A civil construction dispatcher books the trucks, lowboys and drivers that keep road and pipe crews working. They set each crew's start, line up haul trucks for stone, pipe and asphalt, and plan every machine move with its permit, route and driver. When rain or a breakdown hits, they rework the board.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for coordinating equipment movement, crew assignments, and adapting daily scheduling changes to ensure efficient operations and on-time project delivery. Plays a vital role in maintaining seamless communication between field crews and management. Contributes to maximizing resource utilization and operational effectiveness.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Coordinate daily dispatch of equipment and assigned crews to various job sites.
Monitor project progress and adjust schedules promptly based on project needs.
Maintain real-time communication with field teams regarding schedule alterations.
Ensure compliance with safety and operational standards across all assignments.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and update daily schedules and routes for field crews.
Communicate equipment status and crew assignments to relevant personnel.
Handle on-the-spot rescheduling due to operational changes or emergencies.
Collaborate with project managers and supervisors to guarantee seamless operations.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-time dispatch rate: 95% adherence.
Equipment utilization efficiency: Minimum of 90%.
Schedule change accuracy: Error rate below 3%.
Crew assignment satisfaction: Customer and crew feedback rating >4.5 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree is a plus.
At least 2 years of experience in a dispatch or scheduling role in the construction or service industry.
Strong communication and organizational skills.
Proficient in scheduling and dispatch software; comfortable with technology and real-time updates.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working with civil and infrastructure contractors.
Prior exposure to field service software and GPS tracking systems.
Background in operations or field service management within the home services industry.
Familiarity with safety regulations and compliance within construction environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work at a desk for extended periods.
Occasional lifting of equipment manuals and documents up to 15 lbs.
Frequent use of computer systems and communication devices in an office environment.
Workstation set up in a standard office environment with minimal physical exertion.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office setting with occasional visits to job sites.
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Occasional extended hours during project peaks or emergencies.
On-call responsibilities as needed during high-demand periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $18 - $24 per hour, based on experience.
Performance-based bonuses available.
Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a growth-oriented company that values dedication, creativity, and continuous learning.
Our dynamic team is committed to excellence, providing supportive mentorship and opportunities for career advancement.
We encourage innovation and collaborative problem-solving to exceed customer expectations.
Join us in shaping the future of civil and infrastructure contracting by creating efficient operations and lasting client relationships.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Here the board moves dump trucks, lowboys and crews, not service vans. A paver waiting on asphalt, or a dozer stuck in the yard without a permit, costs a crew its day.
A permit covers one trip as written
Take Texas as an example. Past 8 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet high or 80,000 pounds gross, a load needs a permit. A TxDMV single-trip permit covers one move, from one origin to one destination, during the times it lists. A contractor hauling its own machines also files a shipper's certificate of weight. Loads over 14 feet wide can't move on listed holidays without a TxDMV exception. So when a foreman wants the dozer at a different job, the dispatcher gets a new permit before the truck rolls. Source: Texas DMV (example): General single-trip permits.
Driver hours set the length of the haul
A driver who works inside a 150 air-mile radius of where they report, is released within 14 hours and gets 10 hours off between shifts can skip the logbook. The company keeps each day's start, end and total hours for six months. Drivers used mainly to haul construction materials and equipment to or from an active job within 75 air miles of the yard may restart their 7- or 8-day count after 24 hours off. States may set a shorter one in-state. Plan long paving days and Saturdays around both. Source: 49 CFR 395.1: Hours of service scope and exceptions (eCFR).
Enough trucks to keep the paver moving
The dispatcher works out the truck count from the haul: time to load at the plant, drive, dump and come back, against the tons the paver lays each hour. Then they space the trucks so no line forms at the plant or the job, and add one when traffic or a longer haul stretches the trip. Hired haulers cover the gap on big days, booked a day ahead.
Crew starts follow the first load
Each afternoon the dispatcher sets the next morning: which crew reports to the yard and which goes straight to the job, who pulls the trailer with the small tools, and when the first load of stone or pipe lands. A pipe crew with no pipe at seven, or a load with nobody to set it, wastes the morning. Foremen get the plan by a set hour every day.
Haul tickets are money
When an owner pays for stone or asphalt by the ton, the scale tickets back up the quantity on the pay estimate. A lost ticket can mean material you placed but can't bill. The dispatcher has each driver turn in every ticket the same day, matched to the truck and the job, and sends the day's totals to the foreman and the bookkeeper.
