How do they schedule loads?

Generally speaking, appointment times are pretty firm. If you can't legally or safely make it there on time, tell them.

 

Many years ago, some pea brained, idiotic, scum sucking, dirt bag, sales Sierra Ocean Bravo, came up with an idea. An Idea called "Just In Time," or JIT for short. The world of trucking has never been the same since.
Miss an appointment, and you are likely to be in deep doo-doo. So as was already mentioned, don't accept a load that you can't make the time on, or at least get it on your QC that you have discussed it with your dispatcher, and was told to "run with it."
Of course, outfits that have "forced dispatch," can really play hell with you trying to turn down a load, even when basic logic would tell any thinking person, that it can't be done in the hours you have available....

 

If it's my dispatcher I think he rolls some dice and consults a Ouija board

 

If you're on elogs, they know exactly how many hours you have available, and when they start. Yes, they'll generally give you what you can handle.

 

Dispatchers know how long it takes on paper. They will say things like its 600 miles and company average speed is 60mph so you can make it in an 11hr driving shift.

What that "paper" doesnt account for is traffic, weather, construction and such. Experience will tell you if you can run at legal speed in a certain area or time of day so its down to you to tell them that you cannot make the appt no matter how many pieces of papers they want to do the math on.

 

Problems occur, when dispatch looks at a map and says to himself, "well, he SHOULD be able to make THAT with no problem." Not taking into account that there are "issues" we have to face out there.

 

Probably not, unless you make a habit of it. Everybody has problems, sometimes.