How to be a Dispatcher,,, how hard can it be?

Dispatchers, Drivers (mainly the trucker counter kind,) and Car Salesmen--- if their lips are moving, they're lying!

 

Wow I really feel bad for some of you guys out there...I love my dispatchers...they are divided in so cal and nor cal depending where Im at and I'v seen how difficult their job can be I rather much be on my rig...I take them lunch or milkshakes or just bring them out of state souveniers just to show my apreciation. I shown them I'm responsible and on time they never push me always very well planned I don't sit for more than 30mins or 1hr for reload info and I get good runs...#### I'm lucky!

 

Love it when 8:15 am comes through and you get a msg over the qualcomm that says : Don't call me don't shoot any unnecessary msgs. All I need is for you to follow all the macros send em in on time.
And there you are trying to find out when the company you are at to pu comes to work because your pu time was set for 7:30 am and the night dispatch says call back in 30 min when your fleet manager comes in.
So you call him and what does he do? Most the drivers know the answer.... he ignores your phone call. It sucks being a driver and not knowing what the heck is going on that your young college dispatcher can't help you out.
I would take a former driver who knows what's going on out on the road over some young kid that has never been behind the wheel of a truck and could care less about the guy wasting his precious time sending msgs that he thinks is useless.

 

From what Ive seen dispatching is not as easy as some drivers think...Most dispatchers have very good memories but some still think it's just an inch on the map...Most know things can & will go wrong (traffic,weather ect) & automatically adjust the drivers cushion of time for that if needed...Most of us kid around about an MT load being full of dispatcher brains but really you have to respect what they do..

 

MGFG yes it is that easy. Dont tell me I have to run all night and all day to get a "HOT" load to a farm in the middle of south dakota where your directions are " when the dirt road forks go left, dont worry betsy the cow is always standing there so you cant miss it" then I do MY job and get the load of feed there then be told call me in the morning I have to go home. I understand MY JOB do you understand yours?

 

Some offices are different than others, but at mine, we "dispatch" about 100 trucks in northern CA. We deal with the customers directly, everyone from large contractors to homeowners. We take the orders, locate where we are getting the material from, and price it as such. It's also our job to collect when material isn't paid for on time. We coordinate loads with the drivers in order to give each truck as many loaded miles as possible. Trucks passing each other empty is not good, and we don't let it happen.

I have an office phone, nextel radio and computer with 6 22" monitors. Talking to the drivers is the easiest part of my day, not a joke. Trying to track down the spec on the materials from some of these architects can get ridiculous.

 

Well the worst time that I ever had happen was with CRE.(Go Figure)

Got sent into the mountains south of Denver to pick up potatos. Cell phone won't work no signal. (Text was hit or miss) I get there about 9pm little out of way place. Qualcomm says"Go to end of road, See sign for docks. Pull around building parking available They start 8 am.

This is all fine and dandy, what was missed was Major Blizzard heading your way 4 to 5 feet snow expected next 12 - 24 hrs additional 1 -2 over following 36 hours. Shipper shut down till friday (It's Monday) I have 1/4 fuel fuel plan was after load because wieght. BTW 1 resteraunt in town you guess it closed. 1 BP guess what they are closed. I had 3 cans of Vienna and a 1/2 litter of sprite. 2 drinking waters and a turkey tenderloin w a lunchbox oven. Turned out got 8 foot overnight had to set trailer brakes release tractor so I could Idle Idle limiter was broke would not let idle even though was -13 degrees in day and -27 at night. Finally the owner of place came to check out the place wensday and told me to go back to his home with him. man a couch aint ever felt so good. And a hot bath. BTW qualcommed FM he said "Hunker down conserve fuel so we don't have to get it trucked in to you. I ended up buying 50 gallons from BP on friday out of pocket. Should have seen me work the bobtail in close to get hose in tank was about 1/2 inch between top of truck and side of light fixture hanging down from cover over pumps.


Oh yea my Trailer service airline froze and burst had no brakes 46k falling off those mountains. I had a bit but was due to wrapping it with a roll of duck tape. Load went to laredo. Got there to deliver spent 17 hrs at transfer dock(load Going to Mexico) ended that week with 1300 miles. But did CRE help with working on payment(I mean they did forget to cancel pickup) NOPE I owed them 194 bucks that week.

 

Eagle eye,

I brokered a load with CR England ONCE! Load from OK city to WI. Got to the place and what a joke. Had to wait for the place to move crap around so I could get backed into the dock. It was a recycling center. Dident pay to bad for a broker load I thought. Well 6 hours later im off to WI (load is not getting cheaper due to time). Get to WI 45 min. early no problem on that end was empty in 15-20 min. Then the pay comes MINUS 100.00 WTF? I call and am told you dident make check calls or call when empty. This was crap as NOTHING was said about check calls and I informed them of the fact that THEY called and bugged me 2 times a day and I DID call when I was empty and to thank them for the load.
To try and collect is really not worth my time or effort for 100.00 and they know that, but lesson learned I will NEVER broker another load for CRE!!!

 

Correction. I made great money on that detention pay. You guys gave it to me 100% which was nice considering your time wasted dealing with the issue and the fact you made zilch off of my truck for 5 days.

 

Dispatching is easy. Just tell a driver where to go!