Dispatch

[Sparticus]

Please help. I am looking for feedback on:

What qualities you are looking for in a dispatcher?
How would you like to be treated by your dispatch?
If you could start from scratch, what would you do differently to improve the way your company handles dispatch procedures?

Unless it is part of your "signature", please leave company info out of this thread.

Constructive criticisim is OK, let's leave plain bashing and negativity out.

 

[LDB]

Calls should not be started "You're late! Why aren't you moving already?!" especially considering the lack of reliability in QC location reporting. "Hey, your stupid QC must be messing up again. Can you tell me where you really are?" in a pleasant and non-accusatory voice would be much nicer. I've had at least a handful of those calls and have already been 15-30 miles down the road. Never once have I been late rolling. If it turns out they haven't moved there's no need to get rude. That won't get them moving any faster than just asking how quickly they can roll so the customer can be advised.

 

[bernieh48]

Ok Spartacus I'll be the first to bite on this topic. I have been a log book auditor for a trucking company in Detroit in the past so I have seen how dispatchers are treated too and think I can give this a rational thought process. LOL Or try to.

Honesty is one of my biggest things with a dispatcher. Not being treated like a child that doesn't know how to do our job. Now before you respond to that I do know there are some drivers that need that. Ones that are late all the time for shippers or consignees, yes they should get wake up calls and phone calls. But my thought is this. If a driver or team has a proven track record of always being on time or even way early don't bother them. Look and see if it already show them moving toward the shipper or consignee and say ok I know this team and they will be fine.

Respect....( Kind of reminds me of a song.lol) But it is a biggie. Most dispatchers have no clue what we go through on a everyday basis out here on the road. I had a dispatcher do a week long ride along with us one time with another expediting company and let me tell you that was a major wake up call for him. He even got to see how New York City can be. Fun fun. Don't just tell us "Well you chose your job!" Yes we did but we also chose to be treated like a person and not some thing that doesn't have feelings too. I like to remember the golden rule here... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Please remember the sacrifcies we give up everyday for this job as well. Not only family ones but personal ones too.

And I guess my last and most personal thing with a dispatcher is this. When asked a serious question like maybe where to layover or something to that nature. Please remember we are not asking for a load for us over everybody else per se', just asking what areas look good so I can move there and be productive to both you the company and also to myself as a contractor. Not email back with what your Halloween costume looks like in detail and never get to the main question.

Thanks and I hope you and all dispatchers that might read this take these as just constructive thoughts. We are all out here to do the same job. Service the customers!

 

[TeamCaffee]

1. We want to be treated with respect and we also will treat the dispatcher with respect no matter the circumstances. Yelling gets you nowhere no matter which side of the phone are you on.
2. We want the dispatcher to send us out load offers which we will accept or reject depending on how the load fits into our business model.
3. If we refuse a load and give a reason on what conditions have to be met before we take the load and you call us back we do not want to argue our conditions. If you do not like our conditions then consider what we have said as a no and move on.
4. We want good directions. If our GPS cannot find the location and the load directions are not clear when we call in for verification please call the customer to see if there are any extenuating circumstances that you and us are not aware of with this location. It is our butts out here driving around wasting gas and getting very frustrated. If you cannot call the customer give us the phone number so we can make the call.
5. After we have made our pickup and are cleared to go leave us alone we know what we need to do to get to the customer and we know how long it takes. You sit at your desk and know how long it takes to get a task done, we know how long it takes to drive 1000 miles
6. Confirm the delivery time so we know if we have to drive all night or we can get some sleep.
7. When you send out the pay for the load to the truck the only direction the pay should change is to increase it never a decrease. We agreed to the bottom line pay and the miles nothing less.
8. We do not expect the dispatcher to understand our job and the dispatcher should not expect us to understand their job. We know the dispatcher gets frustrated when they cannot get a load covered and the dispatcher should know we get very frustrated when we get into one traffic jam after another. Both are hazards of the job. One of us chose to sit at a desk all day and the other choose to look out a windshield all day.
9. When you have extenuating circumstances on a load and you express this to the driver and they go above and beyond to deliver or pickup on time a thank you goes a long way. The same when a dispatcher goes the extra mile to help a driver out we should also express our thanks.
10. When we are at the customer and have a problem we need the phone answered by a knowledgeable person who can quickly understand what needs to be done to rectify the problem.
11. The bottom line is we both need each other and life is so much easier on both sides if we treat each other with mutual respect.
We have seen the ugly side of dispatchers at USX where the dispatcher had to get the load covered and he had too many trucks, to many loads and NO time for problems. We are so happy to be where we are and to be treated the way we have been. The first time a dispatcher backed us up we just stood there in disbelief and still sometimes we are amazed at how much help the dispatchers are at helping us get our jobs done!

