I'm a Dispatcher, I think Im being under paid, what do you think?

Im a dispatcher and I not only take take of the loads, but I handle the dispatch 24/7 for a very small company. I only get a small percent of each load that help negotiate and i only work with 4 drivers for now, 24/7....i basically run the company myself, the only thing I dont do is invoicing and back end stuff - meaning the pay out from the carrier to the drivers. I basically on the phone negotiating rates, calling brokers, analyziing lanes, sign rate contracts,filling out packets, I work from home and work primarily by emails, so I make my boss, the drivers and brokers life easier that way instead of using paper. I hardly talk to my boss because he doesn't want to deal with this business, as he is working on another business. On a bad week, (3-4 loads), I only make about $200 max. On a good week (working overtime, including weekends), I work with about 5-10 loads, I make $250-$350 - and this is working all day every day. He charges the owner operators 12% per load, and I only get a small percent of each load. Can you tell me if I am making enough, because i feel like I am being ripped off, but my boss says I am not? I know I am getting ripped off but I need some feedback (btw, I have been doing this for 7 years)...

 

Are you being serious? If so, How do you eat?

 

That's a great question, thank god my wife has a good job...

 

Surely you jest?

 

I'm not joking

 

Just tell the boss the truth after you find a new dis. job, its better to find a job if you allready have one.

 

I actually had a convesation/argument with him, I told him I think I deserve more for all the work I do, and he told me that I should be happy with what I make working from home - I was dumbfounded with how greedy he is...I did the math and he is making a ton of money, while Im running his business for peanuts....Im embarrassed to say the % i make

 

Sounds like you are getting about $50/load, why does it take you so long if you've been doing it for 7 years ? I mean, don't you kind of have an idea of which loads are junk or lists of brokers and shippers you prefer to work with that you can depend on in some areas ? I would think by now that you would often book a load with a quick email and sign a ratesheet or load tender, yes ?

Don't get me wrong, believe me I know all too well that at times you try all day to find one decent load for one truck and come up empty, but that really should be the exception and not the norm for you at this point.

 

I understand what you are saying but the last person I worked with was an owner/operator and it was great money, but he shut down. The guy I am working with right now, is the guy I started with 7 years ago....so when the company I was with closed, I called him to see if he needed dispatchers...Maybe I sounded desperate, but that was the rate I was offered. I do have relationships with shippers and brokers, I even have a list and tried my hand at the brokering side. And I am not averaging $50 a load, if I did, the load would have to be at least $2,500 just to make $50 ....

 

I got $50 from when you said 3-4 loads / week and you made $200. Look, go into any medium to large trucking company and you will find people who book loads for 10 trucks a day or more and don't get paid a whole lot either. I'm just not sure you can expect to make a full time living on 4 loads a week, or even 10.