Distasteful Dispatchers

That's your opinion and don't speak for us all

 

Well we could certainly each get into our corners and put on our boxing gloves and go at it! LOL. I see both sides of the coin to a point. I'm the wife of a trucker. We've ( and yes I say we because trucking is a family operation) been trucking for over 20 years and seen A LOT! I definitely see the drivers point of view. We've had our share of both good and less than desirable dispatchers. I totally understand that in recent times the quality of drivers is sometimes a little lacking. I have also seen the quality of dispatchers lacking also. Sometimes some dispatchers can assume (and you what that stands for) that drivers are stupid and helpless and can't find there way out of a paper bag. They start playing God and begin to micro-manage. I think that most of the problems between dispatchers and drivers could be solved with a little better communication. The driver is in his or her "tin can" aka truck and doesn't see the bigger picture and the same with the dispatcher. He or she is in a little tiny cubicle all day and can have a challenge seeing past their little world. Yes there are lazy truckers out there. But there are lazy people everywhere. Another thing that makes it challenging for drivers is when the dispatcher automatically thinks the driver is lying to them. My other favorite is when the dispatcher says " this is the shortest route. The computer says so." Another thing that is challenging is when the driver is trying to find their destination and the directions are completely WRONG. the dispatchers don't want to give the drivers any phone numbers to call to get better directions. Oh no can't have a driver call to talk to the customer. The dispatcher insists that those directions are correct and the poor driver will just have to figure it out. Yes there are drivers who sit on their butt at the truck stop. I have seen it and heard their talk when I've been out on the road with my husband. I don't think that is a huge number though. A dispatcher has more control over "taking care" of that situation. On the other hand a less than desirable dispatcher can make or break a driver and the driver really has no control of that situation at all. So maybe a little better communication, true communication, and respect could solve a lot of the problems that dispatchers and drivers experience. Be safe out there and God Bless!