Is it Just Me???

To put it mildly the problem is twofold: On one hand you have the megas and companies of ill repute who will fill the trucks with a warm body to keep it moving. At the same time you have the more reputable companies that don’t advertise that have drivers on a waiting list. And the drivers themselves are caught in the middle,and when bills or other expenses start piling up you can’t afford to sit and wait for that reputable job to open up,if it does at all.

 

Most do not get direct kickbacks like the lunch counter crowd thinks.

But, the more drivers they cycle through on a yearly basis the more they are able to work the WOTC tax credit. Work Opportunity Tax Credit

 

Small companies are, from my experience, better to work for than the big mega carriers where you get lost in the sauce. There’s this general consensus within the trucking industry that certain undesirable customs are acceptable and if you don’t acquiesce then you’re considered a “boat rocker” or a malcontent. The old days of trucking where the driver suffered abuse by the company should be dead. The “welcome to trucking” or “Trucking ain’t for sissies” narratives are nothing more than euphemisms to sanitize abuse and make it seem as though unsavory trucking practices are the norm in this industry and if you can’t deal with it then you’re a sissy. Sure Trucking is a tough job. We know that. But it shouldn’t be compounded by dispatchers pushing drivers to work at a pace that they aren’t comfortable with or micromanaging or other unacceptable industry practices.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Mega’s can clean up their act without compromising their bottom line and the Report A Bad Trucking Company thread wouldn’t be nearly as long. But this industry has been used to the 1940’s way of trucking for so long that it’s become acceptable.

 

Hey Mr. @Western flyer .... thanks for your opinion... You said your dispatcher at Western Flyer was a woman... That reminds me what a driver friend of mine told me once, he said that among all the dispatchers he had, the females were 100 times better and more efficient than the male dispatchers...
There might be some truth to that... During my 10 yrs trucking, I have had 1 female load planer and 1 female dispatcher, they were both PERFECT AWESOME! The males... well... they were/are ok...
I value communication... maybe because I am a woman...?
I communicate with brokers, shippers and receivers... Today for instance... I went to the shipper to pick up a load... before they started loading, I called the receiver to double check the delivery info and hrs... Was told that they were booked up for 15 days and would not be able to receive the load this week or next week...
So, I called the broker... who for some reason, was unaware of that...
And after broker talked to receiver, he called me and said we would have to cancel that load... I was still empty sitting at the shipper's dock and so I told shipper and left...
DSP didn't even know what was going on... But in a couple hrs he gave me another load and is paying for the empty miles and one day layover....
Communication can help in so many ways in this business... But I know each person is different...
I LOVE what I do and don't do it for the money... but I make good money doing what I do...
But also for me, money is not everything that matters... being happy is also super important and there are things that I would not do no matter how much they paid me... I would rather make less money and be happy and enjoy my job than make more and feel awful...
You said we are replaceable... yes we are... But if you are a valuable asset for a company, they may think twice before replacing you... I drove for a mega that everybody said was "terrible"... and some with a good reason... But during my 5 yrs there, I never had a problem... I went to Brasil (my country of origin) twice, I was out of the company for 3 months each time and every time I went back to the company, my DSP had my position in the same dedicated account waiting for me... And when they ended the account, the company offered all sorts of accounts + the brand new truck for me to stay there but after 2 weeks thinking, I decided to leave and try something different...
The company where I am now is very small... only 35 trucks and they are GREAT people....
I have gone to Brasil again and out of the company for 3 months. When I came back, "my" truck was still there, waiting for me...
I know that if I screw up, or do anything that might be against their rules, they will not keep me there... But I do what I am supposed to do and do a great job and they do whatever they can to keep me there.
There are experienced drivers in my company that had non-preventable accidents, rollovers and the company kept them... There is another driver that had an accident but lied to the company and was fired...
All I am saying is that IMO communication and good aptitude and good work ethics and integrity is important in this job.. at least it has been working well for me so far.

 

25 years. The 3 best dispatchers I ever had were all women.
I still talk to 2 of them even though we haven't worked
Together in years. I couldn't tell you the name of
One male dispatcher i ever had.
There's ego and control issues with men.
Nobody wants to give an inch and show weakness
Towards the other one. Women work with you.
At least that's been my experience.

I had Kim at western flyer. By far the best dispatcher
I ever had. She was a genius and I mean that literally.
She actually planned your trip and done your log book
For you by simply knowing how to roll your hours over
From day to day. She used every minute too.
Piled up a bunch of cash with her.
We begged her to stay before she left.

 

Yeah.... I see what you are saying and agree with you... One of the female dispatchers we had in the company I am now... she was like that.... FANTASTIC! She would do the planning and dispatching.... she would find loads FAST and just right for my hrs... and she would never let me sit for a moment... But company let her go because she asked for a raise they couldn't give her... Oh well... We drivers miss her soooooo much....
We have a male dispatcher now... he is ok.... but learning how to work in this company with us drivers....

 

That's been my experience too. The 2 best dispatchers I've had were both women.