Overview of Virtual Dispatcher
Virtual Dispatcher is an automation tool used to distribute unassigned trips to Drivers without manual intervention. This feature helps streamline your operations by automating trip assignments based on predefined criteria, freeing your dispatching team up to tackle more work throughout the day.
Enabling Virtual Dispatcher
To enable and configure the Virtual Dispatching feature, follow these steps:
Navigate to Settings → Virtual Dispatcher in RoutingBox.
Click the Enable Virtual Dispatcher toggle.
Configure the following settings: -
Max trip distance: Define the farthest distance from a driver's current location that Virtual Dispatching can assign a trip. Adjust this based on your operational needs.
Lateness Tolerance: Adjust the threshold for how late a pickup can be before it is considered too late for assignment. This ensures flexibility while maintaining service standards.
Zone Lead Time: Navigate to Settings → Zones and set the zone's Lead Time to a value greater than 00:00. Virtual Dispatching will not assign trips from zones with a lead time of 00:00.
Click Save.
Ensure that Virtual Dispatching is set to active for each driver and vehicle that you'd like Virtual Dispatcher to distribute trips to by updating their individual records.
Once these settings are configured, Virtual Dispatching will automatically assign unassigned trips when the specified criteria are met.
Virtual Dispatching will not assign trips that would result in a multiload or if no driver is available during the scheduled time. Additionally, a notification of a failed assignment does not necessarily mean the trip was not assigned; it may indicate other operational constraints.
Overriding Virtual Dispatching Assignments
Virtual Dispatcher in RoutingBox automates trip assignments, but there may be instances where manual intervention is necessary. To override a Virtual Dispatching assignment:
Open the Dispatch screen.
Manually reassign the trip to a different driver.
This flexibility allows you to address unique scheduling needs or correct errors in automated assignments.
FAQs About Dispatch System Operations
What criteria does Virtual Dispatching use to assign trips? Virtual Dispatching assigns trips based on the maximum trip distance and trip late tolerance settings, in addition to Driver availability and Vehicle capacity. Ensure these settings are configured to align with your operational requirements.
Can I make changes to the assignments made by Virtual Dispatcher? Yes, you can make changes to trip assignments manually, should you need to redistribute a trip for any reason.
Is Virtual Dispatcher always running? As long as you have Virtual Dispatcher active, it will aim to assign any unassigned trips to drivers. You can toggle Virtual Dispatcher on and off at any time via the Virtual Dispatcher settings, allowing you to control when it is actively assigning trips for your team.-
What is the Zone Lead Time requirement for Virtual Dispatching? Virtual Dispatching requires that the Zone's Lead Time is set to a value greater than 00:00. Without this, trips from that zone will not be assigned. Find more information on Creating Zones in RoutingBox here.
What does a failed assignment notification mean? A failed assignment notification does not necessarily mean the trip was not assigned; it may indicate other operational constraints such as driver availability or multiload restrictions.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Ensure that the Lead Time for zones is set to a value greater than 00:00.
Verify that the Lateness Tolerance settings align with your operational requirements.
Check for driver availability and potential multiload conflicts if trips are not being assigned.