One dispatcher. One spreadsheet. Twenty drivers on WhatsApp. It works until Friday afternoon planning takes three hours and a last-minute cancellation unravels the whole day.
The hidden cost isn't the planner's time — it's missed windows, duplicate mileage, and customers calling for updates you can't give quickly.
Minimum viable dispatch system
Central job board with driver capacity and vehicle constraints visible at a glance.
Route assignment with ETA recalculation when jobs move between drivers.
Proof of delivery capture on mobile — photo, signature, or scan.
Quick wins after launch
Automated customer notifications at key milestones reduce inbound calls within weeks.
Historical data on routes and delays informs better planning — not gut feel in a grid.
Key takeaways
- Planning time scales poorly when jobs and drivers increase
- Drivers need structured updates, not ad-hoc message chains
- Customers call less when they receive proactive status notifications