Building Strong Relationships With Brokers: What You Need to Know When You Become a Dispatcher
When you complete your training and move into the workforce as a transportation dispatcher, you will be serving as a crucial information conduit between transport brokers and drivers. In order to do your job well and leave all parties satisfied, developing and maintaining strong and positive relationships with transport brokers will be essential.
So, what can you do to foster sustainable relationships with brokers throughout your dispatching career? Keep reading for a few tips that will help you maintain a good rapport with the brokers in your industry.
Understand the Role of Brokers When You Become a Dispatcher
One of the most important steps in building a good relationship with brokers is to understand the exact role that a broker plays in a transport operation. If you know what the broker’s tasks and goals are, you will be in a better position to see where they are coming from, and work together to achieve the best outcome for all parties involved.
Transport brokers bring together different companies and clients with items to ship. Brokers then coordinate these needs with other transport services. Essentially, the broker devises the plan that gives you instructions to relay to your driver or drivers. A transportation broker oversees the big picture of dispatching and transportation operations, which means they are counting on dispatchers to keep the operation flowing smoothly as planned.
When You Become a Dispatcher, Make Sure You Have Information Ready in Advance
One of the best things you can do for your broker is to make sure you have all the details about a particular load or trip ready upfront. For instance, before you give a broker a quote, make sure you have accounted for any unforeseen complications. The quote you give your broker at the beginning of your interaction is the rate you will be held to, as it will be used by the broker to make further decisions. Attempting to change the rate later in your transaction will not only cause inconvenience to the broker, but may even make you come across as untrustworthy. Being upfront and consistent in your interactions with brokers once you become a dispatcher will help foster mutual respect and trust—a key part of a healthy working relationship.
Use the Communication Skills You Gained from Your Dispatching Training
Finally, when in doubt, more communication is best. In a logistics-heavy role like freight brokering or transport dispatching, all parties involved need to be aware of the other pieces of the transport puzzle.
If circumstances with your load or driver changes during a transport operation, it’s important to communicate this to your broker as soon as possible. For example, if a driver seems unlikely to make a pickup appointment, do not keep this information from your broker to avoid communicating bad news. Instead, be upfront and work proactively with your broker to find a solution like an alternate appointment time. By communicating quickly and honestly with your broker, you will be sure to create a strong working relationship.
Are you ready to get started in the world of dispatching and transportation operations?
Contact us at ATC to learn more about our dispatching training in Toronto.
