Cannot reach dispatcher!!! Is this normal?

For a new ship/rec, I always call 24hrs in advance during normal bus. hrs. If something is not right, then the office has time to correct it before you get there.

 

What company is it? If it's the same one I work for(Swift) then I can tell you how to immediately get ahold of someone any time of day or night. It may not be your dispatcher, but it will certainly be a better one and they will be on the phone immediately to answer questions.

 

MAWNING! YOU GOT THAT DOCK FOR MY APPLES YET!? WHAT"S THE HOLDUP?!

By the way, teasing aside, thank you for what you do late at night when no one is active.

 

You have to keep calling sooner or later someone will answer and leave a message on the qualcom.After day dispatchers go home there's a skeleton crew at night.

 

Night Dispatch. Profound frustration. Call them when you really need help and they tell you, "Sorry, you're going to have to wait until your travel agent comes in."

And the phone conversation usually ends with, "Why did you answer the phone? You don't know ANYTHING. You can't help ANYONE You are completely and utterly useless. So why do you answer the phone?"

And the next morning, you get some office manager blowing up your phone because you made night dispatch cry.

It's easier to do your own legwork than rely on the desk jockeys. Google maps, Internet searches for phone numbers usually brings up 4-5 different phone numbers. If no one is in shipping and receiving, call security. Their number can usually be found too.

What if, you tried all of that and still couldn't get a phone number for high way to come in? I have been known to get out of the truck and do a walk about. Google maps will usually show the parkinglot and the docks. Some places don't have either and they want you to go into some residential neighborhood. Nope. Not without confirmation. Not happening. That truck is too freakin big. We've all made that mistake before. Once is enough. I will wait until the sun is up and every desk jockey that works bankers hours is in before I go into some unknown neighborhood.

 

I was in the same situation in my first driving job. I had my dispatcher's cell number but it had better be the end of the world before I used it.

May I suggest that you consider being a little more thorough in your trip planning? After hours isn't the time to find out you don't know where you're going. Better to nail that down before you leave.

 

@TripleSix

Lol. I've made/received those calls. Yes, I pissed them off. Yes, my manager called me the next day. Yes, I was right. No, I wasn't gonna play nicey-nice when they treat me like I'm maggoty dog food when I called and they don't know how to do anything. We agreed that my manager would train them instead. Knowing my mgr, he tried. It didn't help.

Pfft. Why bother?