Stages of freight transport: from finding the freight to receiving the money
In Sargona's logistics company blog we talk about the difference between the professions of dispatcher, forwarder and logistician. In particular, we will talk about functional responsibilities and key performance indicators.
Freight Transport Dispatcher
This is a specialist who works in a transport company and is a member of its team. The dispatcher may also work for a company specialising in freight dispatching services.
The dispatcher coordinates and organises the transport process. He is primarily interested in ensuring that the transport he is supervising makes the maximum number of journeys at the maximum cost.
Accordingly, the dispatcher's key indicators are
This allows us to determine the efficiency of the dispatcher's work. If the car travels more kilometres at a good cost, the dispatcher is working well. If the car works little or drives a lot of kilometres at a low cost, it means that the dispatcher is not doing his job.
Freight Transport Dispatcher
This is a specialist who works in a transport company and is a member of its team. The dispatcher may also work for a company specialising in freight dispatching services.
The dispatcher coordinates and organises the transport process. He is primarily interested in ensuring that the transport he is supervising makes the maximum number of journeys at the maximum cost.
Accordingly, the dispatcher's key indicators are
- the distance covered by the vehicles over a given period (week, month);
- the amount of money received for services rendered during the same period;
- the average cost per kilometre of transport.
This allows us to determine the efficiency of the dispatcher's work. If the car travels more kilometres at a good cost, the dispatcher is working well. If the car works little or drives a lot of kilometres at a low cost, it means that the dispatcher is not doing his job.
This specialist sells his services mainly to cargo owners. His aim is to find a transport on the market that will move the goods at the best price. Why do we talk about the best price and not the minimum price? The freight forwarder protects the interests of the cargo owner. He should not always provide the cheapest transport for the client, because it is important to ensure the quality of transport. Often the customer wants reliability, punctuality, speed, guarantees of transport, and it is almost impossible to provide this for the minimum price.
The forwarder is responsible for fulfilling the terms of the contract, checking the schedule, unloading the goods in the specified place and at the agreed time. In case of non-standard situations, the specialist prepares the necessary documents, establishes the fact of damage, shortage or loss of cargo.
The forwarder presents the cargoes of his clients on transport exchanges and is interested in providing quality transport at the optimal cost. At the same time, the dispatcher sells transport and is interested in the best price for this service. In this way, supply and demand are ensured in the freight transport market.
The forwarder is responsible for fulfilling the terms of the contract, checking the schedule, unloading the goods in the specified place and at the agreed time. In case of non-standard situations, the specialist prepares the necessary documents, establishes the fact of damage, shortage or loss of cargo.
The forwarder presents the cargoes of his clients on transport exchanges and is interested in providing quality transport at the optimal cost. At the same time, the dispatcher sells transport and is interested in the best price for this service. In this way, supply and demand are ensured in the freight transport market.
Freight Forwarder
Logisticians are often used as a general term for all specialists working in the field of logistics. However, there is a separate speciality in this field called "logistician".
Representatives of this speciality work in companies - cargo owners. The logistician has two main areas of responsibility. The first is warehousing. Their job is to ensure that the warehouse has a certain amount of goods to meet customer demand. In addition to managing the entire warehouse operation, the logistician is also involved in the transport of the company's goods.
The key indicator for the logistician is the most efficient use of resources, i.e. the goods in the warehouse. They must be delivered to the customer at the right time, in the right quantity and in the right condition. Another important indicator of the logistician's work is customer satisfaction with the cost of delivery and, of course, the safety of the goods. It is therefore in the logistician's interest to find transport and logistics companies on the market with whom cooperation will be reliable and maximally effective for his or her company.
Representatives of this speciality work in companies - cargo owners. The logistician has two main areas of responsibility. The first is warehousing. Their job is to ensure that the warehouse has a certain amount of goods to meet customer demand. In addition to managing the entire warehouse operation, the logistician is also involved in the transport of the company's goods.
The key indicator for the logistician is the most efficient use of resources, i.e. the goods in the warehouse. They must be delivered to the customer at the right time, in the right quantity and in the right condition. Another important indicator of the logistician's work is customer satisfaction with the cost of delivery and, of course, the safety of the goods. It is therefore in the logistician's interest to find transport and logistics companies on the market with whom cooperation will be reliable and maximally effective for his or her company.
Logistician
