To be a dispatcher, you have to have a dark side.....

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by RebelYeller5, Sep 4, 2014.

  1. RebelYeller5

    RebelYeller5 Light Load Member

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    Mar 11, 2012
    Birmingham AL
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    So the Dispatcher screws up, he commits to a horrific load, it's impossible for any trucker to make money on this load. In fact, breaking even on non-labor costs would be a victory. But he doesn't want to reneg or cancel with the customer (maybe he owes the guy something), so to save face he'll take that hot potato load and find a home for it. First, he makes the mistake of trying to dump it on a seasoned veteran, who rejects it and asks if there has been some kind of mistake. The next O/O he tries is not too experienced (and far too trusting) accepts the load, drives a couple of miles toward the Shipper before his wife and team mate says, WAIT A MINUTE....WHATTTT! The dispatcher then tries to convince them that since they accepted the load, they have to go through with it. They talk to the company owner, who tells them it's not true and makes the idiot dispatcher cancel with the customer. You have to keep a sharp eye on your dispatchers, you'll never know when they'll try to insert the knife.
     
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  3. NavigatorWife

    NavigatorWife Road Train Member

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    It's bad when detention on some loads pay as much as the load its self.
     
  4. jess-juju

    jess-juju Road Train Member

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    Sounds like they are leased to the wrong company to me.

    Are you talking O/O who has the truck title in hand and can switch companies or a Lease Purchase?
     
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  5. Preacher Man

    Preacher Man Road Train Member

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    Mason City, IL
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    I just had this happen to me and I have already sent in my application to Landstar over the weekend. Now I'm waiting until they call me. This is what I'm dealing with, load 1 was nice but I only had 8 hours to cover 600 miles. Second load I accepted and they cancelled, third and fourth loads were garbage miles and had nothing good about them including scheduling. They tried to say I turned all four loads down. I sent back a message that pointed out the facts.

    Of course I also got the standard reply, "Freight is really short in your area."
     
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  6. Richter

    Richter Road Train Member

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    Philadelphia Pa
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    What happened to personal responcibility. New or not, you need to know what you are making before you accept a load.
     
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  7. not4hire

    not4hire Road Train Member

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    Calgary
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    Short freight is good... less wind resistance. ;)
     
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  8. Cetane+

    Cetane+ Road Train Member

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    Albany, NY
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    Not trying to be a prick but, You are talking about L/O's, not O/O's. Plus you only have to do the loads you want, no matter where you lease on to.
     
  9. rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    TN
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    Yeah but at most companies there's hell to pay if you turn down any load no matter what the reason. Really the norm in trucking is that contractors are treated no different than employees at most companies. I quit my old company of 11 years when someone pointed out to me on this very forum how ridiculous it was that I, in my own truck covering all the expenses, had to give notice when I wanted time off. And after a week off they'd be bugging me to get back to work. And so I don't play that game anymore. How it ought to be everywhere.
     
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  10. Raiderfanatic

    Raiderfanatic Heavy Load Member

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    Hutchinson, KS
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    Not where we are leased on to. I turn down loads all the time if it's not profitable or doesn't fit into what I want. Just turned down one yesterday and the next one they offered was ten times better. They can give the garbage loads to their company drivers. We didn't sign a lease that said we have to take every load and if we refuse we will get black listed. We might be leased on but we own our truck, not them. If I thought they were treating us crappy because I didn't want a load then I'd take my lease into their office and tell them where to stick it. There's other companies I'd take our truck to. But we've been here a few years and over all, I don't ever have to worry about petty crap like that.
     
  11. not4hire

    not4hire Road Train Member

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    Calgary
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    I disagree. I always gave two weeks notice when I was taking time off as a matter of courtesy so the dispatchers would know who would be available when planning loads.I would also remind them a week before and then again a couple days before. I didn't HAVE to, but I did. I also didn't ask, I just let them know when I was taking time off.
     
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