What if DM /dispatchers were paid and treated the same as Truck Drivers?

Joe White wrote an opinion piece in Transport Topics 12/1/08, page 9. He said that financial survival of any company depends on productivity, cost control, employee retention, and customer service.

In the trucking industry, those survival factors are most affected by driver managers earning $38,000 to $55,000. In other industries, that level of responsibility would pay $90,000 or more.

Joe White said that driver managers "make hundreds of decisions a week that define each mile's revenue and cost performance, including dispatches, home time, driver performance management, backhaul assignments, breakdown resolution, preventive maintenance scheduling, delay claims and more."

 

I spent a few months in our safety office this year, a step away form our ops manager and dispatcher. We have a small company (30 trucks). Our ops manager is a former driver. I was amazed what these guys put up with, and the drivers are all well known to all of us, being a small company. I can't even imagine trying to take care of 80-120 trucks on a board, nobody ever happy, everyone constantly belly-aching, etc. I have always had respect for dispatchers, as a rule. They have a tough job... Now granted, these two guys are load planners, dispatchers, routers, everything rolled together. So they have drivers to deal with, as well as brokers, freight managers, etc. not to mention the boss and all the office staff. I would not trade this for any of that. As has been said, once I am out on the road, I only have ME to worry about. We never see the big picture, and ALL that is going on.

 

What if your dm make 100's of bad decisions a week?

Now that I think about it, my DM doesn't do 80% of the things on that list.

 

Then we all fail to make money. Dm's and office people really can't understand our point of view because their paychecks don't rely on how many miles we run. If they got paid on how their drivers run each week we all would be begging for a break!!!!!

 

We have to put up with some of those stink ##### drivers too the only problem is we probaly see more than you.

 

Its really surprising you were a driver considering the rest of what you wrote.

Perhaps the driver wouldnt stink so bad if dispatch weren't badgering him to fudge logs to get to a pickup at the last minute or authorize a few OOR miles so he can shower during the 12 hours he's waiting to get into the dock thatw as such an emergency when it was dispatched.

[qoute]Driver who pulls out the yard and cuts off traffic causing it to have to stop as you return from your lunch hour. [/quote]

Oh my, how terrible for you, have to wait for a truck for an entire 60 seconds. Probably after the driver got tired of waiting on 30 cars from his own company not having the decency to let him make a turn. You're returning from your lunch hour and that driver is probably headed out for yet another 6 weeks on the road...

You were a driver and you make a habit of driving beside a truck?? If it was a busy road perhaps that driver had his attention split 30 ways, and if it wasnt a busy road....why were you there in either case??

Is that better or worse than your company allowing their retard employee come online and bash another employee's spouse??

Oh yes, we're positive you could go on and on. I'm just not so convinced you were ever actually a driver. My guess is you were a spotter.

 

The day will come when he insults a driver and not know the driver is standing there.
Then the driver will have a come to jesus meeting with him where he may actually go a meet jesus. Now if the dispatcher is not lucky he may go see the place that is allways hot

 

I saw this on the back of a trailer the other day.

"Turn signals are not a request"

Think about that for a little bit and get back to us.

 

I'd be hard pressed to believe this cat was EVER a driver. By the way not one of you're whine bagging complaints had anything to do with a DM's job or for that matter a job in the trucking industry. Sounds more like to me someone who couldn't pass a CDL test, got their heart broke and now has a distain for any driver. Regardless of a drivers actions, smell, or social status..........you seem to just have a problem with drivers.

 

EXCELLENT post! I am impressed! I like the way you think and that should make a lot of people think! Everyone SHOULD rate this post as EXCELLENT. Thanks for the eye-opener...