Dispatch Officer

Job Title: Dispatch Officer

Department: Stores & Production

Scope of Work:

Coordinate and oversee all dispatch operations from order readiness to confirmed delivery, ensuring timely, accurate, and efficient execution. Responsibilities include managing company truck and fleet utilization, coordinating third-party logistics (3PL) providers, supervising drivers, loaders, and delivery teams, planning delivery routes, and ensuring proper preparation and control of delivery notes and dispatch documentation within the relevant company systems. The role also entails preparing dispatch reports, tracking delivery performance, following up on pending or delayed deliveries, and monitoring transport costs to promote operational efficiency and cost control. The Dispatch Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with approved dispatch procedures and maintaining accurate, complete, and traceable records, while escalating matters requiring management approval, including vehicle repairs, transport expenditure, supplier or 3PL commercial decisions, and employee-relations issues, to the Line Manager. The role operates within its designated authority and does not make decisions on behalf of other departments or determine company-wide logistics policies.

JOB PURPOSE

To ensure that customer orders are dispatched and delivered accurately, on time, and at controlled cost by coordinating the company's trucks and fleet resources, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and the drivers, loaders, and delivery teams who execute deliveries. The role plans efficient delivery routes and schedules, prepares and controls delivery notes and dispatch records so that every consignment is traceable from dispatch to confirmed delivery, and produces reliable dispatch reports that give management visibility of delivery performance, vehicle utilization, 3PL service levels, and transport expenditure. The Dispatch Officer also monitors and verifies transport costs, identifies bottlenecks and recurring dispatch failures, recommends practical improvements, and escalates matters that require management decision or approval — protecting customer service, the integrity of dispatch records, and the company's transport cost position.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Truck & Fleet Management

•        Coordinate the daily allocation and utilization of company trucks and fleet resources against approved delivery schedules, confirming vehicle availability, capacity suitability, and driver assignment before dispatch.

•        Carry out and record pre-departure vehicle condition checks (or confirm that drivers have done so), and report defects, safety concerns, and unroadworthy vehicles to the Line Manager before the vehicle is released for delivery.

•        Maintain the fleet maintenance and service schedule, vehicle service records, and compliance documentation (e.g., insurance, inspection, and licence expiry dates where applicable), and follow up with the responsible party so that scheduled servicing is completed and records are current.

•        Monitor fuel issues and fuel usage per vehicle against mileage and trips completed, and report abnormal consumption for review.

•        Report breakdowns, accidents, and delivery disruptions immediately, arranging contingency vehicle or 3PL cover within approved arrangements. Repairs, vehicle purchases, and fleet expenditure are recommended and escalated to the Line Manager for approval — they are not authorized by this role.

Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Management

•        Coordinate delivery assignments to outsourced transport providers in line with approved arrangements, communicating clear delivery instructions, customer details, delivery windows, and documentation requirements.

•        Monitor 3PL delivery performance against agreed service levels and delivery timelines, keeping a record of delays, damages, missed or failed deliveries, and documentation failures by provider.

•        Verify 3PL transport charges and invoices against dispatch records, delivery confirmations, and agreed rates before they are forwarded for payment processing, and flag discrepancies for review.

•        Follow up and resolve delivery issues with 3PL providers promptly, and escalate repeated or serious service failures to the Line Manager with supporting records. Appointment, termination, rate negotiation, and contractual decisions regarding 3PL providers rest with management.

Driver, Delivery Team & Loader Coordination

•        Allocate delivery work to drivers, delivery crews, and loaders in line with the day's dispatch plan, and brief them on delivery sequence, customer requirements, special handling instructions, and documentation to be carried and returned.

•        Coordinate vehicle loading and offloading so that goods loaded match the delivery note and dispatch plan, are correctly secured, and are handled safely to prevent damage and loss.

•        Monitor adherence to delivery schedules, maintain communication with delivery teams while deliveries are in progress, and manage changes, delays, and customer issues as they arise.

•        Enforce compliance with company safety requirements, professional conduct, and dispatch procedures among drivers, loaders, and delivery teams.

•        Where the role holds direct reports, supervise attendance and day-to-day performance; where the role has operational coordination only, direct daily work without line authority. In both cases, escalate attendance, conduct, or performance concerns to the Line Manager and HR through the appropriate channels.

Route Scheduling & Delivery Planning

•        Prepare daily and weekly delivery schedules and route plans, sequencing deliveries by customer location, delivery time windows, order priority, vehicle capacity, and driver availability.

•        Consolidate deliveries where practicable to improve vehicle utilization and to minimize unnecessary mileage, waiting time, empty running, and avoidable delivery cost.

•        Adjust routes and schedules in response to urgent orders, traffic, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns, or customer changes, and communicate delays and revised delivery times to affected customers and internal stakeholders without delay.

•        Review completed routes against plan to identify recurring delays, inefficient routing, and missed delivery windows, and apply or recommend improvements.

Dispatch Documentation & System Management

•        Prepare, verify, process, update, and file dispatch records in the relevant company systems — including delivery notes, dispatch registers, order documentation, proof of delivery (POD), vehicle movement records, and transport documents — ensuring each record is accurate, complete, and traceable to the approved order.

