When to split a load and when not to

By Beatrice Lund · 2026-08-24 · Guides

Splitting a load can protect one delivery window while creating a second paperwork problem. In the Hull desk's recent review of split loads, the useful question was which decision the next shift could make with the information already available. We started with a small group of routine journeys rather than changing the entire weekly plan.

Compare the customer deadline with handling cost, available space and the number of additional custody transfers. The duty planner owns the initial entry, while the receiving shift confirms the handover. Any correction stays beside the original reference so that the office and the yard can work from the same account of the journey.

Make the split decision visible on both dispatch records and check that quantities reconcile before closing either journey. We keep a short exception note for each sampled job, with a clear date and an owner. This makes the review a practical conversation about tomorrow's work instead of an argument over whose spreadsheet was most recently updated.

The change is ready to keep only after two full handovers work without extra explanation. Beatrice Lund recommends reviewing the routine after a quiet week as well as a busy one: a process that depends on one experienced dispatcher being present will not survive an ordinary holiday rota.

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