Hello All! I am fairly new to the Expedite business and I joined up with FedExCC last September. I have a question for the FedEx members who have been on for some time or have figured out the VRU. I call in regularly (every few hours) when checked in and waiting for a load. I must be not getting it because it seems like I am somewhere between 2nd and 4th on the list and then the next time I check 3 more D loads were dispatched and I am still in the same position for a load according to dwell hours. I have called my c/c to discuss and was told that they were all teams that were dispatched and that is why I did not move. I want to figure out how it works or if it is meaningless to even try...lol. Thanks for your time and help.
Help w/ VRU for FedEXCC
- Thread starter aripen
- Start date
It is not as simple as it may seem. FedEx uses a complicated system for dispatch. Time at an express center is only one factor. Team vs single, D vs C etc. It does pay to check, you will get the hang of it before long. Send me a private msg and we can go into it more in depth. Layoutshooter
greg334
Veteran Expediter
aripen
Here is what you ask when you talk to your CC
Was I too far from the load?
The customer may wanted the first nearest truck.
Was the load over 450 miles?
If the load was not more than 450 miles, you should have been offer it. I know that they say it is 350 miles (some say it is 250 miles) but you should be offered the load for at least 450. I don't but into the mile limit that they set, 500 should be the max when there is two trucks, solo and team - not 350.
Did the customer request a team?
Sometimes the customer requests teams for some reason.
What was the size of the load?
No explanation needed here.
Now truthfully, I have been dispatched around because of a number of reasons. I was number one in one express center for almost two days and once I was the only truck in the area but they found a load for others while I sat. The former I could not figure out why I was being dispatched around, but it seemed to me that there were a lot of loads going out and no trucks coming in. The latter was a WG team who was inbound and they gave the only load that came out of the area to them as a pre-dispatch. I was not even a consideration. I didn't know it at the time but later found out that this happens more often than not.
The system works most of the time, it are those times when you are unsure what is going on that bothers you the most.
AND about the VRU, there are a lot of loads that just don't show up on it - like air expedite loads in many express centers, they just don't show up.
Here is what you ask when you talk to your CC
Was I too far from the load?
The customer may wanted the first nearest truck.
Was the load over 450 miles?
If the load was not more than 450 miles, you should have been offer it. I know that they say it is 350 miles (some say it is 250 miles) but you should be offered the load for at least 450. I don't but into the mile limit that they set, 500 should be the max when there is two trucks, solo and team - not 350.
Did the customer request a team?
Sometimes the customer requests teams for some reason.
What was the size of the load?
No explanation needed here.
Now truthfully, I have been dispatched around because of a number of reasons. I was number one in one express center for almost two days and once I was the only truck in the area but they found a load for others while I sat. The former I could not figure out why I was being dispatched around, but it seemed to me that there were a lot of loads going out and no trucks coming in. The latter was a WG team who was inbound and they gave the only load that came out of the area to them as a pre-dispatch. I was not even a consideration. I didn't know it at the time but later found out that this happens more often than not.
The system works most of the time, it are those times when you are unsure what is going on that bothers you the most.
AND about the VRU, there are a lot of loads that just don't show up on it - like air expedite loads in many express centers, they just don't show up.
You can look in your Contractor Helper book if you have one on the truck. There is a section in there that sort of explains how trucks are dispatched. We are a White Glove team and have been dispatched around more than once. Sometimes a single dirver is dispatched to save the team truck for longer loads. Other times we are held because of equipment we have etc. It all seems to work out in the end. Layoutshooter
There always seems to be the perception that you've been dispatched around when you compare the "trucks dispatched" info on the Qualcomm, and the "loads dispatched" on the VRU. A careful comparison of these two sources and the VRU 2,9 option showing your position in the queue is always helpful. But, that doesn't always explain why you were dispatched around. Here's a few reasons that might help some folks understand our oft confusing system:
- The other truck is closest to the pickup;
- A truck one size larger is also qualified for the offer;
- A truck one size smaller may have more dwell time for the smaller load;
- A large truck needed tomorrow at the load destination may be offered any smaller load in order to get that larger truck to a pickup without the need for excessive deadhead;
- A solo driver is limited in mileage/HOS;
- A truck might be locked onto a pending offer awaiting customer confirmation;
- Might be a short solo load but two drivers needed for special handling;
- Load may have required a liftgate and/or pallet jack;
- Other truck may have been dispatched as an escort for constant surveillance requirement;
- Other drivers may have special qualifications required by the customer, i.e. nuclear handling, A&E (ammunition & explosives) handling;
- Might have been a reefer load;
- Other truck may have come into center or been passing thru with a <75 or mini status;
- Your truck have been placed out of service due to expired documents;
- A solo driver may have been placed out of service due to expired documents;
- Your truck might be slightly beyond 25 miles of the Express Center so you lose some dispatch points to a truck with less dwell time;
- The company software works in whole numbers of time, so you and a truck that checked in during the same hour would be considered equal in dwell even though the VRU says you are next out. This one could be luck of the draw as determined by the computer;
- Computer thinks you are out of hours because you moved a fair distance during the day;
- Computer thinks you don't have the hours to complete a trip.
astikhossw
Seasoned Expediter
get use to it Arpin, unless you are in LG country.And to far from the midwest or east.
Thanks for the responses. I actually got some answers out of my CC this morning that were helpful.(after another 7 D loads were dispatched and I was still same place according to VRU.) lol
Most of your responses were right along with what I was told this morning. There is supposedly a list of about 70 different things that can push a unit around on the list. So all in all I am going to just use the VRU as a reference and not rely on it to figure my position on the board.
Most of your responses were right along with what I was told this morning. There is supposedly a list of about 70 different things that can push a unit around on the list. So all in all I am going to just use the VRU as a reference and not rely on it to figure my position on the board.
jaminjim
Veteran Expediter
Thanks for the responses. I actually got some answers out of my CC this morning that were helpful.(after another 7 D loads were dispatched and I was still same place according to VRU.) lol
7 more??? you have to be in one weird place, that you could not haul even one of those.
7 more??? you have to be in one weird place, that you could not haul even one of those.
astikhossw
Seasoned Expediter
Unless you are at home you may need to leave that area.You may be in team country and if so the only load offer you may get is under 500 miles or something local.And it may be like that for you all week if you are solo.So can you say what area you are at.
Sure, I will explain where I was so it may be a bit more clear. I checked into Atlanta in the morning the other day. I was about 17th. According to VRU there were 4 C units and 13 D units. I was offered a real bad run almost as soon as I checked in, that was weird but I declined because I would have been in a bad spot and it paid nothing. I sat the rest of the day and night with no offer. I checked VRU before going to bed and I was somewhere around 3rd and there were 7 D trucks and 2 C trucks checked in, according to VRU. At 9am I called in and as I recall 7 D loads were dispatched out and 4 C loads, 2 of the D being WG, all of this according to the VRU. So I called my CC to find out how it worked and while on the phone I got a run offer. Sorry if thats confusing. But I was really confused. lol