Never driven management...

There is no correlation between (knowing what it is like being a driver) and never have been a driver. I have had to deal with both and honestly both are great as well as suck at it.

 

I used to work in the office side of things at a mega and I can tell you some of the best dispatchers we're non-drivers and some of the worst dispatchers we're former drivers. It's nice if your dispatcher has former driving experience, but there are many other qualities that are far more important.

 

I work for a small carrier (16 trucks I think?). Up until about 2007 or so the owner did all the dispatching. He got the bug to drive again so he brought in a lady that was a former lumber broker. When she first started she was great at asking me and some of the other experienced drivers questions regarding travel times, what was realistic, what could be done, etc. She took notes and retained everything she learned. She’s great and makes me regret leaving for five years. She treats us all with respect and has a great relationship with all the employees.

 

How many of you willing to be dispatchers?

If not, then you understand why there are no former drivers being dispatchers,


And just a little FYI, a lot of drivers suck at everything including driving.

Would you like to have someone who failed as a driver dispatching you?

 

Everyone except for a very few of the non driving staff in my company are cdl holders with current medical cards. The DMs all are former drivers for that company. I forget what the guidelines are, but they also had to be successful and above a certain threshold to be moved into that position. Even still, everyone who gets hired on to work in the office sits in orientation with the drivers and throws tarps, chains and straps during their hiring process. So even the non drivers don’t treat us like dirt when we call with an issue. They know the stresses of the job and that they have it easy. And everyone who has driven for the company before knows pretty much all of our customers and how to secure a particular load. Great place to work.

 

I wouldn’t ever want that job. That’s how I keep perspective out here. I have my set of problems and my worst day ever is just one of dozens of hundreds of problems they deal with simultaneously. Screw that.

 

Ha. I almost became a dispatcher myself. It was no problem excepting that I was a profane dinosaur in a office filled with 30 somethings who never touched a truck much less did the things I have done.

Considering how few good dispatchers are there out there, Id just stay in the truck or at home doing something else.

There are some people who can drive. Great. But cannot think any higher. (And vice versa.)

Most of the better companys, the smaller ones anyway have people who have driven and understand me when I talk about something related to it.

However. Corporate has mutated and became grotesque trying to follow the regulation changes that essentially put free range drivers like me to pasture. Hand me a load and I'll see you in 6 days from the customer. And if no news all is well.

Unlike today where some people cannot endure 15 minutes of nothing and then beep a driver trying to get his 10 in the berth via satellite with make work fritter.

I am not polished, nor diplomatic and a bit too rough for corporate. Trucking was one of the life styles that suited me when I did try the corporate work route before I got into it. Working a mail room for example and meeting all the high officers who only acknowledge your importance to their work when there is no coffee on their desk in the morning. They can #### well get it themselves LOL.

 

only however, to the office, it starts at the bottom, and rarely makes it to the top!!

 

i almost commented on this. Must resist the urge to unload. Many people could be reading. Lol