How much civil construction dispatchers make
Dispatchers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $29.06 an hour ($60,430 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $50,340 median for dispatchers in all industries. About 1,190 of the 202,810 dispatchers in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Most dispatchers at heavy and civil contractors on this chart earn more than the template's top hourly rate. Check what nearby quarries, ready-mix plants and haulers pay their dispatchers, and tie the template's bonus to trucks and moves that arrive on time.
Heavy and civil construction
$60,430$60,430 median Middle half $49,970–$74,490 10th–90th $43,000–$86,490
All industries
$50,340$50,340 median Middle half $42,750–$62,450 10th–90th $36,030–$78,140
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k$100k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Heavy and civil construction
$43,000
$49,970
$60,430
$74,490
$86,490
All industries
$36,030
$42,750
$50,340
$62,450
$78,140
BLS doesn’t publish pay for civil contractors on their own. These figures cover heavy and civil engineering construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run a board of dump trucks, lowboys or ready-mix trucks
Works out truck counts from haul time and the crew's daily output
Checks each lowboy move against its permit's route and hours
Tracks drivers' hours before handing out a long run
Changes the plan fast and tells every foreman it touches
Teach these on the job
Your yard, plants, quarries and dump sites
The load-out hours at each asphalt plant and quarry
Which trailers can carry which machines
The hired haulers you call on busy days
Your dispatch board and truck GPS
Expect a dispatch board or heavy civil scheduling tool, such as HCSS Dispatcher, plus GPS on the trucks, machine telematics, a folder of current permits for each lowboy move, and a group text with foremen and haulers. Name the plants and quarries the job deals with most.
Civil construction dispatcher interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Reshuffling after rain
It rains overnight. Two paving crews can't work today, but a pipe crew could. What do you do first?
A strong answer: Confirms with supervisors what can safely work, moves crews and equipment, cancels or reschedules plant and concrete orders, and tells project managers and inspectors.
Behavioral · Refusing unsafe or illegal moves
Tell me about a time you refused to send a truck, driver or crew because something wasn't safe or legal.
A strong answer: A specific reason such as a driver out of hours or a missing permit, how they handled the pushback, and what happened.
Run a season on the template's targets, then reset them from your dispatch log. Tag each miss as plant, weather, owner or dispatch, and score the dispatcher on the last group only.
On-time dispatch rate
Each week, the share of trucks, lowboys and crews on site at the hour the foreman requested, checked against GPS and the dispatch log.
Equipment utilization efficiency
Hours each truck and lowboy spent hauling or loading against hours it was on the clock, from GPS. Show waiting time at plants and jobs on its own line.
Schedule change accuracy
Board changes that went out right: the correct crew, truck, site and time. Count each wrong address, double booking and foreman who never got the change.
Crew assignment satisfaction
Monthly ratings from foremen and superintendents on whether trucks, material and moves showed up as planned, plus owner and developer comments about haul traffic.
Career path
Truck driver, yard hand or scale house clerkLearns the trucks, the loads and the plants before taking the board.
Civil construction dispatcherRuns trucks, machine moves and crew starts for every open job.
The logistics manager buys material, runs the yard and sets trucking policy, such as which haulers you use and how loads get chained. The dispatcher works the day itself: who drives what, when each load leaves and where each machine goes next. At a smaller contractor, one desk often holds both jobs. Hire a second person when trucks start leaving late because the same person is on the phone with a supplier.
How much does a civil construction dispatcher make?
Dispatchers who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $29.06 an hour ($60,430 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $49,970 and $74,490 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does a civil dispatcher need a CDL?
Not for the desk job. A dispatcher who has held one knows how long a load, a scale stop and a dump really take, and can answer drivers' questions about a run. If the dispatcher also covers a truck now and then, they need the right license class for it and fall under the same drug and alcohol testing as your other CDL drivers.
How can I test a dispatcher candidate on a paving day?
Hand them a paving day: a plant 25 minutes from the job, a paver laying a set tonnage each hour, six trucks of your own and a lowboy move that needs a permit. Ask how many trucks they'd send, and when. Then tell them the plant broke down at ten. Strong candidates ask about haul routes and the foreman's start time, not just truck counts.
Who handles a truck breakdown or a night pour after hours?
The on-call dispatcher. Night paving, an early pour or a truck broken down on the highway needs someone who can move a truck or a lowboy before morning. Rotate the turn, hand it the phone numbers for each plant and hauler, and pay on-call time the way federal and state wage law and your policy require.
