The Best Free Online Truck Dispatcher Courses to Help You Start Your Career
Truck dispatching is a great career for those who love to be organized and enjoy working with others. If you’re interested in becoming a truck dispatcher, there are a few things you should know. Truck dispatching can be a very rewarding career, but it is also a demanding one.
Your day-to-day job will look something like this: you will be responsible for coordinating the schedules of a fleet of trucks and their drivers. This includes keeping track of where each truck is, what its load is, and when it needs to deliver its cargo.
You will also need to communicate with the drivers regularly, updating them on changes in the schedule or route. In addition to this, you will be responsible for solving any problems that come up, such as traffic delays or accidents.
If you’re interested in becoming a truck dispatcher, the first step is to find a good truck dispatcher training program. There are plenty of amazing programs out there, some paid, some free.
In this article, you are going to learn about the best online truck dispatcher courses that are completely free. These are a great way to get started in your career and learn the basics of truck dispatching.
Editor’s note: Truck dispatchers’ decision making abilities are so important that there are scientific papers about the truck dispatching decision making framework. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Pros and Cons of a Career in Truck Dispatching
Before we get into the free courses, let’s first take a look at the pros and cons of a career in truck dispatching. This will help you in making your decision.
Let’s start with some cold, hard facts. Truck dispatchers earn about $46,650 per year. However, the figure is distorted by the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics only considers commercial dispatchers. So, if you were looking to become a dispatcher for the Police of Firefighters, you would be looking at a different salary.
The job outlook is also good. While the growth percent is low (0.84% every year until 2029), there are so many dispatchers that even a minor growth percent results in a lot of new jobs.
Truck dispatching can be a very rewarding career. You get to help people and make sure that everything runs smoothly. In many cases, you are the one that keeps the economy going. If there were no truck dispatchers, then there would be no truck drivers and no deliveries.
However, it is also a demanding job. You need to be able to handle a lot of stress and be very organized. You also need to be available 24/ seven in case of emergencies.
Now that you know the pros and cons of the job, let’s move on to the free online courses.
Pros of Truck Dispatching
Truck dispatching is a great career if these pros interest you greatly:
- You can work from anywhere — as long as you have a computer and an internet connection, you can work from anywhere in the world. This is perfect for those who love to travel or who don’t want to be tied down to one location.
- You get to help people — truck dispatchers play a vital role in keeping the economy moving. You get to help drivers and make sure that they get to their destination safely. You are the one that keeps everything running smoothly. It can be very rewarding and satisfying.
- You have a lot of responsibility — as a truck dispatcher, you are responsible for the safety of the drivers and the cargo. This is a big responsibility and it can be very stressful. But it is also very rewarding.
- There is a lot of room for growth in this career. If you are good at your job, then there is a lot of room for growth. You can move up in the company and earn more money.
- Now that we’ve looked at the pros, let’s take a look at the cons.
Cons of Truck Dispatching
A career in truck dispatching comes with its own set of challenges.
- The job can be very demanding and stressful — as a truck dispatcher, you need to be available 24/7 in case of emergencies. This can be very stressful and it is not for everyone.
- You need to be very organized — because you are responsible for the schedules of a fleet of trucks, you need to be very organized. This can be difficult for some people.
- You need to have a lot of knowledge — in order to be a good truck dispatcher, you need to have a lot of knowledge about the trucking industry, laws, and regulations. This is easily the biggest barrier to entry. But don’t worry, you’ll learn everything you need to know in the courses below.
- You might be working long hours — depending on the company you work for, you might be working long hours. This is especially true if you are dispatching for a large company.
Overall, the pros and cons make this decision personal. If you think the pros are worth it, then truck dispatching could be the perfect career for you. But if things like being on-call 24/7 and having to direct multiple trucks at once sound like a nightmare, then it might not be the right fit.
The best way to make a decision is to try it out for yourself. And the best way to do that is with one of these free online truck dispatcher courses.
The Best 3 Free Truck Dispatching Course
Truck dispatching is a great career with a lot of potential. Before getting into the courses, we must say that completing a truck dispatching course is not a necessity. You can find a job without completing one of these courses. But it will be very difficult to find a job if you don’t have any experience.
One thing to note is that these courses, being free, don’t offer any certification. But they will teach you the basics of dispatching and help you get started in your career.
These courses will teach you everything you need to know about the trucking industry, laws, and regulations. You’ll be able to learn more effectively on the job thanks to these courses.
American Logistic Academy’s YouTube Course
This is a series of videos that you can watch for free on YouTube. The course is put together by American Logistic Academy, a company that provides training and education for truck drivers.
