Maximizing Profits: The Role of a Dispatcher in Your Trucking Success

I don't have an area I always run, I do weigh many factors where I run, and they change all the time. Safety is my priority number one. It looks you don't understand it.
And because is so complicated, I don't think anyone else but me can do it.
And again, driving is the most dangerous, the most important part of all of it, don't underestimate it.

 

No I get it. I've got almost 2 million safe miles behind me in 24 years. But the truth is anybody can drive a truck. Not anybody can run a business. If you've got a dispatcher getting your rates and finding your loads you're not running a business. You're just another driver that likes to drive. Nothing wrong with that but you're out of touch with the rates and freight because by your own choice that ain't your job.

 

Not many can drive a semi truck properly these days, it's not that easy. That's a big problem for everyone on the public roads.

No way a dispatcher will run my business, I just don't believe I can find the right one with all of the requirements I do have.

I'm still disappointed of you. I don't believe you're happy right now. Why don't you finance a truck and be free again.

 

Any long term successful O/O will tell you that driving the truck is the easiest part of the job. That doesn't mean its easy per se, it's just the easiest part of running a successful business.

Life and success are risk vs. reward scenarios. It's physically risky to drive a truck but look around and you'll see that about any monkey can do it.

It's financially risky to actually run your own business, however, and less risk equals less reward. When you learn to risk more by learning the business side, negotiating your own loads, customers, rates and future you'll worry a lot less about the truck and more about where the real money is made, in negotiating the loads. This is where your other problem is answered:

Drive less and work the phones more.

No 3rd world thick accented cubical jockey is ever going to do that for me, on principal if nothing else. No offense intended to anyone with an accent or even anyone new to this country, but complete offense is meant to the idiots I can't even unerstand who call and try to sell me dispatch services multiple times a day.

And I don't think for a moment any of them are in this country in the first place, nor to they have any skin in the game in the success of your business.

 

Well said!!

 

No, they can't do it, it's so dangerous to drive right now, it wasn't like this. Especially through work zones. Like the one in Little Rock on I30.

This business is changing quickly, not for the better. The third world takes it over, like it takes over the whole country.

I've already stated, safety and freedom are more important than earnings for me.

 

Some might say “your not running a business” if your actual doing any of these things. Driving the truck, dispatching, sales, truck repair, accounting exc.

If your really running a business you hire people to hire people to do all these things and manage there actions on your behalf.

Having a dispatch is the same as hiring a mechanic or a tax accountant. A good one properly managed can be valuable. A bad poorly managed one can sink your ship.

 

Well if you can't manage to dispatch one truck and don't know your area or region and freight well enough to maximize your profit then wtf are you doing trying to run a business in the first place? I'm friends with a guy that has about a 30 truck fleet of his own trucks and leased owner operators and I can guarantee you he never outsourced his pricing to any "dispatcher service" although he does have W2 dispatchers on the payroll, but they aint pricing his services to customers for him lol.

 

I never financed any of my trucking business in 10+ years and I never needed anyone to find loads for it either. I'm happy to collect a nearly $5,000 net paycheck tomorrow on 2 weeks of work after benefits and taxes, with zero truck expenses and plenty of time off to enjoy it. I'm sure you're staying busy with that $1.70 a mile freight?

 

If you're really happy, I don't have a problem with that. But I doubt it, after 24 years and 2 million miles, most of them on your own.
Yes, my average is pretty close to 1.70 a mile, but I don't complain. I'm still making some money, while enjoying my freedom.
I don't get your "I'll never finance a truck" theme.