Viewing and Dispatching Rides in Reservations

Owned by Becca Cook (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Nov 16, 2023 by Malissa Olofernes


Viewing Rides

You can choose the following from the File menu:

  • Open Reservations: Shows open reservations (based on the selection criteria of the Grid Filter).
  • Knockoff Screen: Shows a list of open reservations that have already been dispatched (based on the selection criteria of the Grid Filter).
  • Credit Card Hold Screen: The Credit Card process can be done manually or automatically. When the process is done automatically and preauthorization fails, the ride is sent to the Credit Card Hold window. Those rides can be viewed from this screen.

Tip: You can sort the list by choosing a field in the Sort By dropdown menu to sort the list by that field. Use the Go To field to jump to a record that matches the value for the Sort By field. 

Performing Functions on Rides

Select a ride, and use the controls at the top of the grid to perform the following functions:

Customizing the Grid View

You can customize the grid view by clicking the filter icon, and save a custom-filtered grid to create custom views.

Note: You can then link other users to the custom view as described in "Linking Users to a Master Grid" in Creating and Editing Users in the Users Table.

Filtering the Grid

The filter icon lets you to configure the selection criteria as well as the appearance of the grid. After clicking the filter icon, the Filter dialog appears. Follow these steps:

  1. The Pickup Time tab should already be selected (if not, click the Pickup Time tab).
  2. Click one of the following:
    • Click the Fixed Range radio button to specify a fixed range of pickup times, and select a time range to filter the view of rides. This is the default setting. If you leave all fields blank, the system displays all reservations up to the maximum records allowed by the grid.
      Tip: Select Fixed Range and leave all blank to show all rides.
      Note: If you set values in this section, only rides within the set date range will appear in the grid. Once the date moves beyond this range, the grid will not display rides.
    • Click the Dynamic Range radio button if you want to see the rides for a rolling period of time. Then specify:
      1. The number of days or weeks past for the start of the range.
      2. The number of days or weeks ahead for the end of the range.
  3. (Optional) You can also filter the grid using the following tabs:
    • Ride Statuses: Displays the list of ride statuses to show in the grid.  Any reservation with the status enabled in this list will display in the grid.
    • Dispatch Status: Displays the list of dispatch statuses to show in the grid. Any reservation with the status enabled in this list will display in the grid.
    • Vehicle Types: Displays the list of vehicles types to show in the grid. Any reservation that is set with a vehicle type enabled in this list will display in the grid.
    • Companies: Valid for users of multiple-company security. This tab displays the list of companies in the system that appear the grid. If a company's checkbox is unchecked, the rides for the accounts belonging to that company do not appear in the grid.
    • View: Configure more detailed settings for the grid by choosing View Specific Rides and entering values in the corresponding parameters. For example, you can set the grid to only display specific accounts, or accounts entered by a specific agent.
    • Refresh: Select how often the grid should refresh (in seconds).
    • Appearance: Customize the color of the grid by configuring the color scheme based on statuses and types (as shown below). You can set reservations in the grid to change colors based on the dispatch status codes in relation to the current time. You can also set the grid colorings for specific information such as accounts, profiles, vehicles types, and drivers. These colors can be applied in related areas in the Table Maintenance module. 
    • Other:  Select the fields to sort the grid columns by. The default setting is to sort the rides by "Pickup Date / Time (Scheduled) – Ascending".
  4. Click OK to save, or click Set All To Default to return changes to the original settings.


Saving and Choosing Custom Views

After making filter selections as described in the previous section, choose Create a New Filter from the File menu to create a new custom view.

To choose a custom view, choose Open Custom Views from the File menu.

Note: We recommend limiting the number of grids open to not adversely affect system performance.

Assigning Drivers and Dispatching Rides

You can assign drivers and vehicles to reservations before dispatching them. You can also dispatch Deem Affiliate Connect affiliate reservations (see Deem Affiliate Connect for details about affiliates).

Assigning a Driver or Affiliate Provider

Note: Follow these steps for all rides, including those you intend to farm out to affiliates. You don't specify the actual driver or vehicle for a ride you are farming out.

