What would you do?

I guess I’m the only one not impressed that you didn’t even try to make the pick up.

 

Let's be real if that load of lumber was so important somebody would have paid the fork driver to be there on Saturday to load you.
The sad part is now you may sit all weekend with no layoverpay which does not pay the bills.
I would have tried to get to the shipper just because things never work out, and dispatchers suck. So I could have at least made some decent money. Unless you were needing a reset.

 

You show up out of the blue before quitting time, you're rolling the dice. Some places will stay and unload you, many won't. And if it's a Friday evening, forget it. At the very least, always call before you go bulldogging your way into a shipper like that.

 

If this was Thursday night what's the big deal. If you get there you get there. If you don't you don't. Friday AM is just as good on a load with that much screw off time on it. If it was Friday afternoon and they were closed over the weekend that would suck a little worse, but a lot of those places are open Saturday too unless it is run by a bunch of Orthodox Jews.

 

Theres like 5 truckstops in new england and a no parking sign on every shoulder. I would never err on the side of going deeper into the northeast dead zone. If im gonna miss a load let it be toward ohio or PA.

 

Arrrr me have 6 truck stops up here. But there is plenty of parking. As long as you dont mind parking at 99, applebees, a bar and grill or mall.

 

“Forced Dispatch” - Sounds like what it is.......It is what it sounds like ........

 

As soon as you accept the dispatch the dispatcher marks that trip as assigned. She's done her job. The dispatcher doesn't think for 1 second about ANY of the practical details like getting to the customer, if the customer closes early on Fridays or holidays, etc. Her job is to assign the trip. NOTHING else matters.

Have you found discussing the details with the dispatcher is making things better? I your dispatcher or her boss was considering these details they wouldn't fight you when you give an answer and explain why you gave that answer. Your best bet is to understand who you are talking to. Give her the info she need and tell her you have reasons, you're happy to explain, but the earliest you can make that happen is X. X always includes a cushion.

This is the type of info you can only get by talking to drivers at the company before you hire on. No driver is going to change a trucking company, but you can change what company you work for. Mega companies want robot employees and have no allowance for real-life.

 

Nobody wins an argument with a dispatcher or customer. Don't have one. It fells good but you are setting yourself on fire to punish them. The best revenge is getting a better job, not just the next crappy job you can find. Your goal is to be generic and forgettable until you learn if the company is your longterm home. ALWAYS have an option if your current company shuts down or you have had enough.