Drivers that fear dispatch?

A local company I used to work for with regional runs didn’t have dispatchers. The owner directly ran the company and a few office helpers. We would call in an tell them we need a load. Would call is back with basic info from the load board, then we would call the brokerage and set everything.

It was a magical thing being able to choose a delivery time within a window the consignee could work with. No middle man, no headaches and no screw ups. Primarily worked with CHR for loads. Once in a while CHR would give the wrong PU# or wrong load info and a quick phone call made a fix. Why did I ever leave?

Did I mention loose leafs?

 

I work for a fortune 500 company w worldwide operations.
We in the US are dispatched from NY and the companys dispatch positions are considered transitory during the corporate ladder climb, as soon as they get any good they are gone.
Inefficiency at it's finest.
Someone one told me years ago that it's a good thing that they don't have to make money on the trucking side of the business...lol

 

I go through dispatchers when they fail to feed me information.

Their loads stand or die if I get fed BS or bad quality information. And they dare yell at me for being somewhere whose true appointment time was the previous morning? How dare you. You don't tell me to be there yesterday morning and don't get to yell or punish me for being there today at 3Pm or some BS appt time that is not valid.

I have quit companies rather than put up with (Read live with...) a bad dispatcher.

My last disapatcher was scary. He got into my mind after a few weeks and every time I called him he says it's on your qualcomm ready to go. Or the repair man is coming right now or ... whatever it is.

IF all my phone calls are reduced to thank you sir, see you tomorrow for all sorts of issues that come up, trucking would not have been that difficult at all. He knew what I wanted when I needed it. I asked him for a Md Load for particular reasons and a day off after (A part of my earned home time off..) and all i hear is ok, load is on your QC and call me when your day off is done up there.) no arguing no BS lifting vs operations or DM or any thing. Md was delivered, Day off was done and loads was ready to roll out of there. Easy.

A total opposite of many dispatchers who I remember very well for being bad and hope that they are roasting in that unmentionable place. One in particular... she huffed and puffed up about that stupid 16 hour HOS daily rule and sprouted a speech about vested authority etc etc. I told her that I did not fall off the turnip wagon yesterday and save that BS for the next driver because I am finished as of now. Truck keys and fuel card was on her desk and Im going to be on my way home.

They never listen to me when I have something business related to tell them that benefits the company. But they always hear me quit loud and clear. It's stupid.

 

When I had Dispatchers, I always tried to be professional and straight to the point. No BS buddy buddy talk, like some Drivers. No need to shmooze them over, just do a good job, and Respect is earned. Only had one problem # 7 dispatcher in 7 yrs at a Mega I was leased to, went straight over his head and won my case. Needless to say we never got along. I was ready to move on anyway. One thing I’ve learned is a Dispatcher that cant keep Drivers is usually out of a job soon himself. They’re definitely not your Boss. Though some may be mistaken about this, they won’t last long in the Industry.

 

guessing you have issues with your dispatchers ?

 

Crybabies and brown noses seem to get what they want. They only do certain sweet runs and most of the time get better paying runs just so dispatch does not have to deal with them. That is why crybabies and brown noses keep doing it. It makes their life easier and gets them paid.

Work honest and hard and you seem to get the harder, lower pay runs because they know you will get the job done and not cause them problems. Not all places work like this but too many do.

I just always did my job but you do get tired of the BS and the crap work.

 

the better companies I worked for the dispatchers were drivers who had a medical , or wanted out of the seat and they never steered you wrong and never really had a problem with , companies who USED DIPstatchers , those people could loose a fleet of trucks in a walmart parking lot . for those I just asked for my load papers and didn't talk to them ( was told I had a great personalty )

MY Loadmonger and I got along , yes there were loads I didn't like ( beat sitting at home with no work and a truck note ) but I was also the go to guy when things were in a bind and pulled off some stuff they said couldn't be done and did it legally or when there was a "problem" they would have the driver call me or they would send me to bail them out , and often on the board by my name it didn't say were I was going or doing just "hes working leave him alone he will call in when finished " ..

 

Yep u got that right. I found it helps if u get on with a smaller outfit where everybody knows ur name, and lets u do the job. Dont have to compete with the cry babies and brownnosers. My experiences the small companies dont like them guys, they need hard working folks that dont complain and do the job right