question about dispatchers...potential good thread here!

Then you get to hear, those are the appointments the customer gives us. Well shoot, we don't need to take a load that we can't deliver. Tell them NO. Or after their shipper holds up the driver for 6 hours tell them we HAVE TO RESCHEDULE>

 

In this economy, its near impossible for us to turn down freight. At the same time, we have to juggle the freight and the drivers available hours. It urks guys to see a company keep leasing on more trucks when they have slow days. But you almost have to have too many trucks to make sure you can cover all of the freight. When you start missing booked loads and/or turning down new opportunities.................your not gonna be around long as a company. Sounds like most of you guys are with companies that use the higher tech computer dispatch systems. We're still kinda old school I guess. Im probably comparing apples to oranges. But its interesting reading regardless! :smt038

 

About the driver that doesn't whine, and gets screwed, I'm one of you. I think part of the problem is that you have a bad dispatcher that knows you won't whine, so you get the bad loads instead of Mr/Ms whinya##. That's what happened to me at one company.
I've noticed as well, at the companies where your "boss" is accessible, face to face and not behind bullet proof glass, it's easier to meet and get along with the guy. Still, you'll get some crappy loads, but oh well, someone has to do it, as long as things work out in the end, so what?
I guess I've been lucky for the most part, only 2 companies I was with, both BFI's, did I not meet my "guy/gal". And yep, both of them I was miserable with. You don't have to be a sucka##, just be a little mature, have a little common sense, and realize that the world/company doesn't rotate around you. It's a give and take thing, sometimes you give, sometimes you take.