Lets talk about greasing some palms...

My company does not have actual dispatchers.

I have a driver manager, but he usually does not dispatch me on a load. Though it sometimes happens.
Planners plan the loads, and sometimes dispatch as well. They are regional, so whatever region you find yourself in is where you are planned from. No particular person.
We have a computer that usually dispatches the pre-planned loads when we send our empty call, and sometimes sends pplans to us.

I do not make enough in a year to cover the cost of sending cookies to everyone involved in dispatching my loads, not to mention... what do I send the computer program, or programmers?


And as far as getting loads with a higher rate... I am paid by the mile, not the load.
If I want a higher cpm, then I would have to request the shorter loads. Under 100 miles pays the best, but they also take the most time, relatively speaking.

 

On one project where we depended on lots of verbal permission, the lead guy brought them a box of doughnuts every morning. Got expensive over time. I'd do little different surprises so they don't get used to anything but have a general good feeling.

 

Back when I did regular pickups at the airport, I used to carry these awesome hand made caramels from a local artisan candy shop. When I would go to a new dock, the office, the freight desk, the forklift crew, everybody would get a 8 oz bag of caramels. Christmas time, everybody got caramels. Caramels for everybody!

After a few trips, they'd see me coming and run out to the back to see if my freight was there yet. Everyone was happy to see me when I got there. Co-drivers would stand there with their mouths open wondering what was going on.

Best investment I ever made. The ONLY people it didn't work on was the union monkeys at United, but they are all soul-dead, anyway, and can't be saved.

 

The whitehorse scales always had the equivilent of girl scout cookies for sale in it. I like girl scout cookies so always made it a point to buy a couple of boxes. This went on for more than a year before I ask which one of their kids was selling them. It was none of them, they said they didn't even know the guuy that kept them in there, just someone from the girl scouts. lol

I lived not far from the peanut capital of the world, so would sometimes grab fifty pounds in 2 pound bags before heading up, passed them out to friends my broker a couple of customer and the left several bags at the scale house. After that Carol at the scale house would always give me something good to eat around the hollidays when I went through..
I also lived close to a cheese pant, that had a company store, they made a variety of cheese, including some delicious jalopena cheese. I would bring that up occasionally and folks up here started putting in orders, it was not long before some back east grocery chain ruined that and contracted everything they had the capacity to make, so they closed the public store.

 

I’m a company driver and when I stay at the terminal I get up early and go get a dozen donuts. It cost me $8 for 14 from the local donut shop. I walk around and make sure my DM, terminal manager, head of driver training, the girl who runs the parts department, and the service writer all get them.

When I have a good week I take my DM to lunch. It really is the little things that get you remembered and gets me the better freight runs...always grease the skids. Life is easier with lubrication.

 

If you're a company driver, don't forget the shop foreman.

When I worked as a company driver, I was laid up for maintenance on my truck and in a long line. The mechanic told me it would be three days before he could even look at it.

So, with nothing better to do, I struck up a "casual conversation" with the shop foreman. He related that he was having troubles with his wife.

So, I went and bought him a $50 gift card to Red Lobster and told him to take her out to a nice dinner and that I hoped it would help things.

It must have helped because my truck was fixed by the next morning and he was smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

 

Here's how I grease palms at my company .
I dont wine and cry .
I maintain a good attitude.
I treat the trailers I pull like I own them .
I pick up and deliver on time without stupid claims .
I get all the good freight I can haul .

 

And surprise, surprise, it works every time. lol

 

That's all that anybody wants. Good post.

I hate to see office people and shop people taking gratuities and then giving preferential treatment to a driver because of it. Our company doesn't allow it.
If a driver feels that he has to bribe people...and yes, let's call it what it really is... to achieve some kind of parity there's something bad wrong with that company.

@bzinger said it right. Come to work, do your job. That's all there is to it.
Don't try to sneak and cheat and bribe your way into the office people's good graces. They'll take your gifts...and then talk about you and the talk will center around what a patsy you are.
A good day's work is the best and only gift a driver should ever have to give.