Dealing with brokers as a company driver

It is somewhat baffling to figure out how to turn off a phone...

 

lol

 

I didn't justify making 2 dozen calls to a driver who hadn't done anything wrong. I justified making 2 dozen calls to a driver who never picked up and was in real danger of having his whole day disrupted through losing his load. I was simply trying to explain when the behavior WOULD be justified. You know to contrast with what they were actually doing.

I never justified the people who called that new driver on an sub hourly basis for updates. Those people are 1) wasting their own time and 2) crazy. The sheer amount of unnecessary work is staggering. They must have like 2 loads at any given time lol. How scared do you have to be of the product you're having hauled to do that?

 

Older and more competent trucking companies that have good reputations I'm generally fine dealing with dispatch... Unless I'm going to need to contact someone on the weekend. I no longer believe the line "we have 24 hour dispatch". I've just heard it, believed it, and looked super stupid too many times.

 

That makes since and you have every right in that case to keep calling a driver.Had one broker Brandon that always requested me to pick up his loads.I asked him why do you always want me he says because I'm always thinking ahead.

 

it was the condescension in your edit that raised my hackles. You know, the 'Also it really does seem lost on you that we're the people paying for that load. That means we're the customer. We have a right to know what's going on with it in a reasonable way.'

if I were complaining about a reasonable attempt to contact the driver by the broker, I could understand your edit. But I wasn't and nothing was 'lost on me' I just don't agree with burning up the company drivers phone when he's trying to safely operate a commercial vehicle or trying to sleep.

 

A broker that feels the need to speak directly to the driver, for example, in order to even provide the address for the pickup, is a broker that does not trust the carrier or their dispatch farther than they can throw them. And I've worked for a few of these carriers before. I don't trust them either- not to pay me, have money for fuel or properly maintain their equipment.

In that case, the carrier will also give zero intimacies about giving out the driver's phone # off the employment app to satisfy the broker's need for assurance from the driver.

Then there are the shippers/receiver that don't trust their broker farther than they can throw them and the mistrust gets kicked down the line. That is usually because the party paying for the shipment is a cheapskate and paying bottom dollar for the load.

Either way, the prevailing attitude from beat up old drivers, O/O's who have to answer the phone anyway whether it's driver or broker in the middle of the night, and newbies who don't know any better is- just deal with the incessant calling from brokers.

Like the wise sages on the forum have already indicated: have a Hallmark moment with your dispatch/owner and let them know you won't be answering your phone while driving or wasting time with updates multiple times a day. Or better yet, just don't answer your phone and when asked about it, tell them you have terrible cell phone service. It's easier to apologize than ask for permission.

I'm pretty sure there are tax codes that deal with using personal phones for business purposes and unless you're getting reimbursed for using your cell phone service to satisfy the "needs" of all parties involved, there is absolutely no reason to spend time or money on that.

 

You did get on a thread, talking about 2 dozen calls to a driver who had done nothing wrong. Bringing up a tangent, to justify 2 dozen calls.
First, I realize there are drivers who don't have the ability to think, plan, show courtesy when things aren't going right. The company and dispatcher over them may not either? I had recently used a quote from a driver, criticizing the shipper. The driver blew up. He couldn't comprehend what I said. Only that I mentioned his example in a quote. That's all. Now you have to deal with people like this? Not all are, but I estimate, from my life experience, too many are. And you have much at stake.
I also realize that in recent months. Shipments have been late, even before they were shipped. Very late! Prices have gone through the roof. It's eased off some now. Winter is slower. But there has been lots of pressure on brokers. You brokers are playing a futures game. Lots of money at stake. You gotta make sure the shipment comes through. You can lose alot. Ton's of pressure on the brokers. Also.... You must face the fact. You brokers have been taking advantage of carriers for years. The result is lack of trucks/drivers. You're paying for it now. I do think this is going to continue. The power is moving from the shippers/receivers/brokers, to the carriers/drivers. Due simply to lack of drivers.
When a driver is late, doesn't let anyone know why. That is incompetence. Incompetence doesn't pay you. Results do.
And then we have cell phone laws. In States that require the driver to pull over when he talks on his cell phone. This isn't slowing the driver down?
I also know that many times, business people will lie through their teeth. Coming up with lies to get this done right now. I'm supposed to ruin my whole day, to take care of that one thing this instant. When if I take care of it when it works with my schedule. I can take care of everybody much faster. The business person doesn't care. They're incompetent. Like a two year old, throwing a terrible two's fit.
I'd be the first one to want to know, asap, if an important change took place on my load. But want to make sure my company knows also. Involve more cost? Are we getting paid for the change? If it doesn't go through dispatch. I don't know? I have to waste more time calling up and verifying my company knows and approves.
Yet....you, a broker, admits, these brokers who harass drivers are idiots. That's what this thread is all about.
I'm just getting into this. Am doing tons of research, to learn. This looks very very interesting to me. How to make things work. Interesting...

 

No offense but that condescension may have snuck in when you said that my perfectly reasonable post demonstrated that I, and my entire occupation, were evil. You really don't get to ##### about tone. Sorry.

 

You've been talking out of both sides of your mouth. And I'll say it again- after this experience I sure do understand why people think brokers are evil. Sensitive much? If you're not one of them well good for you, move on but don't discount this experience. this was dangerous and yes evil. If you don't do this, why so offended? Especially since you admit there are those types out there?