Your views on Dispatchers

Don't wanna derail this thread but there are gonna be crummy workers on both sides, however the culture of the company will also have a HUGE effect on both the attitudes of driver's and dispatchers. A good dispatcher will know the driver's that work hard an seldom complain, thusly they will treat them with more respect.

 

My first real dispatcher was in 2003 when I went to work for a small flatbed company. 90% of the dispatching was done by the owner. We had an agreement that I would bust my butt and get things done during the week and he would get me home for the weekend. I worked there 8 years and was gone 1 or 2 weekends a year.

I've used two dedicated dispatch services since I bought my truck. Both have been great. I don't take on more than I can handle and I do what I say I will.

I've had no experience with any big companies and I know there are bad apples out there. But, I feel, if you're having problems and switching dispatchers all the time it may be time to look in the mirror.

 

Dispatchers have around 75 drivers and don't have the time to show empathy or sympathy on the drivers.You need to keep in mind they aren't any higher up then the drivers are.Most my trouble ive had in the past wasn't from dispatchers but the load planners.Unfortunately dispatchers have to take the heat for what the planners do.Dispatchers have bad days like drivers do and its best to stay clear of them until the afternoon.The more a driver bothers them the angrier they get and Monday is the worst,they need to clean up the mess from the weekend dispatchers.So if your dispatcher is giving you a hard time just take them with a grain of salt like they do the drivers.

 

Thank you,i've been down that road a few times and seen how dispatchers work.Its not a job I would like.Their job is to dispatch loads to drivers.Planners find the loads.I know many of the loads drivers hate either beause of where it's going, not enough miles or too much window time but that's the nature of trucking and its not going to change not now not ever.

 

Truth is most have zero to very little experience in trucking... Load planner shoves it to a dispatcher and in return he sticks it on a truck that's close to pick up. Thank god I didn't have to deal with dispatchers or load planners otherwise I might be in jail...lol

 

Its not just new drivers but veterans as well and can't blame them for how they feel about dispatchers because they don't know just how hard dispatch has it.I do think a lot of friction could be prevented if dispatch did communicate with drivers more then they do though.

 

That's true,dispatchers at smaller companies don't have a harder time.Most don't have ld planners and those dispatchers find there own loads from a a ld board.They also do more then dispatch.Im talking about a company of say 20 drivers.