Dispatch log template
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
A dispatch log is a running record of every job sent out in a day: when it came in, the order number, the customer and address, which truck and driver took it, its status (assigned, en route, on site, done), when it finished, and notes.
A dispatch log answers the questions that come up all day: who is on which job, which jobs are still open, and when a customer was promised a truck. Kept on one sheet per day, it also becomes a record you can check against invoices, timesheets and fuel.
Write every change as it happens, not at the end of the shift. When a job is reassigned, cross out the old truck rather than erasing it, so the log shows what really happened.
Dispatch log
Fields: Date · Dispatcher · Shift
Log columns: Time in · Job / order no. · Customer and address · Truck · Driver · Status · Time done · Notes
Fill it in the right way
- Start a new sheet each day or shift and fill in the date and dispatcher.
- Log each job when it comes in: time, order number, customer and address.
- Write the truck and driver when you assign it.
- Update the status as the driver reports: assigned, en route, on site, done.
- Record the time done and anything unusual in the notes.
- At the end of the shift, carry open jobs to the next sheet.
Tips
- Use the same status words every time, so anyone reading the log understands it.
- Note promised arrival times; they're what customers remember.
- Compare the log with invoices weekly to catch jobs that were done but never billed.
- Keep the logs; they settle disputes about when a truck arrived.
Do it in FleetZap
- FleetZap Dispatch plans deliveries and pickups with the truck, driver and route, and optimizes the day's stops.
- Customers get an ETA and a link to follow the truck.
- Drivers see their jobs on their phone, with proof of delivery at the stop.
- Each truck's maintenance, pre-trip checks and repairs sit in the same system, so a truck that's down isn't dispatched.
FleetZap Dispatch
Deliveries, pickups, routing and a driver app. Explore FleetZap Dispatch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dispatch log?
A running record of every job dispatched in a day or shift: when it came in, who took it, its status and when it was finished.
What should a dispatch log include?
The time each job came in, the order number, customer and address, the truck and driver assigned, the status, the time done and notes.
Why keep a dispatch log?
It shows who is where at any moment, keeps open jobs from being forgotten, and gives a record to check against invoices and customer complaints.
Paper log or dispatch software?
Paper works for a few trucks. As jobs and trucks grow, software that plans routes, sends ETAs and keeps the history saves time and missed jobs.