Fleet and assignments

Fleet Coordinator maintains the driver roster and vehicle records used by Dispatcher. A driver has an active flag, eligibility end date and external authority reference. A vehicle has equipment class, capacity, active flag, readiness state and external fleet identifier. These details give the assignment decision a concrete basis before a load leaves the yard.

The load may also name an equipment class. Dispatcher compares that need with the vehicle’s class and capacity. Vehicle defects retain severity, repair evidence and release time, so a readiness check can consider why a vehicle was held or returned to service. A ready label alone should not override a critical unresolved defect.

An assignment links a load, driver and vehicle with committed start and end times. Fleet Coordinator checks overlapping intervals for the same person or asset. Held work can be reviewed before it becomes confirmed. The assignment then follows movement through dispatched and completed states; cancellation remains a distinct outcome when the plan is abandoned.

• Driver eligibility. An active roster entry and current eligibility date support the dispatch decision.
• Vehicle readiness. Equipment class, capacity, readiness and defect history explain the choice.
• Time commitment. Start and end times make overlaps visible before confirmation.

Agree who updates the external authority reference and how a driver becomes active. Set the practical rule for comparing eligibility expiry with a load’s committed window. Decide how vehicle defects are reviewed before readiness changes. Fleet Coordinator and Dispatcher should use the same time zone when checking interval conflicts.

Take a load that needs a suitable vehicle for a morning farm collection and afternoon delivery. Give one driver another confirmed assignment during that window, and give one candidate vehicle a held readiness state. Fleet Coordinator should identify both conflicts before Dispatcher confirms the new assignment. Select a different eligible driver and ready vehicle, then retain the rejected options as part of the operating discussion. Check that the confirmed interval and load identity are clear to the person recording physical pickup later. A changed departure time should trigger another overlap check rather than silently extending the commitment.

• Load Assignments Default List — Committed driver and vehicle intervals beside the linked load and assignment status.
• Fleet Readiness Board — Vehicle class, capacity and readiness for the candidates under discussion.

See the operating process and implementation for the first rehearsal.