I'm a dispatcher looking for O/O's to give me advice on dispatching

Gato Dispatch · Feb 22, 2023

gokiddogo said: ↑

I am trying to determine who actually uses a dispatch service. Perhaps individuals with language barriers?

Don't take this the wrong way - but you don't know what is best for me. When I agree on whatever load I am going to do, it's MY word on how exactly things are going to go. Another point is WHO I will haul the load for. Are you aware the exact same load may be handed to several different brokers? Some of them I WILL NOT HAUL FOR PERIOD. I have my own reasons and that is MY business decision, not yours. I didn't get into this to give someone else the reigns, let alone someone who isn't even on my payroll but an outside company represent me, promise whatever to a customer and now I have to save the day to keep MY company from looking like dirt? I don't think so. This is exactly why established relationships are key to the independent. The customer/broker knows more than just the rate they are paying to get their freight moved. They know who I am. They know I am going to get there on time, no damage, they aren't going to get a call their load is behind the scale because I didn't maintain my equipment or authority. They sleep well at night knowing their product is going to show up to THEIR customer on time, no damage, basicly, NO BS. Then they get a bill they have 30 days to pay not be chased by some factoring company. Having too many layers of communication, making things difficult for a customer, is all classified as general BS. Having zero BS is what keeps them coming back.

I am not your target customer. It's great you have figured out a way to make a living off the backs of truck drivers. Seemingly every day there is yet another idea to make money off the driver by someone who doesn't want to do it legitimately or do any actual work. You seem to have skirted the rules of double brokering by charging a flat fee rather than a % of the load. What you are doing is essentially the same, in my eyes at least. You have no broker authority, customers of your own, or authority to operate a trucking company. All you have invested is maybe a load board subscription and a phone. Forgive me for not being very welcoming. Try to consider what I (and many others here) have gone through to get to where we are today. We start at the bottom and work for probably not the best place. We are away from family often. We put up with a mountain of BS every single day. We manage to save and buy our own equipment and keep our authority in good condition as well as our trucks and trailers. We sell OURSELVES. We have found out customers or brokers to work with routinely who we have proven our work to and they pay us steadily well rather than just giving their work to the next cheapo-el-trucko company that comes along. I have used a dispatch service - it was people in an office who worked for the carrier I was driving their truck for at the time. My 2nd dispatch service was at a small carrier again driving his truck (he had maybe 5 company trucks and 5 owner operators) there was the boss man and 1 dispatch guy it worked great. I bought my first truck and ran under his numbers for a time before totally stepping out on my own. Now my "dispatch services" are called brokerage houses. Not some guy with a load board subscription and a phone. I suppose you might classify the secretary who calls me (who is directly employed by the customer) and arranged freight with me could also be termed a "dispatch service". My last thought is - why should I trust you, who I have never met and likely will never meet - not to have sold yourself to the broker as (whatever trucking company name you come up with, maybe you even have one setup on paper, at least) to get the load from the customer or broker - then shoot the paperwork to me changing it to look like the rate confirmation is from customer to me.? Then you are setup with factoring company X, you submit the paperwork I present to you and you deposit the load amount - and 30 days later I am calling the brokerage or customer wondering when I am going to get paid all the while you have disappeared into the night. I had someone try it to me once. A broker I don't deal with but know who they are - they call me asking my ETA to the shipper (it happened to be a shipper in california). I told her I am not booked on any loads for them - she insisits I am - I tell her I am on the opposite side of the country and to immediately call whoever the shipper is tell them not to load it because it is not me! She thanked me in the end - after she realized none of her previous contact info matches up with mine. Shady, shady, shady.
/end
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It sounds like you don't need a dispatch. That's great. Thank you for sharing your tragic story. If we take off some layers we start seeing why we feel the way we do. It is settled you won't have a dispatcher. I'm looking for trucking industry insight and general conversation. Thank you for your input. Although disparaging I will take it with a grain of salt. I'm hopeful that growth will come from any angle. I have some great clients that i work well with. I appreciate them and always do right by them. Building trust is key. It sounds like you were in business with unsavory folks. There are marauders in every industry. Safe travels.

Gato Dispatch · Feb 22, 2023

LameMule said: ↑

If I signed up for your service, how would I decide what loads to book and what freight to haul? Would I tell you where I'd like to run, what lanes I prefer and let you book the loads for me or would I book them myself??? Would you handle on boarding with new brokers or would I do that? If I found a load that looked good do I call you and ask you to negotiate a rate with the broker and take care of the ratecon before the load is gone off the loadboard?

Personally I see zero benefits to a dispatcher unless the dispatcher is either my wife or someone working for the same company that I'm working for and I'm happy hauling whatever loads I'm told to haul.

How about you share some of those hot loads with us that you've been holding out on, I sure could use a $4,500 Seattle to Jersey load!
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I don't know the procedure of other firms but our operating policy is to be an employee of the trucker. We work as to your specifications and requirements. Always we strive to book next load before current load is unloaded. We like to give options to our drivers and let them choose the path. Trust is the key. Thus you would have your wife dispatch. You sound reasonable and not alone. Dispatch isn't for everyone. Thank you for input.

Long FLD · Feb 22, 2023

What are you selling? What do you have to offer? Why would it make sense for an owner operator to pay you to do something they could easily do themselves? What value would you be adding to someone’s operation?

You’re being vague and you never answer any questions. Maybe people could help you “gain insight” if you actually stated what your goals are. Saying you want to be the best is admirable, but maybe you start out by saying what your short term goals are that will help you become the best.

REO6205 · Feb 22, 2023

Long FLD said: ↑

What are you selling? What do you have to offer? Why would it make sense for an owner operator to pay you to do something they could easily do themselves? What value would you be adding to someone’s operation?

You’re being vague and you never answer any questions. Maybe people could help you “gain insight” if you actually stated what your goals are. Saying you want to be the best is admirable, but maybe you start out by saying what your short term goals are that will help you become the best.
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Isn't it always true that the more a person insists that he's honest the less honest he really is? An honest man's ethics speak for themselves.
We have too many people on here that are looking to squeeze money out of the O/O. The staff weed a lot of them out but sometimes it's interesting to just let them blabber and see what they have to say.
Things are rough enough right now that spreading the profit margin thinner isn't really an option.
I think we've heard everything we need to from the OP.
I also think that he has a good idea of how we regard people like him and his services.

This thread is closed.

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