Truck Dispatchers

In 1898, the first semi-truck was introduced to the market by Alexandar Winton in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to trucks, goods and products were delivered by horse-drawn carriages. Winton came up with the idea for the semi so that he could deliver cars that he had manufactured to various locations throughout the United States. The military used trucks in World War I. The trucking industry grew quickly after the war as the government invested money into paving more roads throughout the country.

The 1935 Motor Carrier Act was established to regulate the trucking industry. In the 1950s, the Interstate Highway System was built, with highways and freeways connecting more cities across the United States and increasing the demand for trucks. In 1980, Congress deregulated the trucking industry.

Today there are many different types of trucking companies, from small companies with several trucks for local deliveries to large companies with thousands of trucks that handle cross-country deliveries. Truck dispatchers now use computers, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices to arrange and monitor freight and cargo deliveries.