Knight Transportation.............Can't Do it.....

Not apologizing, but Knight doesn't keep trailers past 8 years. Trucks past 5 years. Yes we need more trailers.

 

Load Planners find the loads, and trailers in the area to handle them. Notice I said TRAILERS not trucks. Thats is why some loads are drop your loaded at the dock and then get an empty and other ones are live unloads. They set up the pick up, the addresses, what the cargo is etc. Sometimes they will assign a certain trailer number other times they just have a screen that says "15 empty trailers at Home Depot DC" type of thing. The loads are then sent to the dispatchers of the appropriate fleet if it's an account, an OTR run, regional etc. The dispatchers then find trucks to move those loads as the dispatchers are suppose to be tracking where THEIR assigned fleet of trucks are at all times. These loads are listed to the entire group of dispatchers of that fleet to ensure someone is suppose to grab it and DMs get a bonus the more miles their fleet runs so that is why when people say "dispatch don't give up freight etc" is out right silly. Yes some dispatchers try and ear mark loads for their drivers, but then they are held accountable if that load is late to be delivered and to many cases of a DMs loads arriving late, well guess what he/she not a DM any more. The DM is also managing the problems of their fleet as best they can/allowed for the situation. This includes rookie drivers, whiny drivers, hard working drivers, home time due drivers, lazy drivers, broken down drivers, and drivers who have locked themselves out of their truck in Montana when hopped out to water a tire in December.(I've had that one)

 

Shortage of trailers isn't coming from their not being enough trailers over all, its from their being enough trailers in a given area at that time. If for example today in a certain area there are 50 trailers, with 45 loads going out, then by this evening there are only 5 trailers left right? Okay the morning comes. You have those 5 empty trailers, but 22 trucks came in over the night that gives ya 27 trailers does it not? But today's out bound loads equal 50, that creates a shortage of trailers. As for the surplus trailers you say, they where aged out equipment smart guy and just happen to be in the area. Knight ages out it equipment based on many factors, the age of the trailer, its condition, and how much it been costing to keep that trailer profitable. Just because you saw 5 EX-Knight trailers in the area as ZERO real bearing on your argument.

 

The dispatchers or "DMs" are on the right side of the game. Unlike the drivers. I'd love to be a dispatcher and sit in a comfy office all day.

 

Oh yes "comfy" where ya have supervisors looking over your shoulder at everything you do, some dispatchers busy chatting to you about stuff you really don't care. Phone calls constantly while your trying to handle an emergency for a driver, and all while trying to make sure drivers get home and you meet your quotas for the period. All this while being paid hourly, and for starting dispatchers that hourly pay isn't all that great and evenw hen the pay does improve, it don't help the stress level. The fence isn't always greener on the other side, but DTB you've shown your just a negative person as any proof against your argument you dismiss.

 

An A-hole boss can make an office worker's life hell indeed. However if you're implying that dispatching is more stressful than driving I disagree.

 

I agree with Long Haul 79. The DM's have a alot on their plate on a daily basis. Not to mention they also work 12 days in row before they get a weekend off as well. I have learned alot from my current dm. I don't envy the job they do every day. It takes a special type of personality to do that job.

 

Being you have never done it, then you are making an assumption of an opinion, not an informed opinion. Everyone thinks the job they have is more stressful then some one elses, guess what it's not. Its the type of stress we deal with that changes from job to job. DMs have almost as high a turn over rate as drivers do because as Drozzer69 stated it takes a special personality to balance all the truckers, and other demands that all think they are your number one priority.

 

It's funny because I have NEVER seen a DM wanted job ad for any mega grinder. Either the turn over rate is very low or they hire these guys in secret or what.