Transitioning to Dispatch Hub

  • Updated

This article is written for: Zello Work Zello Friends & Family.

Dispatch Hub is Zello's successor to the legacy PC app, offering expanded Windows and macOS desktop functionality with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Dispatch Hub's features include, but aren't limited to: 

  • Ability to quickly and easily connect drivers to dispatchers through sharable call queues in dispatch channels
  • Reduction of chatter associated with traditional radios through 1:1 (driver: dispatcher) messages
  • All traditional Zello functionality—including channel and 1:1 communications, as well as the ability to send voice, text, image, and location messages
  • Integrated maps 

Screenshot 2025-02-06 143348.png

This guide walks legacy PC users through migration considerations. For a comprehensive guide on using Dispatch Hub, see this article. 

Step 1: Download  Dispatch Hub 

While Dispatch Hub was designed to prioritize the needs of transportation workers, its functionality is available to any and all Zello users who work on a desktop. Learn more. 

To get started, install Dispatch Hub on your Windows or macOS computer according to section 1 of this article. 
Screenshot 2025-02-07 at 3.12.34 PM.png

Step 2: Create Dispatch Channels

When drivers call into dispatch channels, a dispatcher will respond to their message 1:1. Drivers will not hear other drivers' calls—they'll only receive messages from the dispatcher who accepted their call. This ensures communications remain focused and targeted, and it's one of the many benefits offered by Zello's Dispatch Hub. 

Network admins can create dispatch channels in the Management Console. Please note that a channel cannot be retroactively changed to a dispatch channel; this channel type must be assigned at initial creation.  Learn more about creating dispatch channels. Screenshot 2025-02-07 at 2.43.16 PM.png

Considerations 

If your team is relatively small and operates from a single location, you may only need one dispatch channel. Alternatively, if your company has multiple teams of dispatchers managing separate workloads—e.g. different cities or business lines—consider creating multiple dispatch channels. Each channel may include one or more dispatchers to support a shared call queue. 

Additionally, consider the channels' names at creation; ensure it's descriptive enough that dispatchers communicating in multiple channels understand what it's used for. Note that the only was to distinguish between a dispatch and non-dispatch channel in the desktop app is through the channel name and the connected identifier. Dispatch channels will note the number of connected dispatchers

Screenshot 2025-02-07 145256.png

If you're deploying Dispatch Hub to a large team (several hundred users or more), consider uploading a CSV file that assigns users (and their roles) to the dispatch channels in question.

Step 3: Deployment

Once you've created your network's dispatch channels, you can successfully deploy Dispatch Hub. To do so:  

  1. Instruct your team's dispatchers to install Dispatch Hub on their Windows PC or Mac (see these instructions).  

  2. Dispatchers will see the dispatch channels they've been added to under the Channels tab of the desktop app. They'll be notified when a driver calls a channel in which they're assigned a dispatcher role; press the arrow icon to hear the driver's message, or Accept to accept their call. 
    Screenshot 2025-02-07 145928.png

  3. Drivers can call dispatchers simply by pressing the dispatch channel's PTT button on their device. This will record an initial message that'll be placed in the dispatcher's queue. The driver will be notified when their call is accepted. 
    Screenshot 2025-02-07 at 3.04.33 PM.jpeg

Step 4: Monitoring

Note that—if operating a Plus or Enterprise subscription—Dispatch Hub messages will be retained in Message Vault. This affords network admins the ability to replay conversations from any of their network's channels, including dispatch.

Furthermore, dispatch analytics may provide greater insight into the number of calls dispatchers are receiving, the average answer time, and the average call length. Learn more.