New to the Trucking Industry. Looking for Advice.

Welcome.

I work alongside dispatchers, but I'm not an actual dispatcher. Are you an OTR/Regional or Intermodal dispatcher? Each is different and unique in their own way.

A few observations that I have learned from our dispatchers:

- They know what certain drivers are capable of doing and not doing
- You will have your lazy and good drivers
- Dealing with drivers on a 24 hour basis
- Dealing with customers who are nothing but headache
- Dispatching (obviously...!)
- Dealing with breakdowns... <--- very disturbing.
- Owner Operators - Prepare to deal with ignorant O/O's who think that they can handpick each load and reject every load (of course they have the right.. but i mean.. REJECT each load and consistently whine about ).

Just a few thoughts and advice that I can give ya... take it for what it's worth.. even if its not that helpful to ya

 

as a driver, one of the worst things a dispatcher can do is lie to a driver. Even if you think the news is something that I don't want to hear, just be straight with me and we'll deal with it.

 

owning up to your mistakes, and be sitting there when the angry driver come through the door. you'll get more respect and more trust out of drivers. pretty much planing on anything the can happen will happen when you least expect it. will save you alot of heated conversations with brokers and drivers. a rule I used when booking loads. it takes 3 to 4 hours per stop to load or unload. and on multi stops loads. I can promise you. you going to have late deliveries. and the last customer on the route. is always the most unhappy. they pretty much get what's left of the load.

 

You're courteous now wait till you talk to some whining sniveling not going to do this drivers,your attitude will change quickly and then what advice you're getting here will be forgotton and you;ll take the advice from your fellow dispatchers,lol.

 

couple of things come to mind, first, Thanks for taking the time to try and understand this field of employment,

OK, be honest with the drivers, understand, that no driver can legally log 11 hours driving a 3 hours of work every day, And I did say "LEGALLY"
OTR companies work on a 70 hours a week in 8 days,

don't try and force a driver that could be tired to drive farther than they say they can safely drive, remember, Its their life and livelihood on the line, not yours,

When driver is in need of load info, try and get this to the driver as soon as possible,

There is more, but should be a good start, good luck

 

And to add to this, you will need to understand most [many?] owner-operators are more aware of what it takes to run the business side of the industry then you, or your fellow csr's, and mid/upper managers. They will tell you how to do your job because they know better. After all they are o-o's so they obviously know more then most about all aspects of the industry and have an intimate knowledge of the customer's needs and wants and knows better then the customer and will decide what is best for the customer.

Good luck my friend and thanks for your service.

 

i dispatched back in the 70s before computers, time is your worst enemy. just do the best job with the information you have at that time, dont go back and start changing things thats where the trouble will really start. thank you for your service to our country