Your views on Dispatchers

There is nothing more valuable to me as a driver of 5 years then the phone numbers I have in my phone of the guys who have been doing my job for over 20 there is nothing Tom does not know he knows every back road side ally and trick in the book and he won't tell me to do something that's going to get me in trouble with the company to hell with asking my dm what's he going to do he sits behind a desk I call Tom and then I make it happen a dm is not a driver so why ask him questions about driving . Everyone needs a Tom I call the old fart 5 times a week.

 

I value what the old farts here on ttr have to say more then they know.. But I'll never tell em

 

In here you have hundreds of different drivers with hundreds of opinions Tom does the same exact job as i do he makes me look like I know everything because the office probably doesn't know I call him 5 times a week.

 

Keep the options open

 

Mostly because that dispatcher couldn't grow a pair big enough to tell the customer that Panther can't accept Google routes for CMVs. That statement would've stopped all the drama right there. If the customer didn't want to pay tolls, that's easy enough to avoid, but dropping from Grapevine to downtown Dallas at 1700? Just to drive North? How stupid can someone get?

 

Now it might get all complcated...

Mumz the word

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

How many drivers here have never met their DM???

Next time you're at your home base of operations, take some time, and make it a point to meet your dispatcher, face to face. And if you're just starting out, do the same before you hit the road. Why?

You've just put a face to a name for the 2 of you. You're no longer just "Another driver" and their no longer "Another name on the QC or phone" Welcome to the human era of actual people.

It pays big dividends in this world of disconnected communication in the electronic age of non - personal transactions / interaction. Smaller companies (Like Mom and Pop opns) don't usually have this disconnect, which is a major reason why drivers want to drive for those outfits.

The other thing is if you drive for one of the big companies, it's nice to call them once in a while and chew the fat, but remember, they may have 50 or so other drivers their trying to manage. It's a dance you learn as you go. Doesn't mean you suck up to them or any of that nonsense, but don't overload them with so much useless chatter, you wind up being more of an annoyance than a decent driver.

The final point is good communication. Bad news, unlike wine, does not grow better with age. If something happens, if at all possible, make sure your DM hears it from you first before anyone else tells them.

Chances are you'll get more miles, better loads and like life a little more if you put all this in your favor and do what is expected of you and a little more.

Disclaimer: If you have a tendency to be a total #@%%&# 24/7, this technique is not recommended.

YMMV.

 

here you go again....gathering information on all us drivers so you can compile a file of who we are and what we did, what we know, what laws we break etc....
I still think your nosy as cht hahahahha

 

My last dispatcher was truly one of the finest people I had ever been around. His name was Gerald, and worked out of the Charlotte terminal. His immediate boss was pretty decent also. Gerald was always calling my cell to check up on things, to see if and when I wanted to work my way home, or just to say hello. He was one of the few dispatchers that had the cajones to give me the real drop dead time on a load when I asked. He understood that people are not machines, and occasionally need a little more time.... either from feeling under the weather, or just goof off time to refresh along the way. As long as I kept my time of availability updated.......he never once questioned me. Gerald knew that some drivers were "tourists" while other drivers wanted to get in as many miles as possible. He worked them accordingly as long as they met the minimum performance. He knew I loved routing east to west, and always seemed to find a nice run to the coast every 5-6 weeks or so.

I had a nice lady at the Emporia terminal when I was with JB. She was a little like Gerald, but with limited say on how drivers could run due to the system she had to work with.

Most of my other dispatchers didn't have a trucking industry mindset. They knew what was on the computer in front of them and that's it. They had never drove a truck, lived on the road, understood burnout, or just didn't care one way or the other.

 

I had a TOM also. He was a veteran driver who came back out after a long hiatus. We got along really well during orientation, and we stayed in touch almost weekly for 3-4 years. He was a wealth of knowledge for me.