Dispatch for moving companies: how to plan the day without a spreadsheet

Build the day in the right order

The most common dispatch mistake is starting in the wrong place. Many start with the vans because there are fewer of them. But it is the jobs that decide the day. Build it in this order:

1. 01The jobs. Which moves need doing, when does the crew need to be there, and how long do they realistically take?
2. 02The people. How many does each job need, and who is crew leader?
3. 03The vans. What size does the job need, and does the crew have the right licence for it?
4. 04The equipment. Blankets, hand trucks, stair climber and boxes — what has to go on before the van leaves.
5. 05The route. Last, the order and driving time between stops, so the day can actually be done.

The mistakes that cost the most

It is rarely the big plan that goes wrong. It is the small things that are only discovered in the morning:

• Double booking. The same person or van is on two jobs at the same time.
• A van that can’t be driven. It is due for inspection or service, and that is only in another calendar.
• The wrong licence. Nobody on the crew holds the category the van needs.
• Holidays and absence. Someone is put on a job on their day off.
• Forgotten equipment. The stair climber is in the warehouse, and the job is on the fourth floor with no lift.

What they have in common is that the information existed. It was just somewhere other than where the day was planned.

When is the spreadsheet too small?

A spreadsheet can easily carry a small moving company. It is free, everyone can use it, and it does what you ask of it. The problems don’t start with the number of jobs, but with the number of people who need to change it. You are getting there when:

• more than one person plans and you are unsure who has the latest version,
• the crew get their day by text and changes have to be phoned through,
• inspections, holidays and licences are each in their own list,
• the hours from the spreadsheet have to be typed in again to become an invoice.

To go deeper into what a system should do, read the guide to choosing moving company software. And if price is what is holding you back, see what moving company software costs.

How Movea does it

In Movea, jobs, crews, vans and equipment sit in the same calendar, which you can view by day, week, several weeks or month. The system suggests a crew and van, shows inspections and service in the calendar, knows people’s holidays and licences and won’t let you double-book. Routes are worked out with real distances and driving times, and you can optimise the stops with one click. Move a job, and it has moved for everyone.

See the calendar, routes and fleet on the web platform.