 

[Bruno]

Very good post Teamcaffee. One of the best I have seen in a long time.

 

[Streakn1]

When a driver calls to tell the dispatcher the run is riddled with safety issues, LISTEN TO THEM! They are the proffesional driver behind to wheel, not the dispatcher. They (the driver) see the issue first hand, not the dispatcher hundreds of miles away. Many dispatchers have never driven a truck , so don't try to do so from the office chair.

In my case regarding the above, when pointing out safety issues related to accessing delivery locations with our T/T on a multi-stop run last January, the dispatcher consulted a van (B-unit) driver to discredit my claims of not being able to get a 78' long T/T into locations built only for straight trucks and 28' pup trailers. That is an insult to my over 25 years of ticket and accident free T/T driving. A van driver doesn't have a clue. With that said, take the safe assumption that the driver is being truthful, most are in this case.

This is a great thread and hopefully all input will be helpful!

 

[easyrider2697]

Very good post Teamcaffee. One of the best I have seen in a long time.

I have to agree here, good job guys!

 

[pelicn]

Excellent responses so far!!!

Please give us ALL the information you have about the load. Examples:
1. If there is a pickup up number, don't make us call to get that information after we've arrived at the shipper and they've informed us that they need one.

2. Pieces and weight

3. If it's a reefer load, give us the set point temperature.

4. Verify that the pick or delivery location is the same as the address that is sent to us. We've had loads that the address provided is the corporate office and not the location that we are to pickup or deliver. If there is a specific building number, give us that information.

Dispatchers have a job to do and I wouldn't trade places with them if you paid me to.

 

[ATeam]

I would add one thing to TeamCaffee's excellent post. Your carrier should make competent dispatchers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

If we are the thrid party please tell us whom we are picking up for....I hate looking like an idiot or unprofessional when the shipper says they have nothing for E-1 ..then I have to get custoner service on phone and get the info....to be able to identify our load....wasted time and we look like we don't know what we are doing....

 

[Moot]

I would add one thing to TeamCaffee's excellent post. Your carrier should make competent dispatchers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Phil, did you leave the fed for the cat?

 

[Angil82]

I like the addition of giving all viable information. I remember sitting at an airport, to pick up an air freight load. They did not provide us with the air freight bill number, and couldn't get one from the customer. why? they didn't have the customers phone number.

We literally sat at the air port for 5 hours, waiting to pick up this load, and could have had it delivered already..

 

[ATeam]

Phil, did you leave the fed for the cat?

Nope. Still with FedEx Custom Critical. My comment about competent dispatchers available 24 hours a day was not a complaint. It was a suggested desirable feature.

While there is the occasional hiccup, we feel we have competent dispatchers 24 hours a day. It is rare that a dispatch issue rises. When one has, there has never been a time that it was not resolved to our satisfaction. It's nice to have competent dispatchers in our corner 24 hours a day, whether we are under load or not.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

No matter how complex and fare a company can try to make a system.

Dispatch computer rings the your phone once then hangs up.
and reports U declined the load.

Reality sets in 1 time ok 2nd time hmmm 3 times Now wait a min. 4, 5 , 6 each time one is # 1 at the top of the pecking order.

I miss the person on the other end.

Have a nice day.

 

[nightcreacher]

No matter how complex and fare a company can try to make a system.

Dispatch computer rings the your phone once then hangs up.
and reports U declined the load.

Reality sets in 1 time ok 2nd time hmmm 3 times Now wait a min. 4, 5 , 6 each time one is # 1 at the top of the pecking order.

I miss the person on the other end.

Have a nice day.

Marvin, that hang up is a glich,just call back in,if in fact it would have been your load,they will put it on you,its happened to me more than once too,and I have gotten the load

 

[ClassicOne]

In addition to respect, please understand that I am running a business and am seeking to run a successful business. Although my name is not on the BOL, I am very much a partner in the success of the name that IS on the BOL. We should be able to negotiate a win/win outcome to most situations. Most times what is good for the O/O is good for dispatch.

I do not expect a "good morning" call, are you rolling call? or any other frivolous message or call for that matter. Remember I am running a successful business, and as such I should be responsible. If I need these calls, someone didn't recruit very well!!!

Please have enough available troubleshooters to answer questions and deal with problems. I need all available information. When I do call, please understand that there is a major problem. I would not call for frivolous reasons and I'd like to have my problems dealt with in a timely manner (or at least keep me updated on status of problem). I have been on hold at a shippers office for 45 minutes without so much as a status check. QC messages in que for 45 minutes, etc... I was embarrassed for my chosen carrier, and the shipper was not waiting quietly either.

Lastly, please understand that there IS a difference in a professional truck driver and that loose nut between the seat and steering wheel.