CHEAT SHEET- It's time to start dispatching with OpsDriver

CHEAT SHEET- It's time to start dispatching with OpsDriver

 

Great News! Its time to start dispatching with OpsDriver-

Here is a cheat sheet that will walk you through the important things you need to be aware of as you do. 

Dispatching with OpsDriver- 

Dispatching with OpsDriver gives you the visibility and control you need to be successful no matter how much experience your dispatcher may or may not have. 



Driver Management-

Managing driver availability is simple in OpsDriver. This is what you need to know. 
Part Time Drivers- 

Full Time Drivers

Accidents and incidents- 

It's part of what happens when you have vehicles on the road. Our system give you the ability to track these events like never before. 

Driver Relief- 

For instructions on how to use the Relief Builder Tool- Click here
If you are manually creating relief movements you can click the below video to show you how. 


Farmed moves with affiliate functionality-

Farming moves with made up drivers and fictitious vehicles is a thing of the past. We built OpsDriver to support a more robust way to built and assign trips to companies you farm work to.

TEXT BASED SUPPORT FOR DISPATCHING

Training Module: Dispatching from the Dispatch Main Report


Overview


This module walks through how to use the Dispatch Main Report in OpsDriver to assign drivers and vehicles to scheduled trips. It also covers customizing the report layout using column preferences to tailor your view for operational needs.

1. Accessing the Dispatch Main Report


Steps:

  1. Go to Operations > Dispatch

  2. Select Main Report


You’ll be brought to the main dispatching screen, which presents a grid view of trips for the selected date.

2. Understanding the Report Layout


Each row on the report represents a dispatch segment. The report displays:

  • Booking ID

  • Customer information (contact name, organization, group)

  • Trip reference

  • Passenger count

  • Requested vehicle type


This standard layout provides key information to support dispatching decisions.

3. Customizing the Display: Column Preferences


If your company doesn’t need to see all default fields, you can:

  • Update column preferences to hide or rearrange data fields.

  • Each user can create their own preferred view based on workflow or screen size.


Example: Remove unused columns like “Group Name” if your team doesn’t organize trips this way.

4. Dispatching a Trip


To assign a vehicle and driver:

  1. Scroll to the relevant booking row

  2. Click into the vehicle dropdown and choose an available vehicle

  3. Click into the driver dropdown and choose an available driver


Once assigned:

  • The dispatch is active

  • It appears in your Driver Availability and Scheduler views

5. Using the Grid Efficiently


You can:

  • Filter or sort columns to find key trips faster

  • Use the check-in buttons to track trip readiness

  • Hover over fields for additional context (e.g., notes, time windows)

Best Practices

  • Train dispatchers to adjust column views to match operational priorities

  • Use the Dispatch Main Report in tandem with the Scheduler and Driver Availability reports

  • Regularly update vehicle and driver statuses to ensure real-time accuracy


Training Module: Configuring Driver Check-In Functionality


Overview


This module explains how to set up and control driver check-in rules in OpsDriver. These settings govern when drivers and dispatchers can initiate check-in actions relative to the trip’s start time, helping standardize operational workflows.

1. Accessing Driver Check-In Settings


  1. Go to Company Setup

  2. Click General Settings

  3. Select Account Settings

  4. Scroll to the section titled OpsDriver Settings > Driver Defaults

2. Dispatcher Check-In Rule


Field:


Enable driver check-in X minutes before start time (Dispatch Main Report)


This setting defines how many minutes before the scheduled trip start time a dispatcher can check in a driver from the dispatch screen.


Example: If set to 1,440 minutes, a dispatcher can check in a driver up to 24 hours in advance.

3. Driver Portal Check-In Rule


Field:


Enable driver check-in X minutes before start time (Driver Portal)


This setting controls when a driver using the Driver Portal can check in for their assignment.


Example: If set to 120 minutes, the driver can only check in within 2 hours of their scheduled start time.

4. Why Use These Settings

  • Helps prevent early check-ins that could cause confusion or data errors

  • Ensures check-ins are happening within a meaningful window for dispatch tracking

  • Provides structure for both dispatch staff and drivers, while keeping workflows in sync

Best Practices

  • Use a longer lead time for dispatcher check-ins (e.g., 24 hours) so they can prep early

  • Use a shorter window for driver check-ins (e.g., 1–2 hours) to align with real-world readiness

  • Adjust these values based on company size, trip volume, and dispatch workflows


Training Module: Filtering Available Drivers and Vehicles on the Dispatch Main Report


Overview


This module explains how to configure your Dispatch Main Report to display only available drivers and vehicles, improving scheduling accuracy and avoiding assignment conflicts.

1. Default Behavior


By default:

  • When you open the driver or vehicle dropdown on the Dispatch Main Report, all drivers and vehicles are shown.

  • This includes:

    • Drivers who are already assigned to another trip at the same time

    • Drivers marked absent

    • Vehicles that are currently out of service


This gives you complete visibility, but it may lead to accidental double-booking or oversight.

