What to do when a dispatcher tries to force a load on you?

Op you should read this thread, beginning with this post and only read the posts made by the thread starter. It's a great #### read.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/posts/328941/

 

I've driven for Swift in the past. They tried to spring a load on me that had been at the yard for past two days, plenty of drivers in the lounge who were not getting load offers that could have taken the load, no they try to get the guy who has three hours remaining on the 14hr clock to pull it. Dispatchers constantly scrambling at last second, to cover their own butts, had I taken it, then they ask...why did you take it with so little hours?

Everyone must fend for themselves.

 

Swift will only T-call if they have a 2-day delivery window, they know they will lose the load in their system among all the other loads that pull into a terminal.

 

Xzay, still waiting to have you clarify the situation. Let me know if my analysis is correct. This isn't to embarrass you, but help you and all new drivers maximize their income safely.

Sunday morning I woke up after a good night's sleep, #1 on the load board. I work for a company that does expedited service for the oil industry.

All day, no load. However, I TCB (Took Care of Business) and slept as much as possible during the day. Got woken up with a call at 6:00 pm to go pick up a load 20 miles away, then get my brother in the truck to run it as a team 1000 miles away. We delivered Monday morning and the receiver had a mud motor to put on our deck to haul back to the shipper. Got back and delivered near home base Tuesday morning.

If I hadn't DONE MY JOB and slept to prepare for the possibility of a night run, then there's no way we could have done that round trip. Because I did my job my brother and I each earned $1300 for a 36 hour round trip.

With Swift your reputation is known by your driver score and comments. In my small company environment reputation is known from the terminal owner and dispatchers and drivers. It's personal.

Develop the habits of being able to safely accept and deliver any load, any time, to anywhere and you will be able to work up to a job or owner operator situation where you ARE the A team.

 

I would think as an owner, there's little doubt you would find a way to make that trip with HOS as listed in the OP. That truck payment doesn't give a #### about your HOS lol

 

It's not the truck payment...its your NAME. Same as the company driver, but worlds less handholding. And yes, the truck is in your name. Your name is the most valuable thing you have.

Prove yourself the man. Do what you say and say what you mean.

 

Plus when you're making Owner-op money to move something it naturally takes on a little more urgency than when the idiot swift dispatcher wants a trailer moved 40 miles for basically free.

 

Problem solved !!