question about dispatchers...potential good thread here!

Well said CondoCruiser!!

 

Yes i agree with everything said here so far , very good advise , thank's for for great info, this happened too me one night, i just sent all my info in on the q-com, empty call, mine was a female dispacther, real nice older lady, most the driver's like her, cause she keep you moving, she put me up c-m on q-com meaning call-me, so i did, i was always nervois when they send that , why i dont know , but i do, it's was my mom, guess my family the called the company and left a msg, told me my mom just pased away and she was getting me home asp, and working on that, i was in southern carolina, i was having a happy day , joking with anthor driver's at the dock, just a perfect day, till that,so she set me up i got 5 relays load's and got home or close 123 miles away, and my brother came down nd pick me,becuse at that time i lived in northen Iowa, i called her up and thank her, and she said , just take much time as you need, i ran hard for her, never refuse any run's , i just said okay just give me a week ok, she said ok np, she just wanted too know the trk was locked up in a safe place , i said yes and trl was empty, but yes work with your dispacther, there wonderful people and there too help you with too gain higher goals

 

I agree that communication will make you a dispatchers favorite driver, even if you have a few late loads. I always give my DM a ETA and PTA, and 9 times out of 10 I have a reload before I arrive at a reciever. Also, take the time every now and then to BS with the dispatcher. After all, they are human. Don't be afraid to be sarcastic at times and throw some humor in with your messages. I had a new night dispatcher start a few weeks ago, and I get along great with him.

And by sarcasm I mean something like:

"Can you bump up the appoitment time for the reciever? I could drive the truck in reverse and still make it on time".

 

Dead on the money about taking a bad load once in a while. No one likes to do it, but its not fair for the same ones to always have to do it either. Also, if your on a percentage contract. Dont get hung up on the miles. Less miles and more money is the key. You HAVE to watch your miles AND revenue, but dont complain about not enough miles. My guys worry about how much revenue they can turn in a week, not how many miles. If a driver that wants more miles will give me one week my way vs one week his way I will change his mind everytime!

 

My best was at Swift I ran hard when he needed me to, but if I said I can't he was like OK no prob. when I got pig flu and got pulled of the road he put me on leave of absence rather than quit to give me time to come back. Nice guy and we communicated when needed otherwise I just rolled.

 

So companies that want you to run illegal do it because that's easier than trip planning. It also indicates that there are issues with planning. The planners don't care if you have the hours and they accept whatever loads they are given. It kind of goes, load, truck, load, truck, load, truck.....ok I'm done everyone has a load. If you company doesn't suck they'll actually look at your hours, run you legal, figure out relays, get you home on time and stuff like that.

So my suggestion is that find a company that doesn't suck.

 

Location is everything. Certain cities are noctorious for not having any freight, so it's either take a short run, or drive alot of deadhead.

Case in point, if you off load at Americold in Beardstown, Illinois, you'd get a better reload if you deadhead up to Chicago, or St Louis.