stupid dispatched deadhead runs

[Jack_Berry]

here is one from my friend.

he sat in phoenix for 2 days then was told to go to memphis. he asked twice and they said go. he called his dm and was told yeah do it take your time. then dispatched was upset when he took his time. as i have read here dispatch makes a lot of difference. his d's have not been drivers.

1472 miles empty company paid.




Jack Berry

 

[x06col]

Jack my boy, what would you suggest that wouldn't be stupid??

 

[Jack_Berry]

halfway across country empty to pu a load is normal?


phoenix dallas?


seems to me that running an empty truck 1400 miles at company expense is, well you tell me. i won't take offense.



Jack Berry

 

[x06col]

No, no. I asked YOU the question! I'm looking for YOUR solution.

 

[jackdixon_2000]

There are too many variables here. Who does he drive for? What size truck and how equiped? Does he run solo? If he is with Fedex and runs team he screwed up. If he is solo and a midwest driver and was still sitting in Phoenix on Fri afternoon with a 3 day weekend thats the only way I would understand dh to Memphis.

Also, if I am in Phoenix and there are 3 or 4 trucks ahead of me I would check the LA and Ont boards and dh 300 mi that direction. I never sit overnight in Phoenix. Almost all the westccoast trucks got out on Fri and Sat. There were five C and D loads out of Calexico,Ca alone(251 miles from Phoenix)on Fri going to Pa, Ny, Mt, Mo and Wv also Az to Ct, Az to Ga, Az to Ca, Az to Mb loads that I saw

Now again these are just some of the loads I know about. Its just a peeve of mine how many drivers would rather dh over 1000 miles to Tx or further then come into Calif and take a long run out. Its true that you will probably get offers up and down the coast but if you are sittin in LA on Thurs and don't have many trucks ahead of you you have a good chance of a long run out by the weekend just be prepared to rack up a few refusals before the good one comes

 

[x06col]

That's good Jack. You're right there are way too many unknowns. However, I'd like to read some possible solutions from our new poster. If, in his view dh was THAT stupid, he could share with some less stupid, or even better, profitable solutions. One thing for sure in this business - Thay ain't noth'in for sure.

 

[Jack_Berry]

>That's good Jack. You're right there are way too many
>unknowns. However, I'd like to read some possible solutions
>from our new poster. If, in his view dh was THAT stupid, he
>could share with some less stupid, or even better,
>profitable solutions. One thing for sure in this business -
>Thay ain't noth'in for sure.


i'm sorry. i don't haver a solution since obviously kansas city, dallas, houston, or nebraska offered nothing. since i am not driving i should not offer such a name for the thread.

will you accept my apology?

how about renaming this the longest deadhead thread.
Jack Berry

 

[x06col]

No need to apologize, however, you need to understand an armchair dispatcher (quarterback) normally don't have a clue about the dynamics of what really is going on, on site. Your friend may have refused to dh 250 miles to CA, or, after his rest, demanded something happen. Don't know. You probably don't know. It's just like most folks wonder why we can't find Bin Laden. Well i'll tell you, it's really a great big world out there, when you get away from your little world.

 

[Jack_Berry]

you are right. i don't know if he refused a trip to cali. i do know when he was in sd he refued a load to l.a. after having been there once already and disliked the traffic.

i guess my world is smaller than yours.

armchair dispatcher? okay i feel put in my place.


Jack Berry

 

[x06col]

Not trying to "put you in your place" just wanting folks to understand that in this business there ain't nothing for sure, might seem plain as day, but it ain't. It is in fact bigger'n bofus to understand sometimes.

 

[TeamCaffee]

I sure agree with you x06col if someone would of told us about some of the things we do now I would have laughed! Now it is common. We have done empty moves to put us in a better location for load. Usually our company sends us a C-Link asking if we are willing to move and sets a price. Then we can agree to the move or disagree. The furthest we have moved is from Tampa FL to Memphis TN and we believe it paid off in the long run. There are also a lot of other things we do out here that are not of your normal 9 to 5 jobs. But we sure have fun doing it.

 

[x06col]

Yes, sometimes we have to do moves, and, no one likes them. However, Anyone who refuses a load from South Dakota to Los Angeles with what I would consider an excellent revenue producing opportunity, as exampled above, would have to wait for their perfect opportunity, or, move themselves. It is just unrealistic to expect anything else.

 

[davekc]

I am totally lost why someone would deadhead from Phoenix to Memphis?
Unless of course it is at full rate.
There is a ton of freight out in AZ. If your company can't move you, I might suggest you are with the wrong company.
As mentioned, if all else fails, go to LA or El Paso.
Here again is a reason that I advocate finding a company that lets you obtain your own freight.
Deadhead over 1,000 miles????.........not in my world





Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[x06col]

That would be my spin on it too Dave. However, we gotta understand how most dispatchers and o/o or drivers are learned the business we are in. I see the products of this, knocking on my door, daily. And, I must admit, I am amazed daily about how little, even the ones with a few years under their belt, know, understand, or even care, about the workings of the business they are in.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

That's a good question. What companies besides Panther and Landstar let you find your own runs without taking a huge chunk?

I find it interesting when I bring up that we found a load to the dispatchers, that we get 20 questions. I mentioned the fact to them that we left Houston (which was hopping) for Kansas (which was dead), and had reservations about taking that run in the first place. The next two days there were 3 long runs out of Houston. I know it's our fault for taking the run, but I won't be making that mistake again.

I just don't see any common sense among most dispatchers. Let's take you out of a good area, send you to a crappy area not that far away. Oh... by the way, you're surrounded by other trucks. There is no dispatcher that cares more about my truck than me. And I'd rather that's how it worked.

 

[x06col]

Jeez Hawk, you where with one. Problem is the first one you tried, you wanted to Dead Head 150 miles to pick up a load going to Oklahoma, instead of Dead Heading 8 miles to pick up a load going to New York. That reasoning process requires some questioning i'd say.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Col, I sent you a msg.