•        Process dispatch transactions in the relevant systems within established timelines so that system records reflect actual dispatch and delivery status.

•        Ensure signed delivery notes and PODs are returned, checked, matched to dispatch records, and filed in an organized system that allows retrieval on request, and follow up on missing or unsigned acknowledgements.

•        Identify and correct documentation errors, missing records, and system discrepancies, and report unresolved discrepancies to the Line Manager.

Dispatch Process Management & Improvement

•        Monitor the dispatch workflow from order readiness and dispatch authorization through loading, departure, delivery, and confirmation of delivery, ensuring each stage is completed in line with approved procedures.

•        Identify bottlenecks, recurring errors, late dispatches, documentation gaps, and failed or incomplete deliveries; investigate root causes and record corrective actions.

•        Recommend practical improvements to dispatch procedures, coordination with Stores, Sales, and Finance, and delivery processes, and implement approved changes within the dispatch function.

•        Escalate process failures and recurring issues that need management approval, cross-departmental action, or policy change to the Line Manager, and follow up on agreed corrective actions until closed.

People Management

•        Plan and coordinate the workload of the dispatch team members under the role's direction, setting clear daily expectations on tasks, timelines, quality, and safety.

•        Monitor individual and team performance against dispatch targets, give timely feedback, and flag training and development needs to the Line Manager and HR.

•        Maintain professional conduct, discipline, and teamwork within the dispatch team, and support new team members through on-the-job orientation on dispatch procedures.

•        Escalate disciplinary, grievance, and employee-relations matters to the Line Manager and HR. Recruitment, termination, and formal disciplinary decisions are outside the authority of this role and rest with management and HR.

Preparation of Delivery Notes

•        Prepare delivery notes promptly against approved orders and dispatch instructions, ensuring they are issued before goods leave the premises.

•        Verify product descriptions, quantities, customer name and delivery address, order references, vehicle and driver details, and other required information against the approved order and the goods loaded.

•        Obtain the required authorizations and approvals before release where company procedure requires them, and do not dispatch goods without an approved order or dispatch instruction.

•        Ensure that the delivery note accompanies each delivery, that customer acknowledgement (signature, name, date, and stamp where applicable) is obtained on delivery, and that copies are retained and filed.

•        Correct, cancel, or reissue delivery notes only in line with procedure, with the reason recorded and approval obtained where required.

Dispatch Reporting

•        Prepare dispatch reports covering: number and status of deliveries; on-time delivery performance; pending, delayed, incomplete, and failed deliveries; vehicle utilization and availability; 3PL performance; delivery documentation and POD status; transport expenditure and cost variances; and dispatch incidents, discrepancies, and corrective actions.

•        Submit dispatch reports to the Line Manager at the intervals agreed with management, ensuring figures are accurate, reconciled to dispatch records, and supported by source documents.

•        Follow up on pending, delayed, and failed deliveries until they are resolved, and report the outcome and root cause in subsequent reports.

•        Maintain records and trend data that support performance review, and raise recurring issues and recommended actions in reports.

Transport Costing Management

•        Prepare and maintain records of transport costs for company fleet operations and outsourced deliveries, including fuel, mileage, cost per delivery, cost per kilometre, and 3PL charges.

•        Monitor and analyze transport expenditure against approved budgets and route efficiency, and report cost variances with explanations to the Line Manager.

•        Verify supporting documentation for transport costs (fuel records, trip records, 3PL invoices, and delivery confirmations), and investigate unusual or unexplained cost variances.

•        Escalate discrepancies and cost-saving recommendations for review. This role monitors and verifies transport costs; it does not approve budgets, authorize payments, make procurement decisions, or give financial sign-off.

ROLE SPECIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

•        Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Transport Management, Procurement, Business Administration, or a related field.

•        A certificate in logistics, transport, or distribution management is an advantage.

•        Relevant experience in dispatch, logistics, distribution, transport coordination, or fleet coordination within a warehouse or supply environment.

•        Valid driving licence.

•        Proficiency in the company's dispatch or ERP system (to be confirmed by management) and intermediate-to-advanced MS Excel.

Key Skills

•        Dispatch planning and coordination — able to organize daily dispatch operations to meet delivery commitments.

•        Fleet and transport coordination — able to allocate vehicles, track availability and maintenance, and respond to breakdowns.

•        Route scheduling and optimization — able to sequence deliveries to reduce mileage, waiting time, and cost.

•        Third-party logistics coordination — able to assign work to, monitor, and hold outsourced providers to agreed service levels.

•        Documentation and system administration — accurate preparation and processing of delivery notes, PODs, and dispatch records.

•        Report preparation and data analysis — produces clear, accurate dispatch and transport cost reports in MS Excel.

•        Transport cost monitoring — able to calculate and analyze cost per delivery, cost per kilometre, and fuel consumption.

•        Problem-solving and operational decision-making — responds quickly to delays, breakdowns, and customer issues.

•        Communication and cross-departmental coordination — works effectively with Stores, Sales, Finance, drivers, and customers.

Core Competencies

•        Operational Planning & Organization — plans dispatch operations ahead, prioritizes competing deliveries, and keeps work orderly under pressure.