Introduction
The Dispatch Settings page controls how notifications are sent, who receives them, and which users are treated as dedicated dispatchers. This article explains how to access and update these settings.
Open Dispatch Settings
This task is completed inside the Dispatch Board workspace.
Settings is located in the top right corner of the screen.
Click Settings to open the Dispatch Settings window.
This popup window has 3 sections.
Messaging Behavior
Dedicated Dispatchers
Messaging Recipients
Messaging Behavior
These settings determine when and how messages are sent to your drivers and brokers.
Setting | Options | Description |
Message Timing | On Save vs. When Dispatcher Chooses | Determines if notifications are sent immediately upon saving a shift or manually via the notify/request tool. |
Request or Notify | Notify vs. Request | Notify sends a one-way alert. Request includes a prompt for the driver to 'yes' or 'no' the assignment. |
Confirming Assignments | On Assign vs. On Confirm | Sets whether drivers are 'confirmed' automatically when placed on a shift or only after they provide an affirmative reply. |
Include Rate | Yes vs. No | Choose whether to include the pay rate information for the job in the driver's message. |
Include Dispatch Request Status | Yes vs. No | Choose if dispatchers are notified about all broker responses or only about new requests. |
Example: Messaging Behavior Screenshot
How to Update
Navigate to Dispatch Settings and select the Messaging Behavior tab.
Review the options above and select the toggle or radio button that matches your operational workflow.
Click Save Settings at the bottom of the window to apply changes.
Dedicated Dispatchers
Dedicated dispatchers receive notifications when orders are created, edited, or cancelled.
Select the Dedicated Dispatchers tab.
Check the box next to each user who should receive dispatch-related alerts.
Click Save.
Note: Users must have Dispatch Editing rights to display on the Dedicated Dispatchers list.
Note: Email and text notifications sent to Dedicated Dispatchers now include the name of the person who made the change, for example, "Order Paused by John Smith." This makes it easier to see who to contact with questions about an update.
Messaging Recipients
These settings control who receives alerts for different events.
Select the Messaging Recipients tab.
For each event type (new order, cancellation, delay, etc.):
Choose whether each group receives Email, Text, or both.
Choose whether notifications go to Staff, Dispatchers, Brokers, or Drivers.
Click Save.
Initiator Toggle
Overview
The Initiator Toggle provides a personalized confirmation layer for your team's workflow. When enabled, it automatically sends a point-in-time order receipt via email or SMS directly to the individual who submitted the request. This ensures that whoever "hit the button" knows the system successfully received it, allowing them to verify critical details like truck counts and dates, and immediately spot any entry errors after submission.
How to Enable the Initiator Notification
To activate this receipt for your site, configure it from the main Dispatch Board workspace:
Click Settings (the gear icon) located in the top-right corner of the screen.
In the Settings window that opens, select the Messaging Recipients tab.
Locate the New Order event row.
The Initiator toggle is to the right of “New Order.”
Click the toggle to turn this feature on or off. (Red = On, and White = Off)
Select your preferred delivery channels by checking the Email and/or Text (SMS) boxes in that same row.
Click Save Messaging Settings at the bottom of the window to apply your changes immediately.
Hover Tip: When managing this setting, hovering over the checkbox will display its core rule: "Include the person who initiated the order as a recipient in new order messaging."
How It Works (The "Initiator" Logic)
User Identification: The system explicitly tracks the individual currently logged into FleetWatcher who creates or submits the order.
Contact Profiling: Receipts are routed automatically using the user's personal profile data (the Alert Email and Mobile Phone Number configured under Manage > People > Users).
New Order Trigger: Notifications are generated solely by a New Order event submission.
Repeated Orders: Because executing a "Repeat Order" action or utilizing a schedule template generates a brand-new order event, the initiator of that repeat action will automatically receive a submission receipt.
Ongoing Scope Limitations: The receipt serves strictly as a point-in-time confirmation of the initial order submission. The Initiator toggle does not exist for subsequent lifecycle changes (such as Cancel | Un-Cancel, Pause | Un-Pause, Rain-Out | Resume, or Delete Order). The submitting user will not receive alerts for later status adjustments unless they are a member of a broader User Group (like Staff or Dispatchers) already selected for those events.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question:
Why am I receiving multiple notifications after submitting a dispatch order or request?
Answer:
This is caused by the Initiator Toggle setting. When this feature is turned ON, FleetWatcher automatically sends a confirmation receipt (via email, text, or both) directly to the logged-in user who submitted or repeated the dispatch order.
Config Change Log & Restore Function
Overview
NOTE: The Config Change Log rollback is only for the Messaging Recipients section of the Dispatch Settings.
The Restore Function is a rollback tool integrated directly into your Dispatch Messaging Recipients configuration history. It allows administrators to instantly revert site-wide notification parameters back to an exact point-in-time snapshot.
System Status Note: If opening the Config Change Log displays "No Changes Found in the Log" in the bottom-left corner, no historical adjustments have been saved to your site's Messaging Recipients settings yet. Without previous saved versions, there are no historical configurations available to restore.
How to Access and Revert Settings
To roll your notification configurations back to a previous setup:
Click the Settings (gear) icon in the upper-right corner of the main Dispatch Board workspace.
Open the Messaging Recipients tab.
Click to open the Config Change Log modal in the bottom right corner.
Browse the historical list to identify your original or preferred configuration setup.
Click the Restore icon (resembling a counter-clockwise rollback arrow) located next to that historical log entry.
Visual Note: The Restore icon is context-sensitive. It will only appear next to historical log rows; it is hidden on the top row representing your current, actively running configuration. Additionally, if your site's messaging settings have never been customized or saved before, the log will remain empty and there will be no previous state available to select.
Key Behaviors & Safeguards
Exact Snapshot Overwrites: When a rollback is initiated, the system executes an exact snapshot restore. It applies the historical parameters cleanly without merging selections or allowing default values to bleed into your active profile.
Unbroken Audit Trails: System accountability is strictly preserved. Executing a rollback is tracked as a unique event; the system automatically generates a brand-new line item in the change log noting that a restore was completed, along with a timestamp and the user ID of who performed it.
Empty-Save Validation: To prevent cluttering your configuration history, the system features automated validation that blocks "empty saves" from creating redundant rows if no settings were actually modified.
Understanding "Restore" Scope across FleetWatcher
Because variations of "restore" phrasing appear across the platform, use this reference table to understand what can and cannot be rolled back using this tool:
System Module | Has One-Click Revert Button? | Functional Behavior |
Messaging Recipients Settings | Yes | Instantly overwrites active notification triggers and communication channels (Email/SMS) with an exact historical snapshot. |
Dispatch Board | No | Recent updates resolved layout bugs where core controls (like Request Assigned Drivers and Pause Shift) disappeared due to permission errors. This was a visual layout correction, not a configuration rollback tool. |
User Profiles & Driver Logs | No | General system logs track modifications to profile names, phone numbers, or email fields for auditing purposes, but they are view-only. Any errors must be corrected manually. |
Important Notes
Messaging preferences affect all dispatch communication for your site.
If a user or driver is not receiving notifications, verify both their contact info and the Messaging Recipients settings.
Changes take effect immediately.