  1. Select a ride on the grid, and click the Assign Ride icon: 

    Tip: You can also assign a driver by pressing A on your keyboard or right-clicking the ride and selecting the option.
  2. The Assign Ride dialog appears:



  3. Enter the Driver #, and the Vehicle # for rides that your organization is providing, or leave blank for an affiliate provider.
    Note: Leave these fields blank if you are farming out the ride to an affiliate. 
  4. If you are dispatching an affiliate ride, choose the affiliate from the Subcon# dropdown menu.
  5. Review any special instructions or Extra Services.
  6. Click the OK button.

The ride status changes depending on how you entered the information:

  • Status AS: Driver Assigned Car Assigned to the current job.
  • Status DA: Driver Assigned to the current job, but no car is assigned.
  • Status CA: Car Assigned, but no Driver.
  • Status SA: Ride entered to be farmed out to an affiliate. Upon dispatching, the status changes to SD.

Tip: To change or remove a driver or vehicle later, follow the same steps for assigning the driver, and change the vehicle or driver number, or make the fields blank to remove them.

Dispatching a Ride

Before dispatching the ride, communicate the job information to the driver. You can print a Trip Ticket by clicking the Driver Trip Ticket icon. For affiliate rides, you can email or fax trip tickets to the affiliate subcontractor. For affiliates in Deem Affiliate Connect, you don't have to fax or email the ride to the subcontractor. 

Note: For affiliate rides, dispatch the ride after choosing the affiliate from the Subcon# dropdown menu, as described in the previous section. The ride status will change to SD. If the affiliate is in Deem Affiliate Connect, this action automatically sends the ride electronically to your affiliate. The affiliate's confirmation number is then updated in the ride record as the provider member reservation number.

To Dispatch the ride, follow these steps:

  1. Select the ride in the grid and click the Dispatch Ride icon:

    Tip: You can also dispatch the ride by pressing D on your keyboard.
  2. The Dispatch Ride dialog appears:



  3. Enter the Driver #  and the Vehicle # if they are not already assigned, or leave blank for an affiliate provider.
    Note: Leave these fields blank if you are farming out the ride to an affiliate.
  4. Click the OK button. 

The ride status changes:

  • Reservation Status changes from Status AS to Status DISP (or SD for a reservation farmed-out to an affiliate).

  • Dispatch Status shows Status D.

Note: After dispatching a ride to an affiliate on Affiliate Connect, the affiliate can accept the reservation, and you see the confirmation number appear for the reservation in the Farm-Out column of the grid:

Tip: To “Un-Dispatch” a ride, click the Undispatch icon () or press I on your keyboard, or right-click the ride and select the option.

Note: To change the driver, you must first Un-Dispatch the ride You will be asked if you want to Re-Dispatch. If you know the new driver number, click Yes and enter the new driver; otherwise, click No.

Tip: You can set a reminder for yourself or add any information to associate with the dispatching of the ride by right-clicking the ride and choosing Dispatch Comments. For example, you might add “Driver is stuck in traffic” or the farm-out number and driver info for a farmed-out ride. For affiliates, enter the subcontractor confirmation number and any additional information in an abbreviated form.  

Updating the Dispatch Status

The driver should call in or send a message acknowledging the ride. You can update the dispatch status of a reservation before, during, and after the ride by following these steps:

  1. Select the ride in the grid and click the Dispatch Status icon: 

    Tip: You can also change the dispatch status by pressing T on your keyboard.
  2. The Dispatch Status Change dialog appears. Choose one of the following in the Dispatch Status dropdown menu:



    • ACK: Acknowledge that the driver is available. 
      Note: If you are acknowledging a farmed-in ride, setting the status to ACK sends a confirmation to the provider that farmed out the ride.
    • ETA: Awaiting the driver's estimated time of arrival.
    • NDO: Driver is near the drop-off location.
    • OL: Driver is on location.
    • POB: The passenger is on-board.
    • OVER: The ride is completed.
  3. Click OK to set the status.

Viewing the Dispatch Status for a Farmed-Out Ride

If you farmed out a ride to an affiliate, you can see the updated dispatch status in the Dispatch column for the reservation. For example, as soon as the affiliate assigns its driver and dispatches the ride, the dispatch status on your system changes to ACK to show that the driver has acknowledged the ride:

After the affiliate changes the status to On Location, the dispatch status on your system changes to OL to show that the driver is on location:

After the affiliate completes the ride, the dispatch status on your system changes to OVER to show that the ride is over: