Does it do any good to tell the DM or Load planner what you want?

I had a dispatcher who tried to run me into the ground once. Loaded three coil loads per day delivering over nights sustained on what I considered a War Effort Footing if that made sense. On the 4th month my body was getting defects from the mind bending runs and I called his supervisor.

I told Supervisor one of two things is gonna happen, I fire this dispatcher and get a good one or the truck is going to be left unlocked in Skid Row LA. Without any protection to the property.

An hour later I had a good dispatcher. I think I possibly saved lives in addition to my own when I recognized by training from another company the root causes of a pending and complete loss of certain physiological foundations in the mind and body from incessant running which again I reserve for war operations.

It did do one thing well, hardened me for what was to come later that year. I told off Dispatcher on a very bad load gone really horrible all around cost a bunch of money and losses. It would have been better if I fed staff into a can stamp machine and see it run better on the blood that week. I lost my temper, blasted the dispatchers collectively and told em off. That was carthartic. But what they did to me after for a period of 6 weeks was short my miles in a intended and deliberate manner to starve me out of a job. My savings ecked me through until they finally asked if I was weathy. I told em what does it matter Im accumulating damning evidence for the court house. It is actually case law from the late 60's when a employer deliberately shorts pay or miles against the employee and causes same to fail to be ready in all respects for duty.

I won that case. It hurt the company really bad. I don't care, they had it coming. Im a hard ### that way.

It was all unnecessary too that year. What a epic waste. I promised God that year if I ever became a dispatcher I would not abuse the drivers the way they abused me. The important thing is I recognized the abuse and dealt with it properly. I should have quit and saved us all the trouble but no. I love battle and see it through to the end. In fact I crave it.

It's been a long time in this life and ive settled down quite a bit. When you are young, it is very easy to get angry, be mean to people saying nasty things to other people you do not even know either in person or online. Ive been on the net since the early 90's and find it to be a useful tool but at the same time Ive seen the worst in people. It does not bother me one bit. I see that Locke here tried to cause some problems but in the end he is only hurting himself.

That is the kind of Driver I do not want to see in the Industry. The Me kind. The Marines teach there is no I, me or mine. There is a we, together and teamwork. Without it forget it. Im not a marine and never will be. But have adopted many of their teachings in my own world because I find it proven in battle. That alone is enough.

 

Someone came into a job with a mission: MAKE A NAME FOR YOURSELF AS THE GO-TO DRIVER.
In this day and age of the fleet of dumb steeringwheelholder a, it's easier to do than times past. It takes a little time. Like all relationships, trust doesn't come overnight. When everyone else gripes, whimpers and bellyaches, or slack as much as they can, you bring that A Game every single day, and hammer those loads home. If you are consistent, it quickly shows. Others will bring up excuses. Traffic, bad nights sleep...etc.
If you always bring your A Game, being on point is no sweat when the load is critical. But if your natural tendency is to be a slacker, you're not going to be able to do your best when all eyes are on you. Well, the odds are pretty good that you're going to goof somewheres.
Anyways, they will have a difficult load come down the line. They will give it to you because you're solid. And another and another. Sounds like punishment, right? You know how all these companies say that they have a first empty/first loaded policy? That's for the slackers. If you become that Go-To Driver, they will cater to you when things aren't critical.

AND....

...they will open up your fuel card so that you can fuel anywhere. All the other drivers get a list of approved fuel stops and you get to fuel anywhere. When you walk into the office, don't be surprised if the operations manager knows you by name. Who do you think opened your fuel card, amigo?

Every company has their GO-To Drivers. They have to have them. Can't run a company without them. That loudmouth fella sitting in the drivers' lounge, that's not him. The GO-TO Driver is in a motel when he comes to HQ.

Now, don't go to a company with the goal of being a Go-To Driver. Just bring that A-Game whenever you play regardless of recognition from the office.

 

You either take what they give you or find another line of work.You were hired to deliver freight and your dispatch will not cater to you unless you're his or her favorite driver.How you get to be favorite driver is you do not complain about your loads and you get them delivered on time.Then sometimes dispatch will work with you on loads.if you want certain areas to run in then you apply for them.OTR goes everywhere.

 

My last year as a company driver, no one wanted to go to northern Alberta in the winter. I just wanted to run. So they stuck me in Canada all winter. When the weather cleared, the fair weathered folks wanted to run Canada because it paid money. So I got sent to the States. I used to run from Savannah,GA to Bellingham,WA back and forth. Do local short runs, get a rolling restart, and hammer back across the country. Every week. When winter started up again, they put me back into Canada.

The next January, my DM got promoted into management. He placed me on a female DM's board that was so aggressive that none of her drivers liked her. She called me on the phone and introduced herself. She says, "I heard that you are a machine." I'm not a machine, I'm an old school trucker. This is how we run.

Made $79.9 as a flatbed company driver that year my first year back on the road. No oversized. Just hauling general freight. As long as I wasn't sitting around, I didn't care where I went.

 

Other then customs why do drivers hate going to Canada? With Werner I did it once a week and sometimes every other week.I didn't mind it.Now I have many Canadian Maps.

 

Some carriers have no choice. There is a huge amount of drivers with criminal records. They can't get into Canada.

 

They probably didn't like being part of the food chain. In the States, you can get away with being stupid. In Canada, especially in the northern provinces, stupid gets you dead.

Here, you have drivers run out of fuel pulling into a truckstop parkinglot. Try that in the northern provinces and help will arrive in a day or so.

 

I really dont know. I have moments of terror apporaching a metric bridge hoping the math is correct.

Canada was one of my specalities and when they found that out the Company would throw down a gazillion dollars and give me the nicest loads that sail across the ambassador bridge 15 minutes of customs house walk about for papers, walk down town to a bit of gamble and shop.. maybe visit the women and off we go.

In those days entering canada with the USD .69 to one CDN, was like a huge pay boost all around. Everything I touched turned to gold.

 

A couple months ago I told my dispatch I was tired of being in the north east 80-90% of the time. That I wanted to go out west.

They said they completely understand and they'll fix it.

Next week I drove short loads around Chicago area.

Did I get my wish answered? Sure. Was it for the best.....?..... Hmm.

 

I think it's important to realize that DM's, especially DM's, and planners at mega's would slice their own mother's throat to save their own ###.