Broke Down 69...The Adventure Continues

Drivers have no more idea of what a dispatcher is going through at a particular time, than dispatch does of what a driver is going through. People get nervous, tempers get short.
Mature individuals work their way through this. Immature folks tend to take it personally, and hold grudges. When someone posts how bad their dispatcher is, it always makes me wonder... And when they post something like "my dispatcher is always picking on me," or "my dispatcher hates me," it always makes me wonder, why. Why is your dispatcher singling you out to hate or pick on?
Have you done something that calls yourself to their attention? Or are they just jerks? Or are YOU a jerk.
Years ago, I went through a class on "How To Handle Difficult People." After hours of listening to the lecture, then discussion, exchange of ideas, and each person relating a particular problem, the instructor left us with this thought.
"When all is said and done, WHO is the person creating problems? COULD IT BE YOU?"

 

Most definitely trutth is this. to an OTR driver dispatch can make or break you. that is for sure. It is about relationships. It is almost like a marriage, you have to trust each other and in some cases it is blind faith.

I guess I have been fortunate over time to get in good situations with good dispatch people. One thing I learned early was to clearly set the working tone. Don't need to be a jerk about it. I have my methods and processes, explain them in a clear plain words, in a conversational tone. learn to make it the others ideas.

 

One of the multiple reasons I got my authority, I don't deal with some 24 year old girl back in a heated/cooled office somewhere who has never even been in a truck, let alone drive one. I know that everyone can't or won't do what I did, however, it sure is nice to deal directly with the broker or shipper/receiver.

I worked in dispatch for about a year. The dispatchers get jaded against the drivers. When I first went into the office, a particular dm told me, "the sooner you realize these drivers are just a number to get the load from point A to point B, the better off you'll be."

He had driven for years, but had become indifferent to the challenges drivers face. And, let's face it, some drivers are just downright pains in the arse.

 

Did you ask him what he can do about getting the roads open for you? I mean really, he drives a desk, I'm sure he has plenty of extra time to solve your problem. (that part was all sarcasm)

I need to constantly remind myself that my dispatchers are juggling 60 drivers, and I'm just one spoke in a wheel. Very soon our company is switching organizational systems. Right now we have an outbound, inbound, a backup, and a regional dispatcher, with the supervisor that takes up the slack. Soon we'll be dedicated to one driver manager, running us from start to end of the trip. I'm really hoping that the continuity will help us be more efficient, get more miles, and get more reliable home time.

 

Worked for a company that did something similar to what you described, all dispatch was done as regional. While it had a few pros, it did have some cons. I found that under this system, it was better to stay with in 2 or 3 of the dispatch zones. When that company closed down, and I was back to a single dispatcher. It really did make things better. more consistantcy in all aspects.

 

Yeah, I'm hoping we can request which dispatcher we get put with. I get along with some WAY better than others, and that working relationship eases stress on both sides. Scratch my back, I'll be much more likely to scratch yours, kinda deal.

 

Heh, that usually just makes me wanna take a nap, but I know what you're getting at. LOL

 

You'll be alright, man. You'll get there...eventually

What you're going through is the reason this industry has about a 120% turnover rate. Most people don't have a sack big enough to reach down and grab during times like this. It's good that you have a little financial cushion, or the pressure of that would really add to the stress level.

I used to "train" guys on my truck. It was sad sometimes, a lot of the guys didn't have 2 nickels to rub together. I remember one time, this guy's wife called him, she was crying, little kids screaming in the background and her saying she needed money for milk and cereal and couldn't take him being away. Oh man, the guy just sank in his seat. I stopped at a Walmart and gave him $100 to wire to her.

The sun will come out again, I promise! Then when summer comes, you'll be on the side of the road with a blown hose in the middle of the Arizona desert in 112 degree temp waiting 3 hours for a service truck to show up!