Freight moves quickly. Before dispatch begins, agree on equipment, lanes, home time, rate requirements and booking permissions. Clear instructions let the dispatch team handle routine loads and know when to contact the carrier.
Set the operating boundaries
Give the desk the details it needs: where the truck can go, what it can carry, when the driver needs to return and any loads or requirements to avoid.
- Equipment type and relevant loading restrictions.
- Driver availability and home-time commitments.
- Preferred and excluded lanes or delivery locations.
- How rate floors are measured, including empty miles.
- Customer, broker and cargo restrictions established by the carrier.
Set instructions for each truck. A driver heading home needs a different plan from one available for the full week.
Agree on booking permissions
Agree in writing on which bookings the dispatcher may make and which need confirmation. At Lanehouse, we work within the booking authority the carrier gives us. Routine loads can move within those instructions; exceptions need confirmation before a commitment.
Name a primary contact and a backup, and define what each may confirm. The driver may confirm availability while the owner or fleet manager handles a change to agreed terms. When confirmation is needed, share the route, rate, empty miles, appointments and requirements together.
Clear booking instructions keep the dispatch desk moving.
Decide how exceptions are handled
Operating conditions change. A delay may put a reload at risk, a broker may change an appointment, or a driver's availability may differ from the original plan. Establish who is contacted, what requires a pause and which alternatives may be pursued while waiting.
If terms fall outside the agreed instructions or driver availability is uncertain, confirm with the designated contact before committing. Agree on a backup contact and what to do if nobody is available. A request to hold a load does not guarantee the broker will keep it available.
Keep the load details together
Keep lane preferences, booking instructions and updated confirmations together. Review truck availability, driver schedules and home time regularly so dispatch stays aligned with the way the operation runs.
This is operating guidance, not a substitute for a service agreement. The specific responsibilities and authority should be documented in the agreement governing the relationship. See the Lanehouse questions on carrier control.