In this course, you will learn about the different types of loads, how to find the best routes, and how to use dispatch software. You’ll also learn about the different laws and regulations that you need to be aware of.
This is a great starting point if you are undecided whether or not truck dispatching is right for you. Watch a few of these YouTube videos and you’ll have a clear idea of how the job is like, and if it’s something you could see yourself doing.
EdApp’s Truck Dispatcher Manual
EdApp is a mobile learning platform that offers a variety of courses. And it created a series of micro courses designed to get anyone up to speed on truck dispatching.
Here you’ll find courses on defensive driving, COVID-19 handling, and driver safety. These aren’t really enough to get started in the world of truck dispatching, as the course is more of a corollary to on-the-job training.
But it’s still a great way to improve your understanding of driver safety. And since safety is one of the main concerns of truck dispatchers, it’s worth taking a look at this course.
Dispatcher 101 Training for Beginners
This is a great YouTube channel that will teach you everything about truck dispatching. The great thing is that this channel keeps uploading excellent videos on dispatching, so you can stay up-to-date on the latest information, even if you’re already knowledgeable on the topic.
But there is a huge downside. As is usual with YouTube channels, the quality of the videos can be hit or miss. You might find a great video on one topic, and then an average video on another topic. Plus, the information is often poorly organized.
Overall, this is still a great resource for free truck dispatcher training. But you might want to supplement it with other resources on this list if you want to get the most comprehensive education possible.
Best 3 Paid Truck Dispatching Course
While free courses are great to get started, they might not be enough to get you where you want to be. If you’re looking for more comprehensive training, there are some great paid courses available as well. These courses include a certificate upon completion and are generally more comprehensive.
The certificate might not be necessary, but it will make you more attractive to potential employers.
And if you’re looking for even more comprehensive training, there are some great truck dispatcher schools that will provide you with everything you need to know. But these programs can be very expensive.
Dispatcher 101
For a modest fee of $299, you can get access to Dispatcher 101. This course is very comprehensive and it will teach you everything you need to know about being a truck dispatcher.
This is a self-paced course that includes a certificate proving you completed the course. It’s a great way of getting your foot in the trucking industry. You’ll learn about the different aspects of being a truck dispatcher, and you’ll be able to put your knowledge to the test with the included simulator.
The course has a 4.9 stars rating out of 5 on TrustPilot. With so many glowing reviews, it’s hard not to recommend Dispatcher 101.
Trucking Dispatching Training
This is an Udemy course that deals with the more technical aspects of dispatching. Here, you’ll learn things like fuel tax, types of trucks, and the different types of loads.
The course is self-paced and it includes a certificate upon completion. It’s a great way to learn the more technical aspects of dispatching. And at just $15, it’s a great value for your money.
The biggest downside to this course is that Udemy is not always taken seriously by employers. But if you’re looking for a cheap way to learn about dispatching, Udemy is a great option.
Truck Dispatcher Training
This is a basic course that will teach you the essentials of being a truck dispatcher. The course is based on a $40 manual that you can purchase.
It’s a great way to get started, but it’s not as comprehensive as some of the other courses on this list, as it doesn’t include a certificate, nor does it have a simulator. It’s ok if theoretical knowledge is all you’re after, but realistically, you need practical experience to be a good dispatcher.
Conclusions
There are a lot of great free and paid truck dispatcher courses available. If you’re just getting started, it’s a good idea to start with some of the free courses. These will help you understand if dispatching is the right career for you.
Once you’ve decided that dispatching is the right career for you, you can move on to some of the paid courses. These will give you a more comprehensive education and they’ll also make you more attractive to potential employers, in no tiny part thanks to their certificate.
No matter what route you decide to take, make sure you supplement your education with practical experience. The best way to do this is by working with a trucking company. This will give you the opportunity to put your knowledge to the test and learn from real-world experience.
Alternatively, you can strike out as an independent truck dispatcher. This is a great way to get started, but it’s not without its challenges. Most importantly, you won’t have any guarantee of work.
But if you’re up for the challenge, it’s a great way to get started in your truck dispatcher career. And who knows, you might even end up owning your own trucking company one day.
Whatever route you decide to take, make sure you do your research and choose the course that’s right for you. And if you put in the work, there’s no reason why you can’t be a great truck dispatcher.
The most important thing is that you get started and you don’t give up. With a little hard work and dedication, you can be a successful truck dispatcher. Working as a dispatcher can be a very rewarding career. It’s a great way to help people and make a good living. And with the right education, you can be successful in this field.
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