Threatening Phone Calls

1. In 2020, I had a friend run the Hoka Hey rally. 10000 miles within 10 days, no interstate, no motels. My friend, a fellow trucker sent me a link and I posted a link in the flatbed forum. 300 bikers were on this run. If you’ve ever been in the office looking over your travel agent’s shoulder, you will notice that your travel agent can watch every truck on his board, speed location..etc.

I picked up a brokered load and suddenly, I had some broker blowing my phone up. I don’t talk to brothers. There’s no need for me to talk to a broker. I call the shipper. I call receiver. I set up all appointments. Broker starts blowing my phone up and sending texts. Does the broker know where I am? Absolutely. The trucking company can link brokers in the same way my friend linked me into see all the participants of the HokaHey. So,why is this broker blowing up my phone? Don’t know, don’t care. Finally, the broker sends me a text about how this broker is going to leave me a bad review. We had plenty private contracts and it was maybe once every other year that I pulled a brokered load. I never responded. The load got picked up and delivered, both shipper and receiver happy. 1 pissed off broker…today was a good day.

2. Had a dispatcher that drivers hated. HATE…how in the heck does someone get that strong of an emotion out of you? “She forced me to take a load that I didn’t want. She forced me to run tired.” How does someone FORCE you to do what you don’t want to do? Personally I didn’t think it was possible, but I had drivers telling me it was.
Got a load paying $1500 to the truck for 150 miles loaded. Going to a nuclear power plant so tack on an extra $1500 nuke pay for the hassle. I’ll take it. The next day, they offered another. I’ll take it. The next day, the nuke pay was cut to $500. Would you take it? I turned it down. Dispatcher calls me instantly. No QC message, no text, a call. “Why won’t you take that load?” It’s missing $1000. “Well Six, the loads that are booked before noon will have $1500 nuke pay, but the ones booked after 12 noon will only be $500 nuke pay.” Oh, okay. (Do you know how to tell when someone thinks you’re stupid? They will say something stupid to you.)
“Do you want the load?” No. “Why not?” Because it’s missing $1000. “I just explained to you what happened to the money.” You did and it’s still missing $1000. She went off. Said everything she could to hurt my feelings from discussing me not being a real Man to insulting my work ethic. Hey people, if your travel agent ever goes off on you, don’t take it personally. Mine was trying to figure out how to push my buttons. I don’t have buttons to push. But this too is also one of those reasons where you keep your business YOUR business. Next day, she was a cool as a cucumber..

3. Personal Relationships That Go South.
Was going for lunch with my 2 brothers and my brother in law. My sis calls him on the phone and unloads on him. Dude, hang up the phone. “I can’t. If I do that, she will be mad when I get home.” She will be mad anyway. Push the red button and have a good day at work. He couldn’t hang up, so we went inside at ate. When we came back out he’s still on the phone trying to reason with her.

Do you like to argue? If you don’t like to argue, every time you end up in an argument is a loss. So, what happens if you refuse to engage? Is there a physical attack? Is there property destruction? If you have someone who’s bound and determined to push your buttons, then escalate by threatening you, the kids, your home, your dog

1. DO NOT respond. Don’t answer that call…let it go to voicemail.
2. DO NOT block them or change phone numbers.
3. DO NOT CALL for any reason. Text only and that’s only if you share responsibilities.
4. Create a file and keep all texts, all voicemails, screenshots with all dates and times with all communication. The more comprehensive your notes are, the more ironclad your side of the story is.
5. Stay away. Biggest mistake people make is going back after breaking free from a hellish situation. She can slash your face, trash your truck, set fire to your home, get arrested and be on bond…but if you go to her place and she makes any accusations, everything she was arrested for is now suspect, and odds are really good that your life is ruined.

Be smarter than what they think you are. Luck in battle.