Setup auto-dispatch profiles
Navigation: Dispatch → Set Up Auto-Dispatch Profiles
Click here for information on how to use a setup window.
Overview
Auto-dispatch profiles are used to create and maintain rules that control how pending check calls are automatically accepted in the system. Profiles can be applied company-wide or assigned to specific drivers, carriers, or customers.
How Auto-Dispatch Works
When a driver sends in a pending check call, the system evaluates it against the rules defined in the active auto-dispatch profile. If the check call meets all the criteria, it is accepted automatically. If it does not, the check call is flagged for manual review by your dispatch team, and a note is added explaining why auto-dispatch did not accept it.
Example: A driver manually sends a check call indicating they have arrived for delivery, but their GPS shows they were 50 miles away at that time. Your auto-dispatch profile determines whether the system should accept or hold that check call for review.To access tab: Dispatch -> Set auto-dispatch profiles
Profile Fields
Field | Description |
Profile Id | Can be up to 25 characters and must be unique within the system. If you enter an ID that already exists, that profile will be loaded for editing. Click here for more information on using the Record ID field. |
Description | Enter a description of this profile. For example, you might have one open profile that accepts all pending check calls and a stricter one for a specific EDI customer |
Enable auto-dispatch | Check this box to allow this profile to auto-accept pending check calls based on the rules defined below. |
Allow Complete Trip | Check this box to allow this profile to automatically complete a trip when the final check call is received. |
Enroute Next Trip on Completion | Check this box to have the system automatically add the final check call to the current trip and enroute the driver's next assigned trip, provided the final stop on the current trip matches the unloaded origin of the next load. The previous trip's check call must be accepted by auto-dispatch for this to trigger. |
Close pending check call if time already entered on trip | If checked, any incoming pending check call for a stop that already has an applied check call will be automatically discarded and will not appear in the dispatcher's review queue. |
Check call Confidence required | Confidence RequiredSet the minimum confidence level required to auto-accept a pending check call. Options are Needs Checking (least strict), Driver Match, or GPS Match (most strict). |
Check call from EDI priority | Set whether the system should accept check calls received via EDI and at what priority. Currently, Ditat does not accept check calls via EDI — this should be set to Don't Use. |
Check call from GPS priority | Set whether to accept GPS-sourced check calls and at what priority. Priority determines which check call is used when multiple are pending at the same time. This is only relevant if a Check Call Hold Time is set. |
Check call from mobile dispatch priority | Set whether to accept mobile dispatch check calls and at what priority. Priority determines which check call is used when multiple are pending at the same time. This is only relevant if a Check Call Hold Time is set. |
Check call hold time | The number of minutes Ditat will hold a pending check call before processing it. Used in combination with the priority settings above. By default this should be set to 0, meaning the first check call received will be accepted immediately. |
Check call timeliness | TimelinessSets how close to the scheduled appointment time a check call must be in order to be auto-accepted. For example, if a driver sends a check call at 4:00 PM stating they arrived at 2:00 PM, that is a 2-hour difference — this setting determines whether that would be accepted. |
Early arrival allowed | Check this box to allow the system to auto-accept early arrival check calls. If unchecked, no early arrival check calls will be auto-accepted. |
Threshold | The maximum number of minutes early a driver can arrive and still have the check call auto-accepted. For example, a threshold of 120 means arrivals up to 2 hours early will be accepted. Anything beyond that will require manual review. |
Max Adjust | The maximum number of minutes the system will adjust an early check call toward the scheduled time. For example, if set to 15 and a driver arrived 10 minutes early, the system will adjust the arrival time to show on time. |
Late arrival allowed | Check this box to allow the system to auto-accept late arrival check calls. If unchecked, no late arrival check calls will be auto-accepted. |
Threshold | The maximum number of minutes late a driver can arrive and still have the check call auto-accepted. For example, a threshold of 120 means arrivals up to 2 hours late will be accepted. Anything beyond that will require manual review. |
Max Adjust | The maximum number of minutes the system will adjust a late check call toward the scheduled time. |
Reason | Select the late reason the system will apply when automatically accepting a late check call. |
Late departure allowed | Check this box to allow the system to auto-accept late departure check calls. If unchecked, no late departure check calls will be auto-accepted. |
Threshold | The maximum number of minutes late a driver can depart and still have the check call auto-accepted. For example, a threshold of 120 means departures up to 2 hours late will be accepted. Anything beyond that will require manual review. |
Max Adjust | The maximum number of minutes the system will adjust a late departure check call toward the scheduled time. |
Process trailer info | Check this box to have the system process trailer information included in pending check calls. |
Trailer confidence required | Select whether the system requires a valid trailer match or a trailer GPS match in order to auto-accept the check call. |
Trailer update mode | Select how the system handles trailer updates. Check Only verifies whether the trailer on the check call matches the trip; if not, the check call is not accepted. Add New adds the trailer sent by the driver if no trailer is currently assigned to the trip and the trailer is valid. Update updates the trip with the trailer sent by the driver if there is no match but the trailer confidence meets the required level. |
Outgoing bobtail | Select whether to allow or decline outgoing bobtail as an accepted trailer assignment. |
Enroute Next Trip on Completion
It is important to know that if your last stop of the load being completed does not match the unloaded origin of an assigned load for the driver, the system will not Enroute a new load.
Strict Policy
A strict profile would only auto-accept check calls when all of the following are true: the check call has a GPS match, the driver sends the check call within 1 hour of the actual time, and the check call is within 30 minutes of the scheduled arrival or departure time.
Lax Policy
A lax profile would auto-accept check calls regardless of confidence level, as long as the driver sends the check call within 240 minutes of the actual time and the check call is within 2,880 minutes of the scheduled arrival or departure time.
Auto-Dispatch Policy Logic
All drivers and customers use the default profile set on the Dispatch Options screen unless a specific profile is assigned to that individual driver, carrier, or customer.
If a profile is assigned to a driver, carrier, or customer, it will override the default.
If both a driver and a customer have their own profiles assigned, the system compares each rule across both profiles and applies the more strict rule to determine whether the check call is auto-accepted or sent for dispatcher review.
Specific Driver/Customer not to use Auto Dispatch Policy
If a driver or customer's check calls should never be auto-accepted, create a profile with Enable Auto-Dispatch unchecked. All check calls for that driver or customer will then require manual review and acceptance by a dispatcher. Once the profile is created, assign it at the driver or customer level as needed.
Customer Set Up
Driver Set Up
