Drivers reach the on-call dispatcher at 2 a.m., brokers reach a person before the load goes to another carrier, and dispatch instructions are on the record.
The best phone system for a trucking company in Canada gets drivers to the on-call dispatcher at any hour, keeps driver calls separate from broker and shipper calls, offers a language option so drivers can reach a dispatcher who speaks theirs, and records dispatch instructions. Vantact is a Canadian-owned provider that sets up and manages phone systems for carriers around exactly those needs.
Two calls every carrier gets, and what the phone system does with each.
Wednesday, 2:10 a.m.
Driver calls the main number
The dock won't load the trailer
Press 1 for drivers
Then a language option
The on-call dispatcher's phone rings
On the mobile app, at home
Picks up
The dispatcher sorts it out
The call is recorded
No answer
Voicemail calls the dispatcher
Press 1 to hear it, # to accept
Still unheard? It escalates
To a second dispatcher or the owner
Monday, 10:20 a.m.
Broker calls about a load
Calling several carriers at once
Press 2 rings sales and dispatch
Every free person at once
Picks up
Load booked
Rate and terms in the call summary
All busy
It's on the missed calls report
Most urgent first, with the number
The shared on-call cell that gets passed between dispatchers is how most carriers cover nights. A phone system does it properly. After hours, the driver option rings the on-call dispatcher on the Vantact mobile app. If they miss it, the voicemail calls their cell until the message is heard, with 1, 2, 3 or 5 retries, and can call a second dispatcher or the owner if it still isn't picked up.
Drivers are the hardest seat to fill. In the first quarter of 2026, Canada had 13,310 truck driver vacancies, and almost 3 in 10 were advertised for 90 days or more. Being easy to reach matters. A separate driver option keeps drivers out of the broker queue, and a language option rings only the dispatchers who speak it, such as Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish or French.
Source: Statistics Canada
Five moments in a carrier's day, on a shared on-call cell and on Vantact.
| A shared on-call cell | A Vantact phone system | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver calls at 2 a.m. | Rings whoever has the cell, if they hear it | Rings the on-call dispatcher, and voicemail keeps calling until heard |
| Driver and broker calls | Mixed on one line | Separate menu options and separate people |
| Language | Whoever answers | A language option that rings dispatchers who speak it |
| Dispatch instructions | Nobody's record | Recorded, with a written summary |
| Missed broker calls | Gone | Missed calls report, most urgent first |
Brokers call several carriers for the same load, and the first one to answer usually gets it. Broker and shipper calls ring every free person in sales and dispatch at once. Any call nobody answered lands on the missed calls report, most urgent first, with the number to call back.
Detention, layovers and load instructions are where disputes start. Every call can be recorded, kept 30 days by default and longer on request, and each recorded call gets a written summary. When a driver reports waiting at a dock or a lumper fee, the summary records it and the action items carry it to billing.
Vantact AI call analytics lets you define what a negative call means for your company, such as a driver complaining about pay, miles or home time, or a customer upset about a late load. Customer loss prevention alerts flag drivers and customers whose calls trend negative, so you can act before a driver quits or an account goes to bid. A daily brief by email covers missed calls, trends and one recommended action. AI call analytics runs on Vantact hardware in Toronto, so nothing leaves Canada.
Calls to and from Canadian numbers are carried on Canadian-owned carriers and routed within Canada. US and international calls are handed only to carriers in those destinations.
Shop staff and yard workers aren't at a desk. DECT cordless phones work across the shop, and any phone can page through the phone speakers or through a paging adapter connected to an existing overhead system.
Ask any provider these questions before you switch. Here's what to look for, and how Vantact handles each one.
What to look for
A real person on call, and a plan if they don't answer.
How Vantact handles it
It rings the on-call dispatcher's mobile app. A missed message calls them back until it's heard, and can escalate to a second person.
What to look for
Separate menu options with their own ringing order.
How Vantact handles it
Yes. Drivers, brokers and shippers, and breakdowns can each have their own option.
What to look for
A menu option per language, ringing only people who speak it.
How Vantact handles it
Yes. You record the greeting in each language and choose which dispatchers each option rings.
What to look for
Recording on every call, with a clear retention period.
How Vantact handles it
Every call can be recorded, kept 30 days by default and longer on request.
What to look for
A list of missed callers and whether anyone called back.
How Vantact handles it
The missed calls report shows who couldn't get through, whether they were called back and how fast, and who is still waiting.
We configure the after-hours schedule, on-call routing and escalation to match how your company runs.
No long-term contract.
Vantact is Canadian-owned. Calls to and from Canadian numbers are carried on Canadian-owned carriers and routed within Canada.
Live support runs 9 to 5 ET on business days. After hours, our emergency line is answered by on-call technicians.
Month to month, no long term contract. Toronto based support, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm ET.