Ask A Dispatcher anything

I’m going to assume you’re At least 50? I’m only 30, never had a check book until I bought my own house at 28. Never needed one, I did how ever know how to fill one out. now since this is a trucking fourm maybe he’s referring to a T-check. Ive never used one, never worked at a company that used them, therefor I would have no clue how to fill one out.

 

..lol yeah I'am 50+... I thought about that after I posted it ...lol...
I figured they still taught how to write a check in school .. but I guess they quite doing doing when the did away with making kids stay after school and clean the black boards ..lol.. it sucks to get old

 

Ok, I need to ask.
Is this what’s happening when the driver is waiting for a load for several hours?

Chairspin Vlad GIF - Chairspin Chair Spin - Discover & Share GIFs

 

I know I receive favoritism at my company and get the best paying loads....why ?
Because I've been here going on 5 years ...im easy to work with ...I dont wine ....I deliver on time within reason and dispatch doesent find me Mia on Monday morning with some bs excuse for why my load is in the yard that should have departed early Sat morning or Friday night .
I dont drop dirty trailers that should be washed out or with flat tires and lites out .
I seem to profit from that.

 

Haha I haven’t seen a check since I was a little kid in the late 90s/ early 2000’s. I’m in my late 20s so I never used one growing up. The other guy was right, it was a tcheck. I could’ve figured out how to fill out a normal one lmao

 

Years ago I had a dispatcher tell a customer a a lie as big as the Grand Canyon is wide. He called and told me this big ### lie and to go along when I got to customer, if asked.
Customer asked me and I flat threw that lying MF’er under a fleet of busses. He was a lying 2 faced prick anyway

 

That depends on the company. Swift? Probably hundreds. My company only hires dispatchers with a million miles or more under their belt. But just like all drivers don't drive like CRST dumb and dumber drivers, not all dispatchers are alike!

Yes, it does. It's better for the overall picture to blame it on a driver oversleeping than to admit the company bit off more than it could chew. Don't take it personally. I promise that it really isn't about you at all.

Google Maps runs the shortest route from address to address. PC Miler runs a truck-safe route from zip code to zip code to the nearest tenth of a mile. So while it may not be spot on, it's #### close.

Is my company weird for hiring former drivers, or smart?

It sounds like you've worked at some crappy places.

Thank you for the conversation! The majority of drivers think that dispatching is easy. As a driver, I can promise you that this is one of the most difficult jobs I've ever had. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

I work about 7-8 hours a day 5 days a week. I usually come in for a couple of hours both Saturday and Sunday. But we don't have a set schedule. We do what we have to do to take care of both the driver and the customer.

We are salary starting at around $50k/year and topping out at $90k. It seems low. but when you factor in that you are home every day, and aren't constantly eating out, it almost breaks even. The benefits are the same. Health, 401k, vacation...

There is a certain amount of favoritism. Like anything else, we'd rather deal with a driver that gets the job done than a little whiner that only drives 300 miles a day and complains about every load they're given. The loads really aren't personal though. They go to the best truck/driver for that load. For example, You have 6 trucks unloading in LA. You've got 6 loads going out. Who gets unloaded first? Which load delivers first, and who has the hours to run it? Woo has home-time coming up? When it gets personal is if you have 2 drivers; 1 driver is a runner and the other ####s off all the time. I've got a load that needs to be in Texas in 2 days. I'm going to give that load to my runner and let the other driver do what they're good at.

 

While I run for a day cab private fleet we have a dedicated planner out of New York that thinks similar. He will give a 14 hr run to the guys he knows that will turn it and not hotel it 50 miles from the plant.
While maybe akin to payola have you ever been "gifted" anything from your drivers?
I had a decent year in 2019..a bit over 120K.
So early last year I called the finest steakhouse in his town and bought a $125 gift certificate, they threw another $50 buck on top...$175
When I talked to him early 2020 I told him to stop at the address in his spare time and give his name to the hostess.
This was more of a thank you gesture than a bribe but I admit I thought it would put me in good stead.
I've also bought gifts for all our drivers, like mini flashlights, back supports etc.
It seems to have served me well .

So has any of your folks gifted you anything?

 

Nothing like that! But small things, yes. Homemade beef jerky and hot sauce, candy, a bottle opener, stuff like that.

 

Is your company primarily broker freight or customer/contract freight?
Do you have a sales staff if so.