Dispatch and Logistics Coordinator job description
A Dispatch and Logistics Coordinator plans vehicle movements, assigns drivers and keeps customers informed about deliveries. The role links the warehouse, the transport fleet and the client so goods arrive on time.
Why the role exists
The coordinator works from the control desk of a transport company, 3PL or distribution business. They take dispatch requests, match them to available vehicles and drivers, track trips and solve delays. Without this role, drivers wait, loads miss cut-offs and customers chase updates by phone.
What the person does
- Receive dispatch requests and plan vehicle allocation by load size, route, delivery window and vehicle availability.
- Brief drivers on route, documents, delivery contacts and handover steps before each trip departs.
- Track vehicles through GPS or driver calls and update customers on progress and any expected delay.
- Coordinate with the warehouse on loading time so vehicles do not wait and loads are secured properly.
- Check trip documents such as lorry receipts, e-way bill copies and proof of delivery before and after each trip.
- Handle breakdowns, route changes, returns and customer complaints, and record what happened and why.
- Reconcile trip sheets, fuel and toll claims and driver advances with the accounts team each week.
- Prepare daily reports on trips completed, delays, empty runs and open deliveries for the operations head.
Skills and tools
- Transport management software, GPS tracking portals and live location tools
- Route planning across Indian cities and highways, including peak-hour and festival-season constraints
- Excel for trip sheets, vehicle utilisation and cost-per-trip tracking
- Reading lorry receipts, e-way bill details, invoices and proof of delivery
- Clear phone and WhatsApp communication with drivers and customers
- Managing market-hired vehicles and transporters, and negotiating rates in a fair, documented way
- Staying calm and organised when several trips go wrong at once
- Hindi, English and one regional language for working with drivers across routes
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Graduate in commerce, logistics or supply chain preferred, or equivalent experience on a transport control desk.
- Preferred one to three years in dispatch, fleet coordination or transport operations.
- Familiarity with the e-way bill process and delivery documents used in your line of goods is preferred.
- Driver, vehicle and goods-carrying requirements depend on the employer, state and facts, so confirm with your own adviser.
How the work is judged
- On-time delivery performance across planned trips.
- Vehicle utilisation, including empty runs and waiting time at loading points.
- Accuracy and speed of delivery documents and proof of delivery returned.
- Quality and timeliness of customer updates and handling of complaints.
- Cost control on fuel, tolls, advances and hired vehicles against the plan.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Dispatch Coordinator or Control Tower Lead as the fleet and client list grow.
- Fleet Manager or Transport Manager for larger operations.
- Move into logistics planning, route optimisation or client account management.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Walk us through how you would plan ten deliveries across a city with only six vehicles available.
- A driver calls from the highway with a breakdown and the customer has a fixed delivery slot. What are your next steps?
- How do you decide between using your own fleet and hiring a market vehicle?
- Describe a time a customer escalated about a late delivery. How did you respond and what changed?
- Which numbers do you track daily to know whether the dispatch desk is running well?
- How do you deal with a driver who regularly delays departure or skips check-in calls?
Hiring tips for this role
- Run a live exercise: give a vehicle list, trip requests and a breakdown, then ask them to re-plan. It shows prioritising far better than a conversation.
- Test phone manner. A coordinator speaks to drivers and customers all day, and a weak, unclear tone can spread confusion.
- Check shift flexibility early. Dispatch often needs early starts, late closes or on-call cover, and surprises here cause quick exits.
- Avoid hiring only for tool knowledge. Someone who knows your lanes and local transporters is often more useful than a software expert.
Questions about hiring a dispatch and logistics coordinator
A dispatcher mainly allots vehicles and drivers to trips. A logistics coordinator also handles documents, customer updates, reports and cost reconciliation. Most Indian firms combine both in one role, so check what you need.
Not usually. They need to understand vehicle types, load capacity and basic trip costs. Maintenance scheduling is more often handled by a fleet or workshop supervisor, who the coordinator works with.
It depends on the business. Many desks run in shifts or need early and late availability, plus occasional weekend cover. State the expected pattern in the job description so candidates can decide with full information.
GullyHR supports permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates for dispatch and transport experience, and help you through the offer stage.
Hiring a dispatch and logistics coordinator?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.