Bad Dispatcher

I am really considering asking for another dispatcher. Mine likes to send messages to call for live dispatches while I am asleep, then wants to chew on me for not being somewhere five hours ago. Also he likes to yell wondering why I am not answering my phone when driving for him to want my ETA, he has the qualcomm and knows exactly where I am.

 

ask for a new dispatcher.

 

Are you doing a good job?

 

Erm, I deliver at 4am, send message that I am done for the day. Three hours later I am getting messages for a pre plan and a live dispatch. Good job or bad job is not in the equation. Loads arrive on time, I don't answer if I am asleep or driving.

 

You must drive for SCHEINDER..........

 

Tell him you want the land line number to his house so you can call him at 2AM.
Ask him about his wife, a lot.
Share with him about how at the last truck stop you got the sh*^s in detail.
Call him by the wrong first name all the time.
You get the idea,use your imagination. It'll be fun.

 

Delivering doesn't mean you are done for the day unless you have your 14 hours in. You are preplanned by hours available.

The key to a good working relationship is communication. Waiting until the last minute to say something doesn't get it. For expecting dispatch to know when you are sleeping or awake is absurd. They don't have a camera. You are working in a job that you have to wake up in a moments notice. And with a smile on your face. Answer the message and go back to sleep.

You have to remember dispatch works numerous drivers up to 120 at some companies. You do their job, you'll be pulling your hair out. There are emails flying everywhere in house, to the drivers and to customers. They are multitasking to the max. It's not an easy job. Like drivers, it takes a special person. To find your location, they have to change several screens, they have to ping your qualcomm, wait, get a location and then calculate the ETA not knowing any delays or if you are wasting time in a truck stop. Meanwhile doing 20 other things. Try doing that with 100 drivers. To survive they have to put some of the weight on drivers. Get you a GPS, it'll give you an ETA within 10 minutes. Answer dispatch and it's over.

Would you rather they wait 10 hours until you are well rested and then start working on your next load for hours? Be a team player! You start arguing with a dispatcher, things will only get worse.

If things are beyond repair and you are sitting instead of making money. There are personality conflicts, then yes, ask for another dispatcher.

I have a feeling you haven't adapted to a truckers lifestyle yet. That includes alot of missed sleep.

 

That is funny!!!!!!!!!

 

I missed that one. Yes it is!

 

I loved the time my Qualcomm was according to Freightliner draining my batteries so they wired it behind the ignition. Truck running - qualcomm on. Dispatch would call me all the time wondering why I was not answering my messages... but, they would harp on idle time too... so I explained it to them. no idle - no qualcomm - driver sleeping - phone on alarm only.

once they fixed the qualcomm issue, if it did ping then I would wake up to see about the load and except or not. Part of the job.

Mark