Load Planner: A Day in the Life After Dispatch Training

Load planners perform several functions to enable safe, timely, and efficient cargo delivery across different transport modes. Their work requires them to see customer consignments at every stage in the transport process. And because of this, adequate dispatch training is crucial to their operation. 

Are you considering dispatch training? Read on to learn what a typical day in the life of a load planner looks like.

Maximize Space and Route Plan After Dispatch Training

After receiving the shipments and processing them, load planners get to sort these shipments into the vehicle to optimize their carrying capacity. They consider the cargo’s compatibility, specific handling conditions, shape, and size to determine what space it can best fit inside the vessel to achieve optimal weight distribution, stability, and space economy/efficiency. These consideration factors are included in most dispatch courses. 

Load planners are also charged with deciding which transportation route is the most effective, using data from relevant sources. This data may take account of the nature, size, and volume of cargo, and other factors like the prevalent traffic conditions, the transit distance, delivery timelines, and any cargo specifics. With the information at their disposal, they can decide what route is best for the shipment.

Prepare Shipping Documentation and Carry Out Load Inspections

Load planners are also involved in the documentation process for the cargo that goes through their doors. They can prepare shipping manifests, bills of lading, custom applications, and every other paperwork that needs to be sorted. They may need to append their signatures to forms verifying the shipment’s size, content, and destination. You can learn all about these documentation processes when you attend dispatch college. 

Load planners are also responsible for inspecting cargo at the point of arrival before loading them in the warehouse or the transport vehicle. They do this to check if the content of the shipment is banned, fragile, or requires any specific handling instructions. They also do these checks to record the current state of the cargo. This information will come in handy for addressing any customer complaints about the cargo’s delivery state.

Monitoring and Tracking the Load and Vehicle

Load planners are also responsible for tracking customer shipments throughout the transportation proceedings. They use various tracking tools and software to monitor the shipment’s real-time location information. 

This helps them confirm if the delivery schedule is on track. If not, they must share correspondence with the shipment’s target recipient to inform them of any contingency plans. Our training concentrates on all the fundamental abilities required to transport freight and merchandise, so students can rest assured that they will be fully equipped to understand how to track vehicles. 

Coordinate Communication Activities With the Team

Load planners create communication lines with all the parties involved in the pickup, delivery, and cargo reception process. They acknowledge receipt of the cargo from the sender and then inform the relevant transport agency of their cargo’s transit plans and schedule. 

When the cargo is onboarded, they maintain communication with the transport vessel to track its progress and provide feedback to its sender. They’ll also notify the target recipient of the cargo’s expected delivery schedule. If there’s any unexpected change to the schedule, they inform both carrier and recipient of the new plans. At CATI, we understand the global economy needs adequately trained workers and their understanding of materials handling, road safety, massive truck handling, up-to-date inventory systems, and many more abilities, from within the warehouse to across continents, and our training will equip you for it.

Are you interested in dispatch training?

Contact CATI to learn more about our program.