What Do You Look For From Your Dispatcher

Experienced drivers have probably figured out most of that stuff but rookie drivers don't really know how all this stuff works "Behind the scenes". In my first job I had no idea what kind of flexibility might be available if something comes up and I think it caused some frustration between myself and my dispatcher. I'd try to ask about some things and she didn't want to have a conversation because her phone was always ringing.

I kind of wish the dispatch side of things was explained more at the beginning with company orientations but they're barely touched on.

So I'd say sometimes if it seems like a driver if frustrated or bewildered by what goes on with the dispatcher side of things with brokers and scheduling let them know. Or for example if bad weather is coming make it a point to say rescheduling is possible if needed.

 

Hometime is a sticking point for drivers, drivers put in for the hometime in advance and when the time comes up for them to go home, they want to go home. i admit i have had drivers that had hometime come up or be really close to their travel day and they be assigned a load that wont get them home. as a Driver Manager you have to let the planner know that hey my driver has to get home and this load wont get him home and this will get the load off the driver so the planner can find a load to get the driver home. alot of the DM'S where i am do become good friends with the drivers and that isnt a bad thing at all. I myself have 60 drivers on my board but on the weekends that i work (sat-sun) i have three to four fleets which makes me handle 250 to 300 drivers each day (sat -sun) but it doesnt matter how many drivers you watch you should be able to take the time to handle each drivers problem and then move on, dont just pass them off or say well you have to call back monday. I can honestly say even though my job is very stressful I do enjoy it and I wouldnt trade it for any other occupation.

 

The cool thing................no one tried to impress your pic..............they don't care what you look like.................but they ALL gave you HONHEST ANSWERS,

 

HONESTY HONESTY HONESTY. I have had dispatchers look in the eye and lie. I cant respect anybody that lies to me.

 

Its a very simple rule that we are taught as children. Its amazing how many people have such a hard time following this rule.

 

Best "dispatcher" i ever had was with Trailer Transport.

Was my boss's wife.

When there.....
I slept at house in guest room, she cooked me breakfast/lunch/supper, washed my clothes, and called me her "other son".

She also got me loads I wanted/needed and got me home to my house when i wanted.

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WORST one was with JB Hunt.
memphis terminal
She took over for my dispatcher around Nov 2002.
SNOTTY, talked down to all of us, was real fast to put notes in driver records if someone called in.
Left me stranded quite often for hours.

Wish I could remember this *itch name cause she deserves to be identified publicly.

She was still there Jan 2003 when I drove non-stop from Wisconsin to Mississippi, parked the truck at yard, cleaned it out, and told her she could stick it in her big fat ..... for all I cared.

 

I'm usually flexible with home time. This last time I just threw out a date 2 weeks from when I talked to dispatch. I just said, without thinking, 02/14. Then of course after I sent it I realized "doh. that's valentine's day."

But yeah, I'm flexible with home time. If it's a day or two early, fine. If it's a day or two later, fine. I know this business is crazy and some times things don't work out quite as planned.

But if it's 2 weeks after my scheduled home time request...then you better have a good explanation. A really good one because by this time I'm already sharpening my hatchet.




..I kid, I don't sharpen it.

 

One word, five syllables --- Co Myu Nee Kay Shun!!! Probably the most important skill a dispatcher can have is the ability to communicate. If you're gonna send me into a slow frieght area, let me know. Now I can plan "drive maintainence", like laundry and down time. Heck, it might even make sense for me to pull a 34, and give both me and you a chance to rest, and let you go bug the snot outta load planning to get me moving again. If I'm empty, and you can't find me a load, and won't be able to find me a load for awhile, let me know! Now I'm not calling and QCing you every 15-20 minutes screaming for a load (I hate wasting time I could be driving and earning, ya know). If there isn't gonna be anything until morning, now I know and can go find somebody else to pester for the rest of the day. And listen to the driver. We are on the front lines. We are normally the only representatives of the company that the customer sees, so if the customer complains to us, and we pass the complaint on, please help us to get the complaint to the right people in the company. And remember, we are probably gonna come to you with a problem first (cause I'm lazy like that, and hate calling all through the company directory to find the right idiot to deal with whatever my current issue is), so work with us tomake sure we deal with the correct idiots to fix our latest whine, snivel, bit**, or complaint. Be flexible. Sometimes we just need somebody who gets it to vent to, sometimes we need a boot in the buttocks. You gotta know what, when, and how to deliver properly (I reccommend steel toed shoes, some of us are pretty hardassed). But mainly, communicate!