About This Career

Schedules and dispatches workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Schedules or dispatches workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
• Prepares daily work and run schedules.
• Confers with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
• Relays work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
• Receives or prepares work orders.
• Records and maintains files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information.
• Arranges for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
• Monitors personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
• Determines types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications.
• Advises personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work