Study finds poor dispatchers have massive effect on driver turnover

When organizations consider a delivery service, there are certain questions that come to mind. Are the drivers reliable? Is there a warehousing system? What kind of order processing solution is in place? However, one thing that doesn't get much consideration is the role of the dispatcher.

This role involves the scheduling of drivers and record keeping. They help monitor deliveries and some consider them the glue that keeps a business going. However, a poor dispatcher can cause a number of problems.

A recent article from the Commercial Carrier Journal examined a study by Stay Metrics. This was a survey of nearly two thousands truck drivers representing over a dozen carriers. The results show that  driver turnover is 57 percent higher for drivers that were dissatisfied with their dispatcher.

"What the study shows is that dispatchers that scored highest in dissatisfaction are nearly twice as likely to cause turnover," the article reads. "Conversely, better dispatchers don't impact retention any more than those dispatchers that are just average."

Most respondents reported to be either satisfied or neutral about their feelings toward their dispatcher. This makes the impact of the under qualified ones even more noticeable.

This show that a proper delivery is made up of far more than just having a fast truck. Companies that are looking to partner with a third party logistics solution provider need to make sure they have a complete solution in place that includes order processing, warehousing, drivers, dispatchers and reliability in all of these areas.