Director – Dispatch Operations

Overview

Trimac isn't just a transportation company; it's an industry disruptor with a remarkable 80-year legacy of safely delivering products that improve people’s lives across North America. 

Our workplace culture is centered on being safe, respectful, innovative and inclusive. We are committed to maintaining a rewarding work environment that allows employees to experience new opportunities and build their chosen careers. Across the company, we encourage open communication, champion integrity, celebrate individuality and cultivate diverse talents and perspectives. If you’re ready for a challenge that will help drive forward an industry leading team, we invite you to begin your journey with us.

Job Details

Director, Dispatch Operations

Position Summary

The Director of Dispatch Operations, reporting to the VP, Operations for the region, provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all dispatch pods across a service center. This role ensures efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction through data-driven decision-making, structured accountability, and talent development. The position is critical for aligning dispatch operations with company goals, improving direct cost control, and creating a leadership pipeline.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
• Overseeing and regulating the day-to-day operations in their dispatch pods across service centers.
• Developing and preparing operation plans, programs, budgets and forecasts.
• Drive P&L performance through dispatch excellence. Proactively plan and allocate loads to maximize revenue miles and asset utilization; optimize lane mix to reduce empty miles; coordinate schedules to control costs; monitor key KPIs (utilization, loaded versus empty miles, on-time delivery, margin per load) and take corrective action to protect service and profitability.
• Proactive leadership to increase profitable operations from the onset of a load.
• Drive order completion accuracy, utilization, and on-time performance.
• Collaborate with Directors at other service centers to standardize dispatch practices, KPIs, and accountability across pods. Responsible for multiple product lines with unique dispatch challenges.
• Establishing and maintaining the necessary operational systems and procedures and maintain limitations and controls.
• Act as primary escalation point above pod level to reduce noise for senior leaders.
• Lead-to-Cash Accountability
• Collaborate with the Lead-to-Cash team to ensure seamless transition of data.
• Ensure dispatchers take ownership of upstream order creation and completion.
• Improve accuracy and timeliness of order entry to reduce billing delays.
• Align dispatch processes with financial outcomes to support revenue integrity.
• Data & Profitability Focus
• Monitor and analyze KPIs tied to profitability (Empty Miles %, $/Truck per Day, Trailer Utilization %).
• Identify cost drivers and implement corrective actions to improve margins.
• Use analytics to guide decisions on resource allocation and operational efficiency.
• Customer Service Excellence
• Ensure proactive communication and timely updates to customers.
• Improve CSI scores by focusing on load accuracy, timeliness, and service reliability.
• Reduce service failures and escalations through real-time accountability.

• Technology & Automation

• Champion technology-driven improvements to streamline dispatch workflows and reduce manual effort.
• Ensure full utilization of TMW and integrated platforms to enforce process compliance and improve efficiency.
• Promote continuous innovation by identifying and piloting emerging technologies that enhance operational performance and customer experience.
• Talent Development
• Coach and develop Dispatch Managers and Dispatchers.
• Implement cross-training programs to build flexibility and resilience.
• Facilitate cross-department exposure (Sales, HR, Finance, Safety).
• Build a leadership pipeline with real-time decision-making experience.
• Overtime Management
• Support dispatch teams in managing overtime effectively.
• Identify workload imbalances and implement scheduling strategies to reduce OT costs.
• Cross-Functional Alignment
• Partner with Terminal Managers, Sales, HR, Finance, and Safety to align operations.
• Ensure dispatch delivers on financial results, efficiency, and customer reliability.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Order Completion Accuracy %
• On-Time Performance %
• Empty Miles %
• $/Truck per Day
• Trailer Utilization %
• Load Acceptance %
• CSI Score (Customer Satisfaction Index)
• Cross-Pod Consistency
• Overtime Hours vs. Budget

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Logistics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in transportation, logistics, or dispatch operations.
• Proven track record in operational leadership, cost control, and customer service improvement.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in KPI management and data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills; ability to coach and develop teams.

Benefits

We invest in our employee’s growth through training and development programs. We offer a comprehensive benefits package such as:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and many more health and wellness benefits
• Paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays
• Paid time off for volunteer activities to help give back to our communities
• Pension Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement Program to achieve your educational goals
• Continuous learning and career development

Safety Commitments

• We make safety a part of every decision
• We make safety personal
• We have the courage to intervene