Best Advice for Someone With No Trucking Experience

I do not own a back up school darn it.....

Just don't fall for the first hand of cards you are dealt......

 

You came to the right place. I spent hours reading and posting on this forum before I became a trucker and it gave me a heads up on how to act and what to expect. There is already a lot of great advice here, just take the time to read through all of the posts that interest you. Make sure not to freak out the first time you try to backup a truck lol. I thought I had made a mistake and would never be able to drive a truck. Now I feel more comfortable driving a truck than a car.

 

The only physical thing I have to do is open the doors lol. Any problem or issue I call in and they deal with it.

 

Your Dispatcher is going to be your immediate boss. They are also the absolute key to you making any kind of money! With that being said use lots of butter and make sure your nose is always brown!

Never, ever, ever, ever tell them "NO"!!! Always "Yes maam/sir" and "Thank you"

You are going to get crappy loads, some will be from time to time and some will be consecutively! This is just part of trucking and you are also new. You take the crappy loads with a smile and do them willingly! You scratch their back and they will scratch yours! Always keep them informed of your status ie; your hours, availability etc... Stay on top of things and in contact with them but also don't be bothersome. They don't like "problem" drivers. If you aren't a problem, then you will be more apt to get more favorable loads.

Though this all sounds easily accomplish-able you do get stressed out there and will have your moments and so will your dispatcher. You both will have your bad days but try to not pass that on to them. If they are having a bad, just try and appease them. You can also help them out. Rescheduling loads or calling customers may help them out as long as there isn't a company policy on it. Home time is a drag on your dispatcher. This is much added work on their part trying to schedule you so keep that in mind.

To answer your question in whole they do find your jobs/deliveries etc... Actually the planner does all this and assigns certain ones to your dispatcher who in-turn finds the right driver for the job.

Another way to keep things on the up and up is don't wait until Friday afternoon to plan your weekend with them. Try to let them know Thursday or Friday morning as to your status and what you will be doing or needs to be done before the weekend. Not doing so could result in night/weekend dispatch or sitting for the weekend until your dispatcher is back to work on Monday morning. This is also a bad time for them. Monday morning they will be catching up with every single driver and trying to get caught up on what went on all weekend.

As soon as you are issued your load, get your pre-plan figured out and let them know exactly when you will be there and make plans accordingly from there.

Do special little things from time to time for them. Small gifts from over the road are a plus! Take them to lunch or dinner if applicable when you are in town etc...

Catch my drift???

 

Seriously...I've see people say this, but is it what you're haulin, or how many (few) miles the run is?