Question about Dm's

Do a little dance, kiss a little butt, etc. no just kidding, but yea you don't want to turn down loads. Let them feel like they are always right. When they aren't, don't rub it in their face. Let's face it, you're not going to do anything special or try to help out the guy that you absolutely dread talking to, so just don't become that guy. Just remember you are responsible for what you do in that truck. Don't let anyone force you to break the law or do something unsafe. You are going to have to do a lot of things that don't make sense, or that are inconvenient, just know where that line is not to cross. I know that is kind of vague but you'll figure it out. Good luck, stay safe.

Adam

 

How do you mean, keep your DM happy. No sir, it should be the other way round. He's got you to satisfy. He's got the loads and it's his job to make sure he keeps you busy LEGALLY. You don't let him run your hacienda off. He gives you the loads, you run them to the best of your abilities and that's it. If he tries to run you ragged, then you have to put your foot down.
Obviously there's going to be a period of getting to know each other, strengths and weaknesses, and I will concede that a DM can make or break you, but it's you that's in charge. It's your truck and your responsibility to deliver the freight safely and hopefully on time.
Also don't be afraid to fire him if he's not doing his job. I've fired a DM more than once in my career. Mainly because I wasn't getting the miles.
So it cuts both ways, but the bottom line is, it's the DM that should be looking after you because without you, what's he got? Especially when he realizes you're a pretty good driver who does his job.
Good luck

 

The relationship between the two of you needs to be one of professional friendship. You want your DM to think of you as a person and not just another one of their problem drivers.
An example. I only worked 3 days for Transport America but this is one thing I saw there. There was a load going from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Cincinnati, Ohio. This is only 180 miles or so. Several drivers turned this load down because it was very short. The guy who took it knew that Transport America had a drop yard nearby and was very happy to go. The DM then gave him the second part of the trip which was a round trip to Las Vegas. That is a sweet run. He was polite and observant. That is what you should be also. Learn to be a team player but keep in mind that you are the one who scores the points. Don't be afraid to speak up. But do so by questioning. Tell the DM that you believe you can be of more use, if you get more miles. Ask if there is anything you can do to make their job easier. If you find yourself around during the lunch hour, offer to take them out for a meal.

And if none of that works, you can always take an ice pick to their tires.

 

Yep it's not a one sided game. You don't hold your breathe until you get your way. Be a team player. It would be nice to get all 3 day runs with drop and hooks at both ends. That's just part of the job. A customer might negotiate with a company, hey I'll give you these 12 good runs but you must cover these 3 short ones too. So along them lines you have to do your fair share of less desirable runs.

Have a little patience and do your job to the best of your ability. Some of these DMs have 100 drivers on their board and they are constantly changing due to many quitting. It takes awhile for you to stand out and a DM to get to know you and develop a relationship. A DM likes a driver that makes his job easier and is not a complainer. He can give you a load and he knows with minimal supervision you can get 'er done.

Then with an established relationship he/she is gonna want to keep you on their board and they will give you preference. If three drivers are sitting in one area and a good load comes out guess who gets it? Definitely not the complainer.

Just like drivers, DMs have multiple personalities. Some are mean, some are intelligent, some make you wonder, some are always calm, some try to act like god, etc. Sometimes when settling in with a new company you might have to try another dispatcher if there is a personality conflict. I can tell you I had more bad dispatchers than good ones. But try to be the one with the level head and make the best of it if you can. Arguing gets you nowhere.

A common thing I see is the snowball effect. One little problem can leave a sour taste in your mouth. Due to that problem comes another problem and another and it keeps growing until one of you cracks. One thing about trucking is you deal with little problems everyday. You deal with them the best you can and you forget about them. Tomorrow is a new day. Keep that attitude and you'll keep your sanity.

You'll have bad weeks and good weeks. What matters is what's on your W-2. I'll usually do the math quarterly to get an idea on a yearly picture. For the most part I will give any company 7 months to see if there is a future or not. Don't ask me why but I've quit 4 of them at 7 months. The older and more experienced you get the better you get with handling things.

That's all from a company driver's stand point. Then if you make the move to owner operator then you are a business and what Dr. F says holds more true.

You are performing a service not only for the customer but the company too. Keep it professional. Some of these drivers come off the streets and the only way they know how to deal with things is to blow up. When tempers fly things don't normally go so well. Those type drivers usually end up in a truck stop trying to figure out how to buy a hot dog for dinner!

Be smart, be calm, be patient, be dependable!

 

My travel agent was 22 years old when I met her. She was a waitress before. Young girl. She had a bunch of drivers on her board who always let her know that they've been driving since before she was a gleam in her daddy's eye. They yell, they belittle, they argue. Apparently there's a chapter in the dispatcher Playbook for handling belligerent drivers.

In my line of work, you learn patience really quick. Everything is crane appointments, rigging crews, security checks, safety films, metro curfews, permits, and DOT checks. When something goes wrong, don't get excited. Don't start cussing and threatening...doesn't do any good, they have a chapter in the Playbook for that. Sometimes, it will even feel like your travel agent is trying to push your button. I doing have a button, can't be controlled by button pushing.

Some drivers need their hands held. They have to call in every day, they had an appointment for 0730 and it 0743 and they start blowing up the phone. Why?

As a driver, do what you say you're going to do. If you say you will tarp through load, tarp the load. If you said you would get on time, be on time. If you said you were going to the house, go to the house. Everyone in the office will know when Driver X says something, he means what he says. You have to respect that.

 

You don't have to kiss his/her butt, but maintaining a professional relationship in good working order is important. Put it the other way around. Let's say YOU are the DM, and the worst pain in the a driver you have to deal with just went empty. You know he'll be calling, and YELLING at you about why your lazy a isn't getting him a load now.

So what do you do?

A. Go out of your way to satisfy him with the best load you have.

B. Take care of everyone else with the good loads, and give him what's left over.

C. Go to lunch and ignore him.

D. Let him sit and fume for a day.

I'll bet your first choice in dealing with a jerk driver isn't "A."

 

Well I guess I've got a slightly different take amongst the usual cosy comments about being a team player and acting in a professional manner, whatever that means. Sounds more politically correct than anything else. But I'm afraid I've been exposed to to many useless and incompetent DMs to tolerate any nonsense.
When I Have a DM that tells me he's got X number of loads to move and everyone of them is overweight to my reckoning, then where is the team player now. What's sooooo professional about that?
There isn't so my input to the original writer of the question is to tread softly and at times carry a big stick. Because somewhere along the way, you're going to need it. Being a team player is all fine and dandy but not at the risk of throwing you, the driver, under the bus. I've seen too many DMs push the envelope a bit too far in my estimation, so you have to take care of yourself. You are the one that has to do the hard part, get it delivered on time and safely.
Im an O/O now and I've had a few choice words with my DM. He fully understands where I'm at and hooray, we get along just fine. But in my experience YOU take control and gain the respect of everyone around you.
Good luck.

 

The relationship that I have with my DM is that of a professional colleague. He's not one of my good-time buddies, nor is he my enemy. I do my job and expect him to do his and vice versa. I get all my loads over the Qualcomm, so I only call him if I can foresee some sort of problem with delivery times. He's busy, has other trucks to deal with, so I don't bother him with things that I can handle on my own. He knows that if there is a problem, ill let him know. Otherwise he leaves me alone to do my thing. I know that he's got drivers that need their hand held all day long, so I make it a point to be as dependable as possible with the least amount of drama possible, and he appreciates that and has let me know as much.