What to do if a mega....

If you could see the number of so-called appointments are changed every hour, you wouldn’t give a single thought to trusting your own instincts. Companies want you to believe every load is hot, do-or-die, “you’re the only one who can do this load to save the entire company”, etc.

Scroom. Be safe out there.

 

Ok Captain, who is driving your truck? Only you have a total control of safety. That should be your every minute task. You can be a hero for years, then decades later someone crashes into you, if you had a perfect record until them that does not matter anymore, you the stooge. CYA, live another day to make a gray hair sprout on your managers head.

 

Say no and that's final.If need be say I'm done arguing and hang up.You're the driver put your foot down and tell the pest no.

 

Most of these new dispatchers lack communication and common sense. If you have a veteran dispatcher, and you let them know that the roads are bad, most will tell you find a safe place to shut down, and they in turn will notify safety dept. then customer service to call and reschedule delivery.

Customers do understand that bad weather, and bad road conditions exist. All it takes is some communication and common courtesy from your company

 

1) You "book"..the Load
2) You let them know right away of possible/probable delays (facts)....on Qualcom/E mail if possible.
2) Run, Legal......and Four hours before your 11 hrs.,, You calculate, distance left, Hours left, Apptmt. Time. Then....
3) make a final decission. (Always the hardest part)
Happy Trails....!! Driver.

 

Back to the OP..........

Times have cetrtainly changed, Back in the 80's and 90's when I was starting out, The Coercion was Crazy bad.

Dispatch made you feel "Guilty" If you were late. Every time.

"I cant make it,Im Tired and out of hours"
Dispatch- "Just get it there"
Arrive at customer "YOUR LATE" "Im Sorry,I was tired and no hours"
"Well,We'll get to you if we can"

Dispatch when you call them on the payphone "YOU WERE LATE, Better not happen no more"
Driver "Im Sorry"

Drivers in the 60's 70's 80's and 90's Were Pushed to extremes to service customers- and the Carrier wanted No Excuses.

talk about Not Fair.....Way it was. Today, Much easier on the Driver- But those practices still exist a small bit.

 

Sometimes youre late followed by yer fired. Ive been disposed of by 6 companies that way. They all proclaim the new corporate speak "Service Failure" you are still late. Even 15 minutes was late. Walmart once had my trailer sit three days outside on the street waiting. That week and that month was a financial BUST but that is where the 4500 or so in savings came in. Ride over that bump and keep going into better times.

People can barely come into my Pain Clinic on time or even 10 minutes later past appt time. Then they sit and wait 3 to 5 hours for the call.

And we usually get to a appointment time across a whole freaking USA and three storms to 5 minutes or so now and then prior to appt time. Now I don't know about you but that's some kind of precision.

 

A set of these come in handy: