trucks wait at the dock

What it looks like: The truck arrives on time and then sits for hours because the goods aren’t ready, the dock is busy or the paperwork isn’t done. The driver idles, the next trip slips, and the detention conversation begins.

Why does this happen: Dispatch books the truck for a time the warehouse can’t always meet. Arrivals bunch up because everyone was told “morning.” And nobody records when the truck actually came in and left, so the wait can’t be measured, let alone discussed fairly.

Simple fixes

• Get a ready time from the warehouse before you book the vehicle, based on when picking will finish, not on when the order arrives.
• Give each truck a slot and a dock. Dock appointment scheduling lets shippers, carriers, and consignees book dock door times together and see the same schedule.
• Record gate-in and gate-out for every truck. Even a simple register turns “it felt long” into a number.
• Agree on a free waiting window in the contract, so the point at which waiting becomes chargeable is clear to both sides.
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4. The paperwork doesn’t match the truck

What it looks like: The truck is loaded but cannot be moved because the e-way bill is prepared for the wrong vehicle number, no LR has been generated, or the invoice quantity has been stated incorrectly, and the truck moves anyway to get stopped on the road.

Why does this happen: The documentation is prepared separately from the loading by different individuals at a different time. A last-minute vehicle change is not usually reflected in the documentation.

Simple fixes

• Use a one-page pre-departure checklist at the gate: the vehicle number matches the e-way bill and LR, the driver name and phone are recorded, and the invoice, e-way bill number, and LR copy are present.
• Make it a rule: no completed checklist, no gate pass.
• If the vehicle changes, update the documents before the truck moves again. For the e-way bill, that means the vehicle details in Part B.
• Give one person on each shift ownership of the final check, so it doesn’t fall between teams.
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5. Nobody knows where the truck is until someone calls

What it looks like: After the truck has left the dock, it is back to bad communications: calling and messaging drivers in groups and only providing updates to customers who ask where their load is. Problems surface far too late when there is nothing to be done to fix them.

Why does this happen: This is primarily a manual process using various communication methods, including phone calls, messages, and paper-based documentation. There are no set times for updates and no definition of what constitutes a problem until it surfaces.

Simple fixes

• Agree a handful of status points: left the gate, reached a set checkpoint, arrived, unloaded, proof of delivery received. A few captured every time beat many captured sometimes.
• Write down what triggers a call, such as no movement for two hours or running an hour behind schedule.
• Keep all live trips in one view, so one person can see everything at once.
• Decide who owns each alert. A warning nobody acts on is just noise, a point we explored in From dashboards to decisions.
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What the five have in common

Look closely, and these are all handoff problems: warehouse to dispatch, dispatch to carrier, driver to paperwork, and truck to everyone waiting for news. The fixes follow one pattern. Write down the rule, capture the moment it happens, and make it visible to everyone who needs it.

Five numbers worth tracking

You don’t have to fix all five problems at once. Count the basics for two weeks, and the biggest number will tell you where to begin.

• Placement reliability: the share of confirmed vehicles that arrive inside the agreed window.
• Dock time: the average minutes from gate-in to gate-out.
• Right-sized loads: the share of loads where the vehicle fit the weight and volume well.
• Clean departures: the share of trucks that leave without a document fix.
• Time to notice: the minutes between a trip going off plan and someone knowing.

Change one habit, then check the number again.

Where Libera fits

Remember all the rules when volumes are high? That’s when you need planning and transport management software. It can hold a list of vehicles and apply the rules as required. It can also remind you of an overdue confirmation and show you which trips require your attention. The work of the dispatcher will then consist of dealing with individual calls that require human judgment. We have outlined what this could look like in the logistics planner of 2031: What the job will look like. We would be happy to go through how this could work for you and your network.

Frequently asked questions

What is dispatch in trucking?
Dispatch is the process of assigning a vehicle and driver to a load, preparing the trip for departure and following it until delivery.

How can you reduce truck waiting time at a loading dock?
Agree on a ready time before booking the truck, give each truck a slot and dock, record gate-in and gate-out times, and set a free waiting window in the contract.

What should a pre-departure checklist include?
The vehicle number matching the e-way bill and LR, the driver’s name and phone, the invoice, the e-way bill number and the LR copy, plus a named person who signs off the check.