Head Dispatcher
USA Logistics, Inc.
Chicago, IL (On-Site Preferred)
About USA Logistics
USA Logistics is a fast-growing transportation company operating nationwide with a mix of owner-operators, company drivers, dedicated freight, and spot market operations.
We are building a scalable operations platform focused on:
- Dedicated customer relationships
- Long-term account growth
- Strong driver retention
- Operational discipline
- High service performance
- Profitable fleet utilization
We are looking for a senior transportation operator who understands both sides of modern trucking operations:
- Managing high-performing load board / spot market teams
- Building and scaling dedicated freight operations and customer accounts
This is not a traditional dispatcher role. This is a leadership role responsible for helping scale and professionalize the operational backbone of the company.
Position Summary
The Head Dispatcher will oversee and lead dispatch operations across USA Logistics’ national OTR fleet.
This person will manage dispatch strategy, dispatcher performance, fleet utilization, driver communication standards, service execution, dedicated account operations, and operational profitability.
The ideal candidate has experience:
- Running high-volume OTR dispatch teams
- Managing dedicated customer freight
- Building operational processes and accountability
- Leading dispatchers and developing talent
- Balancing spot market execution with long-term customer strategy
- Improving operational KPIs beyond just top-line gross revenue
This role requires someone who can think strategically while still operating effectively in a fast-paced trucking environment.
Core ResponsibilitiesDispatch Leadership & Team Management
- Lead and manage the dispatch department across nationwide OTR operations
- Supervise dispatcher performance, accountability, communication standards, and operational execution
- Help redesign dispatch structure, compensation plans, and operational workflows
- Develop KPIs focused on:
- Revenue per truck
- Margin performance
- Empty mile reduction
- Driver retention
- Service levels
- Dedicated account growth
- On-time performance
- Train, mentor, and develop dispatchers into stronger operators and account managers
- Create operational consistency across teams and lanes
- Build a culture of urgency, accountability, professionalism, and proactive communication
Dedicated Freight & Account Management
- Oversee dedicated customer accounts and long-term lane operations
- Work closely with leadership to expand dedicated freight opportunities
- Ensure operational excellence on customer accounts through:
- Consistent service
- Capacity planning
- Driver management
- Proactive communication
- Issue resolution
- Develop scalable processes for dedicated operations as the company grows
- Partner with sales leadership on customer retention and account expansion opportunities
- Understand customer expectations and ensure operational execution aligns with long-term relationship growth
Spot Market & Load Board Operations
- Oversee day-to-day spot market operations and load board execution
- Ensure dispatch teams maximize truck utilization and minimize downtime
- Improve lane planning and strategic freight selection
- Monitor freight market conditions, rates, lane trends, and operational profitability
- Reduce operational inefficiencies including:
- Excessive deadhead
- Poor reload planning
- Service failures
- Driver downtime
- Help balance short-term revenue generation with long-term operational health
Driver Operations & Communication
- Maintain strong communication standards between dispatch and drivers
- Support driver retention through professionalism, responsiveness, and operational consistency
- Ensure drivers receive accurate load information, appointment updates, routing guidance, and issue resolution
- Assist with escalation management involving:
- Service failures
- Breakdowns
- Delays
- Driver disputes
- Customer issues
- Work collaboratively with safety, recruiting, accounting, and maintenance departments
Operational Strategy & Process Improvement
- Build systems and processes that allow the company to scale efficiently
- Help implement operational technology and workflow improvements
- Develop reporting and operational visibility across the fleet
- Identify inefficiencies and create scalable solutions
- Assist leadership with forecasting, staffing strategy, and operational planning
- Help transition the company from a reactive dispatch environment into a process-driven transportation operation
Ideal Candidate
The right candidate understands that dispatch is not just about covering loads.
This person understands:
- Driver psychology
- Dedicated customer expectations
- Freight market strategy
- Margin management
- Fleet utilization
- Team leadership
- Operational accountability
They should be comfortable leading both:
- Fast-paced spot market teams
- Structured dedicated operations
The ideal person is highly organized, calm under pressure, operationally strong, and capable of making sound decisions quickly.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in OTR trucking operations and dispatch leadership
- Experience managing dispatch teams in a high-volume trucking environment
- Strong understanding of nationwide OTR freight markets and lane strategy
- Experience managing dedicated freight accounts and customer relationships
- Experience using load boards including DAT and Truckstop
- Strong understanding of driver management and fleet utilization
- Experience improving operational KPIs and team accountability
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Ability to manage multiple operational priorities simultaneously
- Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced operational environment
Strongly Preferred
- Experience scaling dispatch operations for fleets over 75+ trucks
- Experience managing both owner-operators and company drivers
- Experience building dispatcher compensation structures and operational KPIs
- Experience implementing TMS, workflow automation, or operational technology
- Familiarity with Alvys, Samsara, or modern fleet management systems
- Experience with dedicated freight development and long-term customer account management
- Strong understanding of operational profitability and transportation economics
Compensation
Compensation will be highly competitive and based on experience, leadership capability, and operational impact.
Potential structure may include:
- Base Salary
- Performance Bonus
- KPI-Based Incentives
- Long-Term Growth Opportunity
What Success Looks Like
The right person will help USA Logistics:
- Build a stronger dispatch culture
- Improve profitability per truck
- Reduce operational chaos
- Strengthen driver retention
- Improve dedicated account performance
- Increase dispatcher accountability
- Scale operationally without losing service quality
This role is for someone who wants to help build a modern transportation company — not just manage freight on a screen.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Woodridge, IL 60517
