My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely not.

[rode2rouen]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

>The week I spent there was last Friday from 08:03 to 13:47.
>I called it a week based on the work load and the very fast
>pace and the pressure level.
>


I spent a year in Texas one week. []


Rex

 

[Fr8 Shaker]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

Hmmmm, Let me see if I have this right. there is no time to show favoritism, but there is time to check and compare acceptance and in service percentages.

 

[LDB]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

The acceptance and in service numbers are displayed along with the truck number, driver etc. on the screen for all of the hundred plus units the dispatcher is monitoring. No there isn't time for them to go hunting up truck 123xyz out of favoritism. There also isn't time for them to see that truck abc789 is up and we hate abc789 so we take unavailable minutes to track down an alternate truck. I know there are at least a few out there who desperately want to believe the favoritism fallacy because it transfers the blame for their situation from them to dispatch. Unfortunately, once you've spent time in the system, it just doesn't wash.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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[DannyD]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

Hiya Leo,

I had a hunch that's what dispatch was like in some of the larger companies.

I have a question though. Do you feel having more dispatchers would be better or worse for the company and/or drivers out on the road? I ask that because it seems that the working environment is a recipe for stressed out dispatchers, which in turn will lead to more mistakes.

Please don't take that as a rip on the dispatchers. I'm more thinking they're put in a high stress, no win situation.

As a little side note the dispatch at EGL in Detroit is pretty good. Pam's doing a good job in there. I've been lucky w/ dispatch at any company I've worked for pretty much. Then again, I've always worked for smaller companies.

Take care,
Danny

 

[LDB]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

I don't think dispatch runs at ulcer stress levels but it is a hectic place that I'm sure at times is stressful. From what I saw I'd say that most of the time it is very busy. That doesn't allow them the time or opportunity to play the games some drivers believe they play. If they do have 3 seconds to mess with they toss a wadded up piece of paper over the divider onto their neighbor's desk or say they're going to lunch at somewhere and does anyone else want to go. That pretty well uses up their free time for that hour. I'm sure having one more dispatcher per team would be very welcomed by those who are there. It would probably cut down on the human error factor as well but it wouldn't eliminate it since any human interaction guarantees periodic human error.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[jaminjim]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

Favoritism, Definitely not?

Well I have to chime in here with my negative 2 cents. I have been dispatched around in favor of a fleet truck after having sat for 2 1/2 days. We were sitting side by side talking when they got the beep instead of us. At the time our percentages were very good. The trucks were the same except mine has a liftgate and rollup door. Load was 3 pcs. 1800 pounds, 1200 miles. The other team had been sitting 4 hours.

Was it because of human error or Fleet truck Favoritism, can't say for sure, but I know what I think.

If PII wants to dispell that myth it would help if they would pay all trucks of a class the same money per mile. Now I know that Dave and Leo will say that they have higher costs that go with the higher rate. Well just how much is that? I am not not trying to pick a fight, and yes I signed a contract bla bla bla. But my truck cost about the same money to run as a fleet owners. I also understand why they pay more to the fleet owners.

If the money is there to pay more per mile, than they would go a long way towards driver retention if they bumped the whole fleets pay by 15 cents per mile.

 

[davekc]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

If the money is there to pay more per mile, than they would go a long way towards driver retention if they bumped the whole fleets pay by 15 cents per mile.
===================================================
I'm all for that!

One thing I did find interesting was last week was the first time I had visited dispatch at night. I was amazed at how busy it was when you would think that much wouldn't be going on. It seemed just as busy compared to being there during normal business hours.








Davekc
owner
22 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[LDB]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

I'm a firm believer that money talks and most else walks. I don't know what happened in your specific situation. I agree it sounds funny but would want to know all the details from both sides before making an absolute judgement. I'd like to see a 10-20 cent raise in the base rate per mile as well. I believe it would allow being more selective about who joins the fleet as well as keeping more of the drivers already in the fleet. What do I know though? I'm just a dumb ole truck driver :+

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[jaminjim]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

I doubt that being dispatched around happens all that often. When I called in they were dumb struck as well as I was. Could not find any reason for it happening. But it happened non the less. I have only been that anoyed at PII a couple of times. And it's a good thing because my blood pressure can't peak like that very often.

 

[are12]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

> Favoritism, Definitely not?
>
> Well I have to chime in here with my negative 2 cents. I
>have been dispatched around in favor of a fleet truck after
>having sat for 2 1/2 days. We were sitting side by side
>talking when they got the beep instead of us. At the time
>our percentages were very good. The trucks were the same
>except mine has a liftgate and rollup door. Load was 3 pcs.
>1800 pounds, 1200 miles. The other team had been sitting 4
>hours.
>


We had this happen to us twice, both teams were new highers and in Fleet Owner's trucks. When we called dispatch the 1st time it happened, we were told that it was because the other truck pinged closer to the load. When we told them we were sitting side by side, they changed it to: their percentages were higher than ours. Well of course they were, they were only with Panther for 2 weeks!!
The second time it happened, they could not explain what happened.
So it does make a person wonder!:+ :+

 

[LDB]

RE: My week in dispatch. Favoritism? Definitely no

There can be a sizable difference in the ping location even with trucks parked side by side. I don't know what makes the units flaky but I've shown by my ping to be in Toledo, Ohio when I was parked outside the ham radio store in Hamilton, Ohio 190 miles from Toledo. I have heard from others they have shown 2 or 3 states away from where they really were. That doesn't make it right to get bypassed on a load. That's just an explanation of what the QC is capable of doing to you. Panther can't control that other than to call trucks in to change units if it happens regularly.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.