An excavation dispatcher sends crews, machines and lowboy moves out each morning so every lot and phase has what the day's work needs. They match machines and attachments to each job, route the fuel truck and field mechanic, and rebuild the day when rain, a breakdown or a posted road changes the plan.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $40,220, middle half $48,900 to $80,280, 90th percentile $95,830. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Operations Manager
Department
Operations
Schedule
Office hours, on call in busy phases · Weekday office hours, overtime in peak periods, trips to the yard and sites, and some on-call duty in critical phases
Also called
Equipment and crew dispatcher · Lowboy dispatcher · Fleet scheduler · Site work coordinator
Excavation dispatcher job description template
This is our Role Blueprint, word for word. Replace the highlighted fields and adjust the example targets and pay to fit your company.
Serve as the central point for dispatching and coordinating excavation and site work operations, ensuring that field teams are equipped and mobilized efficiently to meet project demands. Enhance operational productivity by tracking job progress and resolving scheduling conflicts promptly.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assign equipment and resources to excavation and site work crews based on daily project requirements.
Coordinate scheduling and dispatch processes to optimize field team performance.
Monitor and track job progress, ensuring projects adhere to established timelines.
Communicate effectively with field staff and management to relay updates and resolve issues.
Maintain accurate records of equipment usage, job assignments, and scheduling modifications.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily job orders and assign appropriate equipment to each project.
Coordinate real-time dispatch and field operations, ensuring timely responses to service requests.
Monitor job progress and update schedules to reflect changes in project status.
Act as the primary point of contact for field crew inquiries and troubleshoot operational concerns.
Confirm equipment availability and readiness prior to dispatch.
Log and report issues or delays to the Operations Manager for swift resolution.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-Time Dispatch Rate: 98% or greater.
Equipment Utilization Efficiency: 95% or higher.
Job Completion Accuracy: 100% accuracy in resource allocation per project.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars based on project follow-up surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; additional certifications related to dispatch or logistics a plus.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a dispatch, scheduling, or related operational role in the home services industry.
Strong communication skills and proficiency in operational software and databases.
Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities with a detail-oriented mindset.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior work experience in excavation, site work, or heavy equipment operations.
Experience coordinating dispatch operations in a fast-paced field service environment.
Familiarity with industry-specific software for scheduling and equipment management.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high efficiency.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while coordinating operations.
Occasional lifting of items up to 25 lbs may be required.
Exposure to outdoor environments and variable weather conditions during brief site visits.
Adept at working in a fast-paced, dynamic setting with minimal physical strain.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
May require occasional overtime during peak project periods.
Limited travel to field sites for equipment checks and quick on-site troubleshooting.
Fast-paced office environment with regular coordination with field teams.
On-call responsibilities during critical project phases may be expected.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive hourly rate or salary range from $20 to $28 per hour depending on experience.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses tied to operational efficiency and on-time dispatch metrics.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance provided.
401(k) plan with company matching available.
Additional fringe benefits include paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative work environment where open communication and continuous improvement are encouraged.
Our commitment to growth and innovation means every team member has the opportunity to develop professionally and personally.
We value diversity, integrity, and excellence, creating an inclusive culture where success is shared.
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
In site work, a crew can't start until its machine is on site, fueled and fitted with the right bucket. Most of the dispatcher's board is a plan for moving and feeding equipment.
Posted roads can block a heavy move
New Hampshire is one example: a town can post seasonal weight limits on its own roads when its highway agent finds they're needed to prevent damage. Running a heavier load on a posted road takes written permission from the selectmen or highway agent, who may require a bond and repairs. A company that runs over the limit can be made to repair any damage its trucks caused. The dispatcher checks each town's postings before routing a loaded lowboy or dump truck. Source: New Hampshire RSA 231:191: Maximum weight limits on town roads (example state).
Every move needs a trailer, a driver and a place to unload
A move isn't booked until three things line up: a trailer rated for the machine, a driver licensed for that truck and trailer, and room on the site to unload. The dispatcher works from a sheet showing each machine's weight and width and the trailer that carries it. Long moves go out early, so the machine is working when the crew arrives instead of rolling off a trailer at ten.
The bucket has to fit the box
A machine that shows up with the wrong bucket digs slowly or cuts the trench the wrong width for the box, and a box sent without its spreaders can't be set. The dispatcher reads each job order for bucket width, thumb, compaction wheel and box size, and sends them with the machine. One missing attachment can stall the operator and the pipe crew together.
Fuel and service go to the machines
Machines often stay on a site for weeks, so the fuel comes to them. The dispatcher builds the fuel truck's route each afternoon from hour meters or telematics, so no machine runs dry before lunch. They also send the field mechanic to breakdowns and planned services, in the order that gets the most crews back to work.
