How to Dispatch a Load

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Overview

Dispatching a load connects a trip to a driver and equipment so the load can move. Once dispatched, the trip advances to Covered status, which updates all parties that the load is assigned and ready. There are two ways to dispatch: the standard flow, where you assign assets and then dispatch in separate steps, and the preference dialog flow, which appears when assignment preferences are configured and lets you assign and dispatch in a single action. Synonyms: assign a load, cover a trip, send a load, book a driver, schedule a trip.

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Before You Start

Before dispatching a load, confirm the following:

• The trip you want to dispatch is in Open or Planned status in the trips grid.
• You have a driver, truck, and trailer available to assign.
• You have access to Loads and Trips > Dispatch Planner v2. All authenticated Alvys users can access Dispatch Planner v2.
• If you want the preference dialog flow to appear, dispatch preferences must be configured for the driver or carrier in advance.

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Steps

Open Dispatch Planner v2

• In the left navigation menu, select the Loads and Trips icon.
• Click Dispatch Planner v2 from the menu options.

Open the trip you want to dispatch

• In the trips grid, locate the load you want to dispatch. The trip must have a status of Open or Covered to be available for dispatch.
• Double-click the row for that trip to open it.

Open the asset assignment panel

• In the Carrier Details panel on the right side of the screen, click “Assign Carrier” or “Manage Assets” in the bottom left of that panel.

Add the driver, truck, and trailer

• In the asset assignment fields, select the driver for this trip.
• Select the truck.
• Select the trailer.
• Select the Dispatcher.

If no trailer is available for this trip, see Variations below for how to dispatch without a trailer. Assign and dispatch the trip

• Click Assign to assign the assets to the trip. The trip advances to Covered status, and is not yet dispatched.
• Or click “Assign and Dispatch” to assign and dispatch the trip.

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Result

After dispatching, the trip status updates to Dispatched. This status confirms that a driver and equipment have been assigned and the load is ready to move.

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Variations

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Dispatch using assignment preferences (assign and dispatch in one step)

When assignment preferences are configured for a driver or carrier, Alvys may display an assignment preferences suggestion modal when you open the trip. This modal offers two actions:

• Assign: assigns the suggested assets to the trip without dispatching. The trip status does not change to Covered.
• Assign and dispatch: assigns the suggested assets and dispatches the trip in a single step. The trip advances to Covered status immediately.

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Dispatch without a trailer

If a trip does not require a trailer or no trailer is currently available:

1. Complete the steps above, leaving the trailer field empty.
2. Click Assign, then Dispatch as described in the assign and dispatch step.

The trip can be dispatched without a trailer assigned. You can add the trailer to the trip later before the driver departs.

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Troubleshooting

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Assign and Dispatch buttons are not available

Confirm that a driver and truck have been selected in the asset assignment fields; the dispatch action requires at least a driver and truck to be assigned before it becomes available. Check whether an assignment action is already in progress for this trip; if another user is editing the same trip simultaneously, the buttons may be temporarily unavailable, so wait a moment and refresh the page. Confirm the trip is in Open or Planned status, since trips in other statuses may not support dispatch from this panel. If none of these conditions apply, contact Alvys support with the trip ID and a description of what you are seeing.

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Load does not appear in the trips grid

Check whether any column filters are active in the trips grid; active filters may be hiding trips that do not match the filter criteria, so clear all filters and check again. Confirm the trip’s current status, since trips in statuses other than Open or Planned may be filtered out of the default grid view. Confirm you are in the correct view within Dispatch Planner v2 and that the correct date range is selected. If the trip still does not appear after checking all of the above, contact Alvys support with the load number and the status you expect the trip to be in.

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Trip status did not update after dispatching

Refresh the page and check the trips grid again, since status updates occasionally require a page refresh to display. Confirm that you clicked Dispatch (not just Assign) in the standard flow, or Assign and dispatch in the preference dialog flow; clicking Assign alone does not advance the trip to Covered status. Check for any error notification that appeared at the time you clicked the button, as an error notification indicates the action did not complete successfully. If the trip status is still incorrect after refreshing and confirming the correct button was used, contact Alvys support with the trip ID.

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FAQs

Q: What is the difference between Assign and Assign and dispatch? A: Assign adds a driver and equipment to the trip but does not change the trip’s status. The trip remains Open or Planned. Assign and dispatch (available in the preference dialog flow) assigns assets and advances the trip to Covered status in a single step. In the standard flow, you click Assign first and then Dispatch separately to achieve the same result. Q: Can I change the driver after dispatching? A: You can return to the Carrier Details panel and update the asset assignment after a trip has been dispatched. Open the trip in Dispatch Planner v2, click Manage Assets, and update the driver field. Depending on the trip’s current status, additional confirmation steps may be required. Q: Is a special role required to dispatch? A: No special role is required. All authenticated Alvys users have access to Dispatch Planner v2 and can dispatch loads. Q: What if the driver is already assigned to another trip? A: If you select a driver who is currently assigned to another active trip, Alvys will display a warning or conflict indicator. Review the driver’s current assignment before proceeding. You can either resolve the conflict by un-assigning the driver from the other trip or select a different driver for this trip.

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Go Deeper

• Dispatch Planner overview