Truck Dispatcher Technology Skills 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer calls asking for a live tracking link for their shipment. Which technology enables the dispatcher to share this?
- Emailing a static PDF map
- Customer-facing shipment tracking portal linked to GPS data (Correct answer)
- Faxing a driver's log sheet
- Sharing the internal TMS admin login
Correct answer: Customer-facing shipment tracking portal linked to GPS data
Customer-facing tracking portals generate shareable links that display live GPS updates without giving customers access to internal dispatch systems.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a DVIR (Driver Vehicle Inspection Report) app on a driver's tablet?
- Booking hotel rooms for the driver
- Digitally recording pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspection results (Correct answer)
- Calculating the driver's weekly paycheck
- Filing state fuel tax returns
Correct answer: Digitally recording pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspection results
A DVIR app replaces paper inspection forms, allowing drivers to log defects digitally so dispatchers and maintenance staff are immediately notified.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes a load board used by truck dispatchers?
- A whiteboard in the dispatch office for writing load details
- An online marketplace where shippers post available freight and carriers post available trucks (Correct answer)
- A government database of DOT-regulated carriers
- A scheduling tool for driver vacations
Correct answer: An online marketplace where shippers post available freight and carriers post available trucks
A load board is a digital freight marketplace connecting shippers who need freight moved with carriers or owner-operators who have available capacity.
Question 4: A dispatcher wants to send an automated appointment reminder to a consignee. Which TMS feature supports this?
- Manual outbound call queue
- Automated notification and alert system (Correct answer)
- Driver payroll calculator
- Fuel card management portal
Correct answer: Automated notification and alert system
TMS automated notification systems can be configured to send emails or SMS messages to shippers and consignees at preset milestones like dispatch, pickup, and delivery.
Question 5: What does a dispatcher mean when they refer to 'pinging' a driver?
- Sending a disciplinary message to the driver
- Requesting the driver's current GPS location to update in the system (Correct answer)
- Assigning a new load to the driver
- Deducting miles from the driver's log
Correct answer: Requesting the driver's current GPS location to update in the system
Pinging a driver means requesting or polling their GPS device to refresh the current location in the dispatch system.
Question 6: Which data does a fuel optimization tool use to recommend the best fueling stops for a truck dispatcher?
- Driver's food preferences
- Current diesel prices, route waypoints, and tank capacity (Correct answer)
- State speed limit changes
- Shipper payment terms
Correct answer: Current diesel prices, route waypoints, and tank capacity
Fuel optimization tools cross-reference real-time diesel prices at stations along the planned route against tank capacity to minimize total fuel cost.
Question 7: A dispatcher receives a system alert that a driver's ELD shows a violation. What type of violation would this MOST likely flag?
- Speeding on a toll road
- Hours of Service limit exceeded (Correct answer)
- Failure to pay a fuel surcharge
- Overdue truck registration
Correct answer: Hours of Service limit exceeded
ELD systems automatically flag HOS violations such as exceeding the 11-hour driving limit or failing to take required 30-minute breaks.
Truck Dispatcher Technology Skills 4
A customer calls asking for a live tracking link for their shipment.
Which technology enables the dispatcher to share this?