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How to choose the right dispatch software
Dispatch serves two markets that barely overlap. Trucking dispatch manages load assignments, driver availability, and <a href="/categories/eld-compliance">ELD compliance</a> for freight carriers.
Field service dispatch coordinates technician schedules, customer appointments, and job workflows for trades like HVAC and plumbing. Pick the vertical first — platforms that claim to serve both usually do neither well.
Most teams outgrow phone-based dispatching between 5 and 20 drivers. Pricing runs $16-60/user/month for field service tools, $30-100/truck/month for <a href="/categories/trucking">trucking platforms</a>, or custom enterprise quotes for 100+ driver operations.
Evaluation criteria
Scheduling board usability — Dispatchers spend 90% of their time here. Test the drag-and-drop board with your actual dispatcher for a full day, not a 30-minute demo. If core scheduling feels clunky, no advanced features will compensate.
Driver mobile app quality — Drivers interact with dispatch exclusively through the app. Check App Store and Google Play ratings for reliability complaints. Test offline functionality — field and rural areas with poor connectivity will expose weak apps fast.
Invoicing and accounting integration — Completed jobs must flow into QuickBooks, Xero, or your billing system without manual re-entry. If this integration isn’t included in your pricing tier or requires Zapier workarounds, factor that cost in.
Industry vertical fit — Ask which industries represent the vendor’s largest customer base and request a reference customer in your specific vertical. Workflow assumptions baked into the product matter more than configurable settings.