Field notes
Preparing Dispatch Logs So a Performance Review Stays Honest
Analysts can work from paper run sheets. What slows a fleet performance review is inconsistent columns: vehicle IDs that change mid-week, missing gate-out times, or exception notes written only when a shipper complains.
Before an engagement, assign one person to gather two to four weeks of history with stable vehicle identifiers, planned stop order, actual timestamps where available, and reason codes for failed deliveries. If GPS exists, export the same window rather than a different month.
Write a one-page glossary of your exception codes. Local shorthand that makes sense inside the depot confuses outsiders and leads to mis-tagged charts. A glossary keeps delivery exception reporting aligned with how your team already talks.
Finally, name a depot contact who can walk the yard. Logs explain sequences; the yard explains why those sequences exist. Together they keep the review honest.