Once you graduate and begin working as a dispatcher, you may be responsible for dispatching a wide range of products. These can range from standard items like clothes and electronics to lumber transportation, hazardous goods transportation, and beyond.
Some of the more challenging dispatching roles are in the agricultural sector, especially when live animals are the being transported by truck. These animals need to be kept comfortable during their journey, and so extra care is essential for these jobs. By bearing in mind several important considerations and putting in place advance planning, highly effective dispatching can still be delivered while keeping animals comfy.
1. Pros With Dispatch Training Might Need to Plan Routes Along More Remote Roads
Canada’s landscape is highly diverse, with farms spread out across the country’s huge provinces. Professionals who have graduated from a dispatch course will note that long-distance transportation and routing is largely concentrated along Canada’s national highway system. However, given the more dispersed nature of Canada’s agricultural sector, the transportation of pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, and other livestock can take trucks off the beaten path.
This can involve routing along roads in less-than-ideal condition, with much less space available for manoeuvring. Dispatchers planning these routes know to budget time for safely negotiating this sometimes more difficult terrain, and flag any deliveries that potentially need more time and dispatcher guidance.
2. Grads of Dispatch Courses Know to Consider Gradient
Graduates of dispatch training know of the challenges that come with routing large vehicles with heavy loads along routes with steep gradients. The dangerous effect of steep slopes on vehicles, and the subsequent lower gears and longer journey times required have been part of transport logistics since the beginnings of the industry.
However, dispatchers should pay special attention to slopes when standing livestock is aboard, including on and off ramps for highways. Regulations vary, but dispatchers should be aware of the limitations of gradient degrees that specific cargo can withstand. For example, adult cattle can feel comfortable travelling at a steeper slope than pigs. Limiting overall exposure to slopes while delivering on transport time is a balancing act that experienced dispatchers know how to consistently pull off.
3. Pay Special Attention to Veterinary Related Delays
Special legislation exists in Canada to help ensure that animals stay comfortable and healthy during transport. Livestock is expected to be in good condition before any trip by road, with strong penalties in place for any individual or body that transports animals that are not “fit for the trip.” These include conditions like dehydration, a factor that can be affected by variables such as seasonal conditions, traffic, and livestock physiological factors.
A dispatcher who is experienced in transporting livestock will know the crucial role of veterinary oversight in deciding if livestock can make a trip. Being able to roll with the unexpected delays and developments that transporting livestock can bring is part of what makes this task an interesting challenge for dispatchers.
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