In short: A freight dispatcher plans, controls and monitors road transports: taking orders, assigning trucks and building tours, keeping drivers within EU driving limits (9 hours a day, 56 a week, 90 over two weeks), pricing the freight, preparing documents and tracking shipments. In Germany the standard formal route is the 36-month IHK apprenticeship as Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung.
The dispatcher's job, task by task
In German freight forwarding the role is called Disposition, and the person doing it a Disponent. Germany's Federal Employment Agency describes the core of the job as dispatching, monitoring, steering and checking transports with own or subcontracted vehicles, planning deadlines by priority and building tours.
| Task | What it involves in practice |
|---|---|
| Order intake | Check cargo, weight, loading metres, time windows, special needs (temperature, dangerous goods) |
| Vehicle and tour planning | Match the right truck, combine loads, find backhauls |
| Driving-time compliance | Build schedules drivers can legally meet |
| Pricing | Quote freight: distance, diesel, tolls, driver cost, margin |
| Documents | CMR consignment notes, loading lists, dispatch notes |
| Tracking | Monitor the run; re-plan straight away after congestion, weather or breakdowns |
| Billing | Record inbound and outbound shipments, raise invoices |
The Bavarian vocational-school curriculum for the trade lists "dispatching of vehicles and loading equipment", vehicle cost calculation and tour planning as explicit learning content.
Driving and rest times: the hard limits of every plan
The EU driving and rest time rules in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 are not only the driver's problem. Article 10(4) says undertakings, consignors, freight forwarders, principal contractors and subcontractors "shall ensure that contractually agreed transport time schedules respect this Regulation". An impossible delivery slot is a dispatching error.
| Rule (Reg. 561/2006) | Limit |
|---|---|
| Daily driving time | 9 h, extendable to 10 h twice a week |
| Weekly driving time | 56 h |
| Two consecutive weeks | 90 h |
| Break | 45 min after 4.5 h (or 15 + 30 min) |
| Regular daily rest | at least 11 h (reduced: at least 9 h) |
| Regular weekly rest | at least 45 h |
Because of the 90-hour cap, a truck averages at most 45 hours of driving per week over time, even though a single week may reach 56.
KPIs that show whether dispatching works
| KPI | Definition | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Load factor | Capacity used (kg, loading metres, pallets) vs capacity available | Half-empty trucks spread fixed costs over less freight |
| Empty running share | Empty km / total km | Every empty kilometre costs money and earns nothing |
| Cost per km | Operating cost / km driven | Basis of every quote |
| Revenue per km | Freight revenue / total km incl. empty | Shows whether a tour covers its cost |
| On-time delivery | On-time drops / all drops | Customer retention, detention risk |
For context, Eurostat reports that in 2025 21.8% of all EU road freight vehicle-kilometres were driven empty: 26.0% in national transport and 12.9% in international transport.
Worked example: the price of empty kilometres
Assumptions: a 40 t articulated truck, 2,400 km per week, operating cost €1.20/km. That sits inside our estimated €1.15–1.25/km range for international carriers based in Central and Eastern Europe (anchored on the Polish ZMPD 2023 average of PLN 5.13/km; Western European operators run higher). More in truck cost per km.
| Scenario | Empty share | Empty km/week | Cost with no revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roughly the EU overall average | 20% | 480 km | €576 |
| Roughly the EU international average | 12.9% | 310 km | €372 |
| Difference | 170 km | €204 per week |
Assuming 46 working weeks a year, that is about €9,400 per truck, gained from better backhaul planning alone.
Tools on the dispatch desk
- Transport management system (TMS): software to plan, execute and track freight movements and audit freight invoices (transport management software).
- Telematics and tachograph data: position, remaining driving time, ETA.
- Freight exchanges: find return loads and offer free capacity.
- Toll and fuel cost calculators: check before accepting a load that the rate covers the route.
On that last point: Logist Calculator works out road tolls for every European country that charges them (HERE routing and toll data, rates reviewed once a year) and diesel cost from the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, updated every Thursday, for vans up to 3.5 t, 7.5 t trucks and 40 t trucks. Calculate your route
Training and qualifications in Germany
| Qualification | Duration / level | Body |
|---|---|---|
| Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung (freight forwarding and logistics services clerk) | 36 months; training regulation in force since 26 July 2004 | IHK (Chamber of Commerce and Industry) |
| Geprüfter Fachwirt für Güterverkehr und Logistik (Bachelor Professional in Transport Management and Logistics) | DQR level 6, advanced vocational qualification | IHK |
According to BIBB, the apprenticeship covers "planning and organising shipments, transhipment and storage", plus consolidation, insurance, customs and business English. Admission to the Fachwirt exam is set out in the training regulation itself.
FAQ
What does a freight dispatcher do?
They plan trucks and tours, price loads, prepare transport documents and monitor running jobs, re-planning when something goes wrong.
How many hours can a truck driver drive per day in the EU?
Nine hours, extendable to ten hours twice a week. A 45-minute break is due after 4.5 hours of driving.
What qualification does a dispatcher need in Germany?
The matching apprenticeship is the 36-month IHK course in freight forwarding and logistics services. The Fachwirt für Güterverkehr und Logistik (DQR 6) is the next step up.
What share of truck kilometres are driven empty?
Across the EU in 2025, 21.8% according to Eurostat; 12.9% in international transport.
Sources
- BIBB – Kaufmann für Spedition und Logistikdienstleistung
- ISB Bavaria – curriculum for freight forwarding and logistics services clerks
- German Federal Employment Agency – job description, freight forwarding clerk (archive, 2007)
- EUR-Lex – Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, consolidated text
- Eurostat – Road freight transport by journey characteristics
- IHK Erfurt – Fachwirt für Güterverkehr und Logistik
- Wikipedia – Transportation management system (general definition only)
- ERSJ – Polish international road freight sector (ZMPD cost data)
Last updated: October 2026. Cost figures are estimates; check the current consolidated text of Regulation 561/2006 before relying on the limits.