Summary for:
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Description:
Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.
Sample of reported job titles:
Sample of reported job titles: Dispatcher, Train Dispatcher, Motor Coach Supervisor, Aircraft Dispatcher, Rail Operations Controller, School Bus Dispatcher, Truck Dispatcher, Bus Dispatcher
Tasks:
- Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
- Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
- Relay work orders, messages, and information to or from work crews, supervisors, and field inspectors using telephones or two-way radios.
- Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, and requests for service or equipment.
- Prepare daily work and run schedules.
- Receive or prepare work orders.
- Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
- Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
- Record and maintain files and records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, and other dispatch information.
- Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required according to work orders or specifications.
Knowledge:
| Transportation ó Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
| Clerical ó Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. |
| English Language ó Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Public Safety and Security ó Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
Skills:
| Active Listening ó Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Judgment and Decision Making ó Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Reading Comprehension ó Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Speaking ó Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Time Management ó Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Critical Thinking ó Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Learning Strategies ó Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things. |
| Monitoring ó Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Active Learning ó Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Instructing ó Teaching others how to do something. |
Abilities:
| Oral Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Oral Comprehension ó The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Speech Clarity ó The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Information Ordering ó The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Problem Sensitivity ó The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Speech Recognition ó The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| Deductive Reasoning ó The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Inductive Reasoning ó The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Near Vision ó The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Written Comprehension ó The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
Work Activities:
| Getting Information ó Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems ó Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Documenting/Recording Information ó Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Processing Information ó Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Interacting With Computers ó Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates ó Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| identifying Objects, Actions, and Events ó identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work ó Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Scheduling Work and Activities ó Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. |
| Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information ó Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. |
Work Experience:
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.
Work Examples:
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.
Education Requirements:
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Work Style:
| Dependability ó Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Attention to Detail ó Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Initiative ó Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Cooperation ó Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Stress Tolerance ó Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Analytical Thinking ó Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| Integrity ó Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Independence ó Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Leadership ó Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. |
| Self Control ó Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
Work Values:
| Support ó Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Independence ó Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Working Conditions ó Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
Median Wage 2008:
$16.28 hourly, $33,850 annual
Estimated Employment Total 2008:
190,000 employees
Projected Growth 2008:
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
Projected Need 2008:
51,000 additional employees
