Why didn't I get that load?

[Humble2drive]

That is the question I hear over and over from Fed Ex CC drivers.

Then the conversation turns to many different theories and guesses about what the system is doing and how the dispatchers must be manipulating it. This almost always ends with accusations of favoritism.

This problem is causing a lot of anger and mistrust from drivers and the fact that the Fed is often unable or unwilling to provide an answer just keeps making it worse.

My questions:

Does it really have to be this way?

Is it impossible to provide a reason in some cases?

What has been your experience with these “unsolved mysteries”?

Just seems that if a computer program compares a set list of criteria across a number of trucks then it can easily provide the reason for the final choice in every case.

Instead of the current message would you like to something like this?

Sorry, Load#xxxxxxx was dispatched to a D-Unit, >75, 12 hrs dwell, ATL express ctr,112 miles DHPU. ?

Have you noticed what happens when drivers don’t understand the system and don't get an answer? It leads to angry, disgruntled drivers and is directly related to driver turnover.

What do you think?

 

[jjoerger]

I would like to see a message like that.
I would also like to know how a load can come out offered at a low pay, gets declined by everyone and then 15 minutes later comes back at a higher rate. Aren't we supposed to be getting a percentage of what the customer is charged? Where does the higher pay come from? Is FedEx dipping into their cut to get the load covered?

 

[bubblehead]

That is the question I hear over and over from Fed Ex CC drivers.

Then the conversation turns to many different theories and guesses about what the system is doing and how the dispatchers must be manipulating it. This almost always ends with accusations of favoritism.

This problem is causing a lot of anger and mistrust from drivers and the fact that the Fed is often unable or unwilling to provide an answer just keeps making it worse.

My questions:

Does it really have to be this way?

Is it impossible to provide a reason in some cases?

What has been your experience with these “unsolved mysteries”?

Just seems that if a computer program compares a set list of criteria across a number of trucks then it can easily provide the reason for the final choice in every case.

Instead of the current message would you like to something like this?

Sorry, Load#xxxxxxx was dispatched to a D-Unit, >75, 12 hrs dwell, ATL express ctr,112 miles DHPU. ?

Have you noticed what happens when drivers don’t understand the system and don't get an answer? It leads to angry, disgruntled drivers and is directly related to driver turnover.

What do you think?

Some of the problems are created by FEDEX (employees)themselves. We have been outright lied to (proven and admitted on a follow up) and been given some hard but honest answers on others. I prefer the hard honest answers. However there are many ligitimate reasons the "other" truck/van etc. got that load....

Load requires 6 load bars and you have only four.

Load requires pallet jack @ 5500# and you dont have one or yours is rated at 4500#.

Load requires liftgate at 5500# and you dont have one or yours is rated at 3300#.

Load requires floor rings and you don't have them.

Load requires US Citizen....

Load requires etc.

Customer requested a specific truck.

We are not automatically privy to the reasons and some cases probably shouldn't. But an honest answer from dispatch or a CC can go a long way in building a healthy working relationship.

If you feel you were treated unfairly, document everything and bring your concern to your CC. FEDEX the company will not tollerate dishonest employees however, like any other business they do have them. With your diligent efforts and proper documentation, you can help FEDEX get rid of the few (very few) problem employees.

 

[mypie]

Yes, I would like a better explanation for not receiving a Load Opportunity.

Just this past week we were laidover in the San Jose Express Center for over 24 hours. By the end of the day we checked the VRU and there were no trucks in LA or Ontario so we decided to DH south. We received a number of really good Load Opps and put in for them, but didn't get any of them. Why? I am only assuming that they were predispatched to trucks enroute to LA who obviously had no dwell time and they wanted us to stay in San Jose to cover that express center.

Still sucks!

 

[TeamCaffee]

Here are some of the reasons gathered over time that a few of us have worked on when for when this question is asked:


Load requires special training/qualifications such as A&E, Nuclear, T-Val, IAC or SEC.

Load is HAZMAT category that is not allowed on a cargo van.

Load requires a truck without an on board animal

Load requires same size truck but one with greater recorded payload.

Load requires air ride truck

Load requires maximum door opening; your roll-up door inhibits loading.

Load requires a team; you’re a solo.

Load completion requires more drive or on-duty time than you have available.

Load is ASAP pickup and there is a closer truck to meet customer requirement.

Load requires dock high truck at shipper or consignee

Load requires a furniture dolly; you only have a two wheel dolly.
Load requires furniture pads; you have none or not enough.

Load requires decking; you have none or not enough.

Load requires pallet jack and you don’t have one

Load requires a wooden floor for freight securement.

Load requires US Citizen driver.

Load was pre-dispatched before you became available.

Load was dispatched to a <75 status truck.

Load was dispatched to a truck within 50 miles of express center; you were beyond 50 mile limit.

Driver or truck was placed out of service for non-submittal of required document.

Driver requires Commissioner’s