Obscene phone calls

gotta go · Jul 28, 2011

I used my wonderful, magical, electronic log machine (once known as a Qualcomm) to log out of service at 23:45 last night. My truck was loaded, I was 105 miles from my destination, having driven 10 hours and 28 minutes. At 06:06 this morning I received a check call. Yes, I'm still in Max Meadows. The truck hasn't been started, hasn't moved an inch.
My future plan is to warn the person on the other end of the phone, if this is a location check call, during my compliance break, and the QC is still functioning, I will treat it as an obscene call and let fly with my whistle.
Do you think they'll think twice before waking me with something less than a load offer?
Am I the only nut (or Bolthead) irritated with these check calls?

paullud · Jul 28, 2011

It really is pointless since they have a better tracking method using the QC which is real time. Why are they calling to bother people when we are trying to sleep, especially for anybody dealing with HOS it is a violation, is the safety department not aware they shouldn't be disturbing a resting driver.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

gotta go · Jul 28, 2011

If I were in a van, I would have been at the consignee last night, as I'm sure you do. I have attempted to talk to them about changing the check call policy, with no success. So I think the whistle might be the solution.

ebsprintin · Jul 28, 2011

Gotta Go,

I sent you a pm.

eb

paullud · Jul 28, 2011

I'm not sure what the point is behind the call, I was picking up at 7am when the factory opened and got a call I think around 5:30 to see where I was. I told them I was 3 miles away trying to sleep since I drove until 3am, they said the system hadn't updated my position in a few hours. Well if I am getting these check calls all the time this must mean the QC never works and I should be getting a partial refund for the $35/week I am paying since they aren't working.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

ebsprintin · Jul 29, 2011

Exactly the point, paullud. I'm paying $30 a week for them to not know where I am. Google Latitude does a better job and it's free.

I think there is some laziness on the part of the desk people. They can also manually ping the truck and update the location like the mac 25 does from the driver's end. Try this next time they call for a position--Ask them where they think you are and if it isn't correct tell them to ping the truck and tell you what they find. I could understand if they were new to this system, but it's been like this for over two years that I know of. Another thing that doesn't make sense is that when the fleet location was openly available on the Bolt website those locations were accurate to the minute, but the truck positions at the dispatchers' desks were sometimes as far as 90 miles wrong.

eb

BillChaffey · Jul 29, 2011

"Obscene phone call" When I saw the head line I thought Bolt might have played a tape of my remarks last November to Dispatch.

Jack_Berry · Jul 29, 2011

When I drove for bolt there was a dispatcher, who will remain nameless, who would call and ask where I was when driving. Usually my answer was...right here behind the wheel. Se didn't like that answer. I told her if she could give me some notice I would have remembered the last why sign.

Yeah ya just gotta wonder sometimes. If the qc doesn't work pull it.

littlejoe · Apr 18, 2012

Jack_Berry said:
When I drove for bolt there was a dispatcher, who will remain nameless, who would call and ask where I was when driving. Usually my answer was...right here behind the wheel. Se didn't like that answer. I told her if she could give me some notice I would have remembered the last why sign.

Yeah ya just gotta wonder sometimes. If the qc doesn't work pull it.

Jack,

By any chance would that dispatcher's voice sound like Rosemary's from the cartoon show "Hong Kong Phooey"?

In that case ,I know of whom ye are speaking of ,and she does that to everybody!!!!!

(along with putting bad notes in your driver profile,when you didn't do anything wrong)

pps- also ebsprintin's favorite dispatcher LOL LMAO just kiddin eb!!!!

ntimevan · Apr 18, 2012

Some of the same as mentioned above has happened to me also, ( in a van ) but my favorite is getting a call about a hour after i've. delivered and they ask why i'm late getting to the delivery destination ? I ask them when was the last time they looked at the screen ? and i tell them the time was like 1 1/2 hours ago i put in my arrival at leg 2 and then sent them the empty and signature info. Then i keep them on the phone while they are looking up the info on their screen and when they tell me found it, i make the suggestion they look it up there next time before calling me ever again. Its only happened twice and never the same person.