2. Why You Might Want to See All Resources


Some companies prefer full lists because:

  • A driver might finish one trip early and become available again.

  • A vehicle might return from the shop ahead of schedule.

  • There are instances where manual overrides are appropriate.


However, many operators prefer to filter out unavailable resources to reduce dispatch errors.

3. Enabling the “List Only Available” Filter


To filter for only available drivers and vehicles:


Steps:

  1. Go to Company Setup

  2. Navigate to General Settings

  3. Scroll to the Dispatch Main Report section

  4. Enable the checkbox:

    • “List only available drivers and vehicles in dropdowns”


Once enabled:

  • The system will automatically exclude unavailable drivers and vehicles from the dropdowns in the Dispatch screen.


This includes:

  • Drivers already assigned to overlapping trips

  • Drivers marked with an absence

  • Vehicles marked as Out of Service

4. Resulting Behavior


With this setting turned on:

  • Only available drivers and vehicles appear in dropdown menus.

  • You cannot accidentally assign a resource that’s already committed elsewhere or unavailable.

  • You gain a cleaner, more focused dispatching experience.

Best Practices

  • Enable this setting if your team prefers stricter scheduling controls.

  • Leave it off if your dispatchers regularly override availability based on flexible situations.

  • Revisit this setting if your company’s workflow changes—OpsDriver makes it easy to toggle as needed.


Training Module: Adjusting the Dispatch Main Report View


Overview


This module explains how to optimize your Dispatch Main Report layout in OpsDriver so you can view more data on a single screen without excessive scrolling. These tools improve visibility, especially for users on smaller monitors or working with dense trip information.

1. Use Case


When you have a day with many dispatches—especially ones with:

  • Long customer names

  • Extended pickup/drop-off addresses

  • Notes or add-ons—your screen can quickly get crowded


These dispatch blocks take up more vertical space, limiting how many you can see at once.

2. Expanding the Display Area


Steps:

  1. Look for the expand icon in the upper-right corner of the Dispatch Main Report screen.

  2. Click this button.


Result:

  • This collapses some of the system chrome and expands the dispatch workspace

  • It creates more visual room to display additional dispatch blocks without needing to scroll

3. Adjusting Zoom Level in Your Browser


Another method is to use your browser zoom setting.


Steps (in Chrome):

  • Press Ctrl + - (Windows) or Cmd + - (Mac) to zoom out

  • Press Ctrl + + or Cmd + + to zoom in

  • Use Ctrl + 0 or Cmd + 0 to reset


Zooming out will reduce font and element size slightly, allowing more dispatches to fit on screen.

4. Combining Both Tools


For maximum screen efficiency:

  • Zoom out slightly in your browser

  • Then use the expand button in the top corner of the Dispatch screen


Together, these two steps will help you see more data, especially helpful on:

  • Days with a lot of trip volume

  • Laptops or smaller external monitors

Best Practices

  • Train dispatchers on how to expand/collapse views for better visibility

  • Encourage use of zoom adjustments when toggling between dispatch and customer data

  • For users on large monitors, consider defaulting to expanded view for maximum efficiency


Training Module: Reviewing Dispatch Using the Scheduler View


Overview


This module walks through how to use the Scheduler View in OpsDriver to review upcoming dispatches over a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day window. It is a visual tool that helps identify gaps in coverage, conflicts, and operational readiness across drivers and vehicles.

1. Where to Access the Scheduler


Navigation Path:

  1. Go to Operations > Dispatch

  2. Click on Scheduler


This screen provides a calendar-style visual of your trip assignments—complementing other reports like the Dispatch Main Report and Driver/Vehicle Availability.

2. Scheduler Layout and Views


You can toggle between:

  • 1-day view

  • 3-day view

  • 7-day view


Each mode lets you see dispatch activity for that range across all drivers and vehicles. This is helpful for:

  • Spotting dispatch conflicts

  • Confirming vehicle coverage

  • Planning relief moves or hotel overnights

3. Interpreting Visual Indicators


Key components of the scheduler:

  • Gray bars at the top: Indicate farmed out trips (affiliate trips)

    • These are identified as zero-affiliate moves

    • More details on this appear in the affiliate dispatch training module

  • Colored blocks: Represent assigned routes and vehicles

    • You can hover over or click these for more detail

  • White gaps: Indicate availability or unassigned time

    • Helpful for finding open slots for additional work or trips

4. Identifying Action Items


Use the scheduler to easily:

  • Identify unassigned segments that still need vehicles or drivers

  • Check for overlaps that might require a reassignment

  • Review multi-day trips for return timing, relief coverage, or overnight needs


This is often the final review step after assigning drivers and vehicles via the Main Report or Availability screens.

5. Best Practices

  • Use the 7-day view to plan out your week and spot patterns or pressure points

  • Use the 1-day view as a final check on the current day’s assignments

  • Monitor farmed-out trips and use this view to confirm all affiliate coverage is aligned

  • Combine this report with the Driver Availability view to catch coverage gaps early