How much excavation dispatchers make
Dispatchers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $31.52 an hour ($65,550 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 1,420 of the 202,810 dispatchers in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
Hourly pay plus a bonus for on-time dispatch, per the template. Its top rate is under the BLS median on this page, so a dispatcher who has run lowboys and dump trucks will expect at least that top. Tie the bonus to moves and crews that arrived ready, and leave weather misses out of it.
Other specialty trade contractors
$65,550$65,550 median Middle half $48,900–$80,280 10th–90th $40,220–$95,830
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$110k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Other specialty trade contractors
$40,220
$48,900
$65,550
$80,280
$95,830
All industries
$36,030
$42,750
$50,340
$62,450
$78,140
BLS doesn’t publish pay for excavation contractors on their own. These figures cover other specialty trade contractors, 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 dispatched heavy equipment, lowboys or dump trucks for a contractor or rental yard
Can tell from a fleet sheet which machines need the lowboy and which ride a tag trailer
Checks town road postings and plans moves around them
Sends the right buckets, boxes and attachments with each machine
Calls foremen the moment a move slips, before a crew stands waiting
Teach these on the job
Low bridges, tight turns and wires on your usual haul routes
The towns you work in and who grants road permission
Your telematics portal and fuel truck routes
Your yard layout and loading spots
How foremen request moves and attachments
The board can be a heavy equipment dispatch program or a shared spreadsheet, kept beside machine telematics, truck GPS and the weight-and-trailer sheet for every machine. Have finalists talk you through their last machine move, from the foreman's request to the unload.
Excavation 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 · Covering a missing driver
It's [6 a.m.]. A lowboy driver calls in sick, and an excavator must be on a site across town by [8 a.m.]. What do you do?
A strong answer: Checks which other drivers hold the right license and are available, calls an outside hauler if needed, tells the foreman the real arrival time, and never sends an unlicensed driver.
Behavioral · Saying no to the field
Tell me about a time a foreman pushed back hard on an equipment or schedule call you made.
A strong answer: Explained what the other jobs needed and why, offered the next available machine or a rental with a time, stayed calm, and took real tradeoffs to the operations manager.
Agree up front on what on time means here: the machine unloaded, fueled and fitted at the start time, not just loaded on the trailer. Then set targets from one season of your own logs.
On-Time Dispatch Rate
Moves and crew starts where the machine was unloaded, fueled and fitted by the hour the foreman set, out of all booked, from the dispatch log and telematics.
Equipment Utilization Efficiency
From telematics, engine hours set against the days each machine was booked to a job. Low hours on a booked machine point to a move made too early or a machine the job didn't need yet.
Job Completion Accuracy
Job orders filled exactly as written: machine, bucket, box, operator and trucks. Count each order where something had to be sent later, and note what it was.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Builder and developer survey scores when a lot or phase closes, read for comments on machines showing up late or leaving early. Ask superintendents one monthly question: did the machines arrive when promised?
Career path
Lowboy or dump truck driverLearns the roads, the trailers and how long a move really takes.
Excavation dispatcherSends crews, machines, fuel and moves out each day.
Operations managerPlans the weeks ahead and decides which lots go first.
General managerRuns bids, budgets and the field for the whole company.
The lot or station, the work, the machine and its attachments, the trench box size, the operator, the trucks, the start time and the name of the person to call on site. Add the locate ticket number. If any line is blank at three in the afternoon, the dispatcher calls the foreman before the order goes out.
How much does an excavation dispatcher make?
Dispatchers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $31.52 an hour ($65,550 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $48,900 and $80,280 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
When should we rent a machine instead of moving our own?
When the move would cost more time than the job is worth. If a mini excavator is needed for half a day across the county and the lowboy is booked, a day's rental near the site can be cheaper. The dispatcher brings the facts: move time, driver and trailer, and what the crew loses waiting. The operations manager decides, and writes a rule for next time.
Should the dispatcher file the locate tickets?
It can work, as long as the operations manager writes down how. The dispatcher already sees which lots start when, so tickets get filed from the same board as the moves. Give each ticket one owner from filing to its end date, who refiles it when a start slips. Train that person on your state's one-call rules first. A question about missing or unclear marks goes to the foreman, who brings in the operations manager.
How does the dispatcher work with the equipment manager?
They split the question. The equipment manager decides whether a machine is fit to work, and the dispatcher decides where it goes. A machine the shop has tagged out can't go on the board until the shop releases it. Before setting tomorrow's board, the dispatcher gets the shop's list of machines that are down or due for service, so the mechanic and the lowboy aren't chasing the same machine.
