How do I become a dispatcher?

The first thing I teach dispatchers is that you never lie to a driver. If you get caught in a lie it kills your credibility with a driver. There is really no reason to lie to the driver. It is a job with positive and negative aspects. Somedays its a #### sandwich. Lying to the driver is just being weak and taking the easy way out.

Now to stir the pot a bit...I will guarantee that 99% of the current drivers on this site would not make it 6 months as a dispatcher. That is not a put down, and by no means am I saying dispatchers are somehow better. To be honest, I would not let my good drivers move to dispatch because they are more valuable to me on the road. I can supervise the dispatcher sitting next to me, but a driver has to be competent to get it done by himself out on the road. Anyway...driver and dispatcher are 2 different skill sets. I just hope all you drivers know that things on the other end of the phone are not any easier. The dispatchers have ####### bosses like me on their case all the time.

Lastly, I have never seen a thread where drivers ask what the operations staff is like at a given company. You all ask about every other facet of a given company when trying to decide where to go to work. In a lot of cases, this will determine how long you stay at said company. Something to think about.

 

i do beleive condo cruiser has got it figured out kick a55 post.

 

I think any good dispatcher is like any good owner operator. They've had several years in the seat of someone else's truck before they became a dispatcher. Now this is not to say all good dispatchers had several years seat time, maybe some don't. And this is not to say that OP would not be great dispatcher, maybe he would. This is just to say there is no way around it experience takes time and the best ones have it, along with people skills and common sense...

 

The best dispatchers I had were ex drivers. It should be a prerequisite before becoming a dispatcher.

 

They are. Plus one needs a calm demeanor and able to calm a tough situation down. The best dispatcher I ever had talked in the same sweet voice 365 days a year. If you were mad she could calm you down quickly. She always planned ahead and made smart decisions. One's like her are rare.

You can't please everyone but a good dispatcher is intelligent and multitask loads and drivers. They have the ability to see past their nose and make complex three load plans and such. Too many dispatchers handle things as they come and that's the wrong approach when they gridlock. You pretty much need a 3D brain.

 

I'll tell you another thing a good dispatcher always has handy... A notepad where he can write down and number in order as the calls come in from drivers issues as the calls come in... Then as that dispatcher deals with each specific issue he checks it off his list. Seen lots of dispatchers who didn't use that simple method and that is how a driver falls through the cracks and a guy ends up sitting somewhere for hours on end and no-one knows why when SHTF...

 

I was thinking of going that route as well. Driving then dispatching, but not many carriers in this area.

 

Exactly, I onced work at a place where the dispatcher had major anger management issues and would like to scream at drivers over the phone. I ran away from that place because of him. I'm sorry but trucking is stressful enough without someone verbally abusing you over the phone.

 

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