Dispatch defaults are provided as another tool to expedite the call taking and dispatching processes. Some fields will be automatically populated (from the Cash/Call-In Account) to streamline the entry of Account information. As noted previously, any information that is automatically populated can and should be changed to get the right information entered for the particular Account.

Google Search Integration - For both incident and destination locations, Ranger now has integrated ability to search as if you were searching in google.com directly via our new job entry screen. Type the business name and city to search, and click on the appropriate selection. Address is automatically geocoded and loaded from Google.

Dispatch default destination address - provides an opportunity to enter the most common Destination/Drop location for a repeat customer. For example, police calls might typically be towed to the city impound lot, or an auto dealer may have a service facility where they want incoming vehicles to be dropped. These fields are optional entries. In cases where there is a “usual” drop location, it can be entered in these fields. When a new call is received from this Account, DispatchDirectTM will automatically populate the Destination address in Job Entry with this information.

Dispatch defaults - are intended to streamline call taking by pre-defining common characteristics of new calls that are received from the Account. For example, the City and State fields will fill in the corresponding fields in the Incident address. If incorrect, the call taker can easily over-ride these fields and enter the correct information. Many of these fields are populated from the entries in the Cash/Call-In Account (in effect the Company defaults). These entries can/should be modified as appropriate. If there is no common pattern for an Account, the fields can be made “blank”, and the call taker can start “from scratch” for every new call.

The “Priority” field has a special role within DispatchDirectTM (see Company Setup - Priority). The “priority” assigned to an Account will be used to populate the corresponding field in Job Entry. More importantly, this field is available on the Dispatch screen. The “Priority” on the Dispatch screen can be used as input for the dispatcher in sequencing calls. The dispatch screen can also be sorted by “Priority” so that the most urgent jobs are at the top of the dispatch list.

Mileage defaults - specify the appropriate approach for determining mileage charges for the Account (see Pricing Templates - Pricing Parameters - Mileage). For pricing purposes, mileage can be determined based on odometer readings from the truck (“rolling miles”), or based on turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps (“calculated miles” - automatically calculated in DispatchDirectTM for geocoded locations). The rates for the mileage charges are set in Pricing Templates. The approach for determining the miles that are to be billed - “rolling” vs. “calculated” - is set for each Account . Setting the appropriate pricing approach for an Account requires:

• Specifying whether pricing will be based on “truck odometer” inputs (“rolling miles”) or the “Geocode calculation” - for both Unloaded and Loaded miles
• For companies with more than one base, choosing the appropriate starting point for the “Geocode calculation” of Unloaded miles. For example, many motor clubs expect that Unloaded mileage charges will be based on the “calculated” distance from a particular base - often the main location (home base) of the company. In other cases, an Account will expect that mileage charges are based on the “closest base” to their business location. These expactations are set in selecting the “Starting base”.

Click on the Green + New Job button from the Dispatch Board to enter job details for a new job. Areas highlighted in Yellow must be completed to SAVE a new job.