Assignment Preferences
Roles: Admin, Dispatch Manager, Planner
Overview
Assignment Preferences define which driver, truck, and trailer type combinations are available for dispatch planning. This creates a reliable foundation for both manual planning and Assist recommendations by establishing which assets work together and when those combinations are active. With Assignment Preferences, you can plan ahead by setting future assignments, maintain historical records, and ensure your planning tools have the accurate data they need to make intelligent recommendations.
ℹ️ Dispatch Planner only shows drivers and trucks that are part of active or future Assignment Preferences.
Understanding Assignment Preferences
Assignment Preferences replace the former "Dispatch Preferences" and provide enhanced capabilities for managing asset assignments over time.
What Are Assignment Preferences?
Assignment Preferences specify which driver, truck, and trailer type combinations are available for planning trips. Unlike one-time assignments, preferences establish ongoing patterns that help planners quickly assign assets and enable Planner Assist to make smart recommendations.
Each preference includes:
Driver 1: The primary driver for this assignment combination
Driver 2: If applicable, the secondary driver for this assignment
Truck: The truck assigned to this driver or team
Trailer Types: One or more trailer types that can be used (not specific trailers)
Start Date: When this preference becomes active
End Date: When this preference expires (optional - leave blank for indefinite)
🏅 Note: a Truck or a Driver should only have one active Assignment Preference at a time
Why Use Assignment Preferences?
Assignment Preferences solve several critical planning challenges:
Future planning: Set start and end dates to know which assignments are current, future, or past. Have a clear understanding of asset availability even before asset swaps are completed, allowing you to preplan assets before the swap
Equipment matching: Include trailer types so planners can match trips to compatible asset combinations.
Populate Dispatch Planner assets: Dispatch Planner only shows drivers and trucks that are included in active or future Assignment Preferences. Keeping preferences up to date ensures the Assets table is populated with the right resources.
Without complete Assignment Preferences, planning tools cannot make intelligent recommendations or prevent scheduling conflicts.
Setting Up Assignment Preferences
Navigate to the Assignment Preferences section to view and manage all your asset assignment combinations.
Creating a New Assignment Preference
Set up new assignment combinations to define how your assets work together.
Click the "Create Assignment Preference" button in the upper right corner
Select the Driver from the dropdown menu
Select the Truck that will be assigned to this driver
NOTE: a truck can have only ONE Assignment Preference effective at any point in time
Select one or more Trailer Types that can be used with this combination
You can select individual trailer types or entire categories
Selecting a category automatically selects all trailer types within it
Set the Start Date for when this preference becomes active
(Optional) Set an End Date if this is a temporary assignment
Click "Save" to save the preference
🗒️ Note: The Start Date can be set in the future, allowing you to prepare for upcoming operational changes like driver transitions or seasonal equipment assignments.
Viewing Active and Future Preferences
The Assignment Preferences table shows all your current and upcoming preferences with key details at a glance.
Table Columns:
Driver: The assigned driver name
Truck: The truck identifier
Equipment: The trailer types available for this preference
Starts At: When the preference becomes active
Ends At: When the preference expires (blank if indefinite)
Use the columns to filter, sort, and organize your view:
Filter by driver name to see all assignments for a specific driver
Sort by Start Date to see what's coming up next
Sort by End Date to identify preferences that will soon expire
🏅 Tip: Preferences without an End Date remain active indefinitely. This is useful for stable, long-term driver-truck pairings.
Managing Assignment Preferences
Access additional actions through the sidebar to view context before making changes.
Editing an Existing Preference
Modify preferences to reflect changes in your operations.
Click on any preference row in the table to open the sidebar
Review the preference details and any matching assignments shown
Click "Edit" in the sidebar
Update the necessary fields (driver, truck, trailer types, or dates)
Click "Save" to apply changes
🏅 🗒️ Note: The sidebar shows matching assignments before you edit, helping you understand the impact of your changes on similar preferences.
Archiving vs. Deleting Preferences
The system handles preference removal differently based on timing:
For Current/Active Preferences:
Use "Archive" to end a preference
This sets the End Date to the current date/time
Archived preferences remain in your historical records
Button appears in gray/tertiary styling
For Future Preferences:
Use "Delete" to remove preferences that haven't started yet
This completely removes the preference from the system
Button appears in red styling
To archive or delete:
Click on a preference row to open the sidebar
Review the preference details
Click "Archive" (for current) or "Delete" (for future)
Confirm your action
🏅 🗒️Note: Once a preference becomes active (its Start Date arrives), you can only archive it, not delete it. This ensures you maintain historical records of asset assignments. Also, note that archived preferences cannot be restored or reactivated. Archival is a permanent action useful for maintaining clear historical records.
Best Practices
Maintain Complete Data
For best results with Planner Assist and planning tools:
Include all three components: driver, truck, AND trailer types in every preference
Set realistic start and end dates to reflect actual operational changes
Avoid gaps between preferences when transitioning from one assignment to another. Before archiving or editing, evaluate the frequency of changes. Opt for archiving for infrequent updates and editing for recurring adjustments to maintain operational efficiency.
Avoid Concurrent Preferences
Maintain only one active preference per truck at any given time:
Review matching assignments before creating new preferences
Use End Dates to close out old preferences before starting new ones
Check for overlapping date ranges when editing
Plan Ahead
Take advantage of future preferences:
Set up upcoming driver changes in advance
Prepare for seasonal equipment transitions
Enable smoother handoffs between assignment periods
FAQs
Q: Why don’t I see a driver or truck in Dispatch Planner?
A: Dispatch Planner only surfaces drivers and trucks that are part of active or future Assignment Preferences. Create or update a preference for that asset so it appears in the Assets table.
Q: What's the difference between Assignment Preferences and one-time trip assignments?
A: Assignment Preferences establish ongoing patterns for how assets work together, while trip assignments are specific to individual loads. Preferences help planning tools make recommendations and let you quickly assign your typical combinations. You can still make one-time assignments without creating a preference.
Q: Can I assign a specific trailer in an Assignment Preference?
A: No. Assignment Preferences work with trailer types (like "Dry Van" or "Flatbed"), not individual trailers. This design gives you flexibility when dispatching while still ensuring equipment compatibility. Specific trailers are assigned when you assign the actual trip.
Q: What happens when an Assignment Preference reaches its End Date?
A: The preference automatically becomes inactive and stops appearing in Dispatch Planner and planning tools. It remains in your system as a historical record but won't be used for future recommendations or assignments.
Q: Can I have multiple active preferences for the same truck?
A: While the system allows it technically, it's best practice to maintain only one active preference per truck at any given time. Use start and end dates to create a continuous timeline without overlaps. The system will warn you about matching assignments to help you avoid conflicts.
Q: Do I need to create Assignment Preferences for every asset?
A: It's highly recommended. Complete Assignment Preferences enable Planner Assist to make intelligent recommendations and help your planning team work more efficiently. Aim for 90%+ coverage of your active assets to get the most value from planning tools.
Audit Trail
All Assignment Preference changes are tracked automatically:
Creation timestamp and user
Updates with timestamp and user
Archive actions with timestamp and user
Delete actions with timestamp and user
Re-enable actions with timestamp and user (if applicable)