First off, let me state tht I have worked for the same dispatcher for almost 5 years now, and I have never once had problems with him or the work he assigns to me. So I don't have the adversarial relationship that some folks seem to have with their dispatcher. But the last week or so is a prefect textbook example of how things are supposed to work.
A week agon on Wednesday, I delivered in Kalamazoo Mi at 8 am, and when done, called in on the phone. I was told that I had a load for Chicago for the nexty morning, and arrangements had been made to load it at 11am. I drove over to pick up the flour, and had about half an hour wait, but in return for that half an hour, I was home by 1230, and had he afternoon off.
Next morning, I delivered the Chicago load, went to the railyard and picked up a load for Kalamazoo delivering that afternoon, and stopped in to see my dispatcher. He told me that friday looked slow, so I could take Fri and Sat off, and he would give me a monday delivery in Kentucky that I could pick up and run on Sunday.
Monday morning, I delivered the Kentucky load, and as soon as I was done, the Quallcomm beeped with my next load. I returned the trailer to Chicago, and picked up a load of starch for delivery Tues morn. The receiver had an open delivery time of 8 am to 3 pm, but if I needed to, I could make a phone call and open the windown up to 11pm. So I had my choice of up to 15 hours to make the delivery. I made it at 9 am, then made a phone call for my next load.
Next load would be a pickup of wheat on Wed morn, about 45 miles from home, and I was told that they would be milling it as we loaded, with about a 6 hour loading time. I spent the afternoon at home, then I was there the next morning, picked up the load and when it was ready left for Lancaster Pa, arriving there on Thursday morn. After unloading there, I made a phone call, and was told there were some loads from Fostoria Ohio going to Teutopolis Il, and they had open pickup times and open delivery times. I would know for sure as the day shook down later.
A couple of hours later the phone rings, and I find out the terminal in Illinois has already assigned trucks to the Fostoria loads, but that the mill in Augusta Mi had just added on a load for delivery in Chicago at 8 am Friday, and could i cover it. I figured up my schedule nd said that I couldn;t amke that, but could do about 10 am. My dispatcher called the shipper and informed them of this, and I took the load, loading early friday. i delivered it on time and then picked up the load of sugar that is out in the trailer right ow, which will deliver Monday morning.
Now, note that throughout this time, if there was a chance to get me home for an afternoon and night at home, we did just that. The one load that was going to take a long time to load was something that we planned on, and for which I was paid detention time. Coming back from PA, we looked at various possibilities before they were confirmed, and i kept him apprised of how many hours I had available to do things. When the one load came up that I would not be able to cover at the requested time, we went back to the shipper and told them the time we could do the load.
All along this time, we talked and coordinated what was going to happen. it wasn't just him assigning me loads with no input, but was discussed and agreed upon, and I had the option of saying that I couldn't do things at the requested times. There were no wasted hours, or 300 mile loads with 2 days to complete them. We kept the truck rolling and working, and I clocked in close to 3000 dispatched miles. In financial terms, I made about 1500 for the week for my efforts and though I spent 4 nites in the truck, I had Wed afternoon and nite at home. I had a full two day weekend bookend the week, and the day that work was slow I took the day off and ran a weekend day instead.
This is how it is supposed to work, and a good example of what can be done when the driver and dispatcher work together, not against one another.
Here's How Dispatching Is Supposed To Work
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Burky, Nov 17, 2007.
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After reading so many negative posts about dispatchers, I was so pleased to read this. My friend has this type of relationship with his dispatcher, and has similar results. They communicate well, Bud accepts the occasional crap load by simply saying, "let's git 'er done", and as a result, his dispatcher keeps him moving.
You're right, Burky -- it's the way it's supposed to be.
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The only thing I don't like about my dispatcher is she wants no phone calls. Wants everything on qual comm. We are dispatched by CSR's not fleet managers. I had a CSR lighting up my urgent lite on the dash for stupid reasons the other day. I was on a very tight schedule and did not have time to keep stopping to read stupid messages. The load was an open window on delivery. Load assignment had no directions available and I called the cons for directions and they told me to be there between 8-3.
This was a 2 day run and 6 hours before I get there (my eta I had a 1 hour cushion to make it) CSR decides to butt in with info. Must be there by 2. I had to keep pulling over to read these messages and called my FM. She said well only stop if it is a urgent message. Well tell the CSR to quit sending it as such! Ended up getting another beep. Pulled over and message was let us know if you need to reschedule for next day. Last straw I was ticked! Sent back go ahead your making me miss the window anyway. Sad part was got there at 1430 with a half hour to spare, but no; now it was on for 8-3 the next day!
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I have a wonderful dispatcher too. I go the extra mile for him, but when I have something that needs to be accommodated, he will go the extra mile for me. I enjoy working with him, and I feel he appreciates the work I do for him.
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