Step 1 — Booking enters the system
Every modern dispatch platform supports multi-channel intake. A passenger can book from your branded iOS or Android app, your website booking widget, a phone call to a dispatcher (who keys the trip into the console), a WhatsApp message handled by a chatbot, a corporate travel portal API, or a hotel concierge dashboard. Each channel produces the same standard booking record: pickup address, drop-off address, requested time (now or scheduled), passenger details, vehicle type, special requirements (child seat, wheelchair, meet-and-greet sign), and payment method. The unified record means no matter how the trip was booked, it's treated identically downstream.
Step 2 — Geocoding, fare quote and vehicle selection
The platform converts the pickup and drop-off addresses into latitude/longitude coordinates using a mapping provider (Google Maps, Mapbox or HERE), calculates the route distance and estimated duration accounting for traffic, and applies your tariff rules: base fare, per-mile rate, per-minute waiting rate, fixed-rate airport zones, peak-hour multipliers, child-seat or meet-greet supplements, corporate-account discounts. The passenger sees a quoted fare in real time. Simultaneously the system identifies which of your vehicles match the booking requirements (correct vehicle class, available at the requested time, driver shift active, no document expiries) and prepares the dispatch decision.
Step 3 — Auto-dispatch and driver acceptance
Auto-dispatch is the engine that separates modern platforms from radio dispatch. The system ranks eligible drivers using configurable rules — typically distance to pickup as the primary factor, then current ETA, driver rating, recent acceptance rate, vehicle class match, and shift fairness (avoiding cherry-picking by senior drivers). The top driver is offered the job through their driver app with a configurable countdown (typically 10–30 seconds). If they decline or time out, the job cascades to the next driver instantly. The dispatcher sees the whole sequence on the console and can override at any time. For pre-booked jobs, dispatch happens automatically at the configured lead time (e.g. T-30 minutes for short rides, T-90 minutes for airport pickups).
Step 4 — Live tracking and en-route updates
Once a driver accepts, the passenger app shows the vehicle on a live map with a continuously updated ETA, the driver's name, photo, vehicle make/model, registration and rating. Status SMS or push notifications fire automatically at each milestone: 'driver assigned', 'driver en route', 'driver arrived', 'trip started', 'approaching destination'. The dispatcher sees every vehicle in the fleet on a single live map with colour-coded status, current job details, and a one-click message-driver action. If the driver deviates significantly from the suggested route or stops moving, an alert is raised.
Step 5 — Payment, e-receipt and invoicing
When the trip completes, the actual fare is calculated from the GPS-tracked distance and duration (or matches the quoted fixed fare). Payment is captured automatically: stored card via Stripe or Square, PayPal, on-account for corporate customers, cash with driver reconciliation, or split between methods. An e-receipt is emailed to the passenger immediately. The trip posts to multiple ledgers simultaneously: driver payout sheet (with commission split applied), corporate account invoice (with cost centre and project code), VAT/sales-tax report, daily revenue dashboard, and the customer's ride history. At month-end, the system generates consolidated PDF or CSV invoices for every corporate account with one click.