Getting Started as a Dispatcher: Dispatch Hub

Dispatch Hub is Zello's desktop application for a seamless, centralized live-voice communications experience on Windows and macOS. It's optimized for networks that use dispatch channels, but it works equally well for 1:1 conversations and team and dynamic channels. Dispatch Hub adds:

• Sharable call queues for dispatch channels, enabling dispatchers to easily manage drivers’ 1:1 calls and minimize chatter associated with traditional radios 
• Integrated mapping features 
• Desktop application with intuitive interface for easy use on Windows and macOS computers

Although Dispatch Hub was designed for transportation teams, its use isn't limited to them. For everyday users, it closely mirrors the mobile app—you can send and receive messages whether you're a dispatcher, a driver, or a user who isn't on a dispatch channel at all. This article focuses on using Dispatch Hub as a dispatcher; if you're an everyday user, skip to Everyday use of Dispatch Hub.

Prerequisites

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Dispatch Hub requires:

• Windows 10 or later
• macOS 12 (Monterey) or later (Apple Silicon supported natively)
• 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
• 512 MB free disk space

There are no additional system dependencies.

Download and Sign In to Dispatch Hub

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Use the following links to download Dispatch Hub: 

• For Windows: https://zello.com/get/dispatch/windows
• For Mac: https://zello.com/get/dispatch/mac

Network admins can also download it from the Management Console in two places:

• From a dispatch channel's details page: open Channels, select the channel name, and find the download under For dispatchers.
  
• From the Console Home screen: find the download links under Service Status and Updates.
  

Once downloaded, open the installer to complete setup. Then sign in with your username, password, and network name. If your company uses single sign-on (SSO), click Continue with SSO instead.

Create a Dispatch Channel

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Dispatch Hub works with any channel type, but its signature functionality is the dispatch channel. Dispatch channels are built around two roles:

Dispatchers — Receive drivers' calls. Calls between a driver and dispatcher are private (1:1), which reduces the chatter of traditional radios. Incoming driver calls land in a shared queue that any of the channel's dispatchers can accept.

Drivers — Start a call simply by pressing the PTT button on their device. This places the call in the shared queue for a dispatcher to answer. The driver is notified when their call is answered, and the call stays active until the dispatcher ends it.

Create a new dispatch channel

1. Sign in to your Management Console at [yournetworkname].zellowork.com.
2. Open the Channels tab and click + New Channel.
3. Enter a channel name, set the type to Dispatch, and click Create.
   
4. Select your dispatchers, then click Add dispatchers.
   
5. Select your drivers, then click Add drivers.

Adding Dispatchers and Drivers to an Existing Dispatch Channel 

Like other channel types, dispatch channel users can be added or their roles changed at any point in time. To do so: 

1. In the Management Console, open Channels and select the dispatch channel you would like to add users to.
   
2. Click the + at the top of the Users section.
   
3. Select the users to add and assign their role (leave as – for Driver, or choose Dispatcher), then click Done.
   
4. To change an existing user's role, click the gear icon to the right of their name.
   
5. Choose Dispatcher to grant dispatcher authority, or Reset Assignments to make them a driver, then select Done.
   

Modifying the dispatcher role

The dispatcher role defaults to:

• Type: Speaks to users without roles (dispatchers can speak to drivers). Other option: Speak to a selected role—choose this to allow dispatcher-to-dispatcher messages.
• Talk priority: Normal. (High / Normal / Low)
• Can disconnect from channel: On. (On / Off)
• Auto-disconnect timeout: Disabled. (Disabled / 30 sec / 1 min / 2 min / 5 min)
• Can send alerts to channel: On. (On / Off)

If some people act as both dispatcher and driver on different days, configure them as drivers—they're automatically treated as dispatchers whenever they sign in through Dispatch Hub. (The reverse isn't true on mobile.)

To edit the dispatcher role: 

1. Select Channels from the management console taskbar, then choose the dispatch channel you’d like to configure.
   
2. In the Roles section, click the gear icon at the far-right of the Dispatcher role.
   
3. Edit the role as desired, then click Continue.
   

Dispatchers: how to accept or end calls

When a driver presses PTT on a dispatch channel, their call enters the shared queue and appears as pending in Dispatch Hub.

• To preview a call before accepting it, click the play button.
  
• To accept the call and talk to the driver, click Accept. Accepted calls move to your active queue.
  Each dispatcher has their own active queue; once you accept a call, it's no longer visible to other dispatchers.
  
• To end a call, click the ✕ End Call button in the upper-right corner.
  

Dispatchers: how to call a driver

Dispatchers can also place outgoing calls:

1. Open the Contacts tab and select Dispatch Channel Users.
2. A list of users appears, grouped by dispatch channel. (A user in more than one dispatch channel appears once under each.)
3. Hover over the recipient's name—under the correct channel heading if they appear more than once. You'll see two icons: Call and a bullseye (locate on map).
4. Click Call to place the call. The driver connects automatically.

Dispatchers: Transfer Calls

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On Dispatch Hub, call queues are shared between dispatchers. If you're unable to assist someone, consider moving their call: 

• To the Pending queue, if you're unsure who can assist 
  
  OR
  
  
• To another dispatcher via the Transfer function, if you know who can assist

Move to Pending

If you’ve accepted a driver’s call and find yourself unable to assist them—but you're unsure who can— consider placing them back in the call queue so another dispatcher can help. Doing so will move the call from your Active Calls queue to the Pending Calls queue.

