What makes a good dispatcher to you?

[23081]

What do you look for in a dispatcher?

 

[GAnthony]

What do you look for in a dispatcher?

i no longer have to deal with a dispatcher.

but back in the day, telling me straight if the load is ready to either be picked up, or delivered, and the CORRECT address.

at least that much...more...or less...later.

 

[23081]

Really? You weren't forwarded rate confirmations and driver instructions?

 

[GAnthony]

Really? You weren't forwarded rate confirmations and driver instructions?

i am on a dedicated account. we deal with the customer directly, any problems, we call our supervisor. what's to dispatch when we have regular routes..????

 

[23081]

oh ok. how much does the route pay? Are you home for the weekend?

 

[GAnthony]

oh ok. how much does the route pay? Are you home for the weekend?

pay is salary, i am paid whether i make a stop or it is cancelled. i get paid if the snow is really bad and i have to turn back. i get paid if i get to my stop and the snow is not plowed, and i cannot dock. i get paid all the usual holidays. i work (most nights) just under 9 hours, home early saturday and back to work monday nights.

 

[Rigjockey]

pay is salary, i am paid whether i make a stop or it is cancelled. i get paid if the snow is really bad and i have to turn back. i get paid if i get to my stop and the snow is not plowed, and i cannot dock. i get paid all the usual holidays. i work (most nights) just under 9 hours, home early saturday and back to work monday nights.

Stop is cancelled...**** you, Pay me!
Snow is too bad...**** you, Pay me!
Snow is not plowed..**** you, Pay me
Oh it is a holiday...**** you, Pay me

 

[GAnthony]

Stop is cancelled...**** you, Pay me!
Snow is too bad...**** you, Pay me!
Snow is not plowed..**** you, Pay me
Oh it is a holiday...**** you, Pay me

i never, ever say.....****

but i do say...****--you--**********

 

[Lumpy1071]

A really good dispatcher (aka travel agent) has experience behind the wheel. Period.
99.999% of all driver complaints pertaining to a dispatcher are because said dispatcher has NO clue, zero idea of a hint of how this stuff really works.
I'm like GAnthony, I really don't get dispatched. I am a lone dedicated driver/site manager at this plant. I work directly with Shipping and Logistics here and make up my own schedule based on the shipping schedule they share with me.
Technically, I do have a dispatcher that calls me almost daily to ask me what I did or doing tomorrow. LOL! Even then, Bob has been in truck most of his adult life and is preparing to retire. He has over 40 years under the wheel including 15 with our company. Nice thing is if I ever do have a question about directions, etc I can call Bob on his cell and tap into his vast wisdom.
He is in the process of training his replacement before he retires but the new kid is the son of a Trucker and is a little scared of Bob. He'll be ok .

 

[Getfit Tommy]

One who has done his/her time behind the wheel.....

Big difference between an ex-trucker and a computer geek 20 year old.

Even though I've also done my time in dispatch... I'm not sure I'd put "good" in the same sentence as "dispatcher"

I prefer to find my own loads.

 

[Cargo Commando]

Man, I had a rock star dispatcher at Magnum. He cared where ya wanted to go, home time was automatic, and he actually built relationships. Magnum doesn't deserve him...

 

[Electric Chicken]

I don't care if a dispatcher has driving experience as long as he or she will defer to the one who does.

 

[Getfit Tommy]

Agreed

 

[Rigjockey]

This may sound cliche but a good dispatcher is a good go between for the driver/company and customer.
Sure enough the dispatchers goal is to cut costs and earn money for the company. It is also critical for dispatchers to maintain or increase driver retention.
I don't work for dispatch and we all work for the company. So, Help me help you.

 

[jimmyc63]

A good dispatcher doesn't bullshit you, and wouldn't put you in a position of danger (having to drive 35 hours straight, or 70 mph to get there on time, or no time to eat/shit/shower etc)
He won't make promises to the customer that YOU have to keep, and he knows how traffic/weather/holidays slow you down, or make things stressful. He understands that some guys want to run hard, others want to pace themselves. Some guys like to go by the house as often as possible, some guys want 3 weeks on the road and a week home.
My best dispatchers would tell the customer that I would be the one to tell them how and when the load was delivered.

 

[Getfit Tommy]

I will say this: Dispatching is an extremely stressful job. Yes, you get to go home at night, but the job doesn't end there, even though it probably should. There is no "easing-in" in the morning. It's full-blast. Truckers been goin' all night long. I took 3 phones home with me. My Blackberry, Nextel, personal and my laptop. I was also dispatching WAAAAAY too many drivers.

just about 1200 to be exact.

Driving truck. You don't get to be home at night (unless your loco... I mean "local") but you won't have the same kind of never-ending stressors that a dispatcher will. Yes, truckers have their own stressors, but I will take those over the stress of dispatch anyday.

I will NEVER attempt to dispatch again... and I did it for way too long... just long enough for my son to be born and grow up, then.....back out here on the big road.