To move an active call back to the pending queue: 

1. Open Dispatch Hub’s Calls tab. Hover over the driver’s name, and click the three horizontal dots. 
   
   
2. Select Move To Pending.
   
3. The call will appear in the Pending Calls queue. You will no longer be able to communicate with that driver unless you accept their call once more.
   

    

Transfer

If you accept a driver's call but realize that another dispatcher is better suited to handle the communications, consider transferring the call. Please note that this functionality is only available for dispatchers using Dispatch Hub; calls cannot be transferred to mobile dispatchers at this time. 

1. Open Dispatch Hub’s Calls tab. Hover over the driver’s name, and click the three horizontal dots. 
2. Select Transfer Call. Note that this option will only appear if at least one other dispatcher is currently online. 
   
3. Select the available dispatcher you'd like to receive the call. 
   
4. The call will be moved out of your queue. The call will appear in the selected dispatcher's active calls queue, alongside a note that the call was transferred from your queue: 
   

Dispatch Hub Maps

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Track drivers’ locations with Dispatch Hub’s maps function. Please note that both historical breadcrumb tracking and Google Maps traffic tracking are only available to customers on the Plus or Enterprise tiers. Real-time location tracking and user status/battery life is available to Core, Plus, and Enterprise subscriptions. Learn More. 

Please note: To view users on a map, the network admin must grant the dispatcher access to the web console. To do to, the network admin (not the dispatcher) should:

1. Sign in to the Management Console at [yournetworkname].zellowork.com. Open the Users tab. 
2. Click the username you’d like to assign map permissions to. This will open their user profile. 
3. From the User Settings section, find Web Console Access. Click the dropdown and select Map Only access. 

Alternatively, if you’d like to assign many dispatchers map access at once, consider uploading a user template.

How you access the map depends on whether you are on MacOS or PC:

MacOS

Open Dispatch Hub and select Window > Map from your system’s taskbar:

PC

Open Dispatch Hub, then open the Zello menu (3 horizontal lines in the upper-left corner of the application).  Go to Window > Map. 

Regardless of which operating system you are on, opening the map will provide a map that pinpoints active users’ locations.

Click on a user’s name to gain greater insight into their status. From here, you’ll see the time the user was last active; their device’s battery charge; and their speed in MPH. Additionally, the dispatcher may take the following actions on this screen:

Call User	Select this to place an outgoing call to this user. Your screen will be redirected to the active calls queue, and the user you’re calling will be notified of the call.
Open in Google Maps*	When clicked, Google Maps will open the driver’s location.
View Location History*	View historical breadcrumb tracking data, giving insight into a driver’s travels.

*Features only available for networks with Premium Maps enabled. Note that Premium Maps are part of Zello’s Plus pricing tier. Learn more.

Dispatch Hub settings

Like the mobile app, Dispatch Hub has settings in two places:

• Management Console settings are more granular and apply across the network. When a setting is administered from the console, it appears blue and can be locked so end users can't change it. See Blue settings in the Management Console †(verify slug).
• In-app settings are configured per device and only affect that one user.

Some dispatchers may be granted low-level sub-admin access so they can view Dispatch Hub's maps.

Console settings

1. Sign in to the Management Console at [yournetworkname].zellowork.com.
2. Select Administration, then select Settings.
   
3. Select Desktop.
   
4. Configure the four categories of desktop settings—General, Local History, Alerts, and Voice Quality—to fit your network, then select Save and Apply.

In-app settings

1. Sign in to Dispatch Hub.
2. From the menu bar, go to Zello > Settings.
   
3. There are two screens: PTT Buttons and General.
   
   Under General Settings you can configure the following:
   
   Microphone — recording volume (inherited from your device).
   
   Speakers — playback volume (inherited from your system).
   
   Talk button behavior — configure PTT behavior. See PTT button: toggle vs. hold-to-talk †(verify slug).
   
   Close idle active calls — automatically close active dispatch calls after a set time. See Automatically closing dispatch calls †(verify slug).
   
   Play pending call messages — controls whether pending calls play automatically: Never (dispatcher must click play), Always (all dispatch messages play aloud), or When there are no active calls.
   
   Ready to send — plays a beep when Zello is ready to send.
   
   Talk button up — plays a beep when your message has transmitted.
   
   Under the PTT Buttons section of the settings you can configure shortcuts on your computer.
   

Everyday Use of Dispatch Hub

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While Dispatch Hub offers additional functionality specific to dispatchers and drivers, it can be used for everyday communications, as well. Dispatch Hub is compatible with  1:1 communications, as well as communications in team, dynamic, and dispatch channels. 

Use the menu to navigate between your dispatch calls, channels, contacts, and recent messages. Like the mobile app, click on a name and/or channel to send a message: 

Please note: The Contacts tab includes two tabs: Direct Contacts and Dispatch Channel Users. Use Direct Contacts if you’d like to send a 1:1 (non-dispatch) message to someone;

Click the microphone icon to record a voice message. Click the + icon to send an image (or if enabled, location), or type in the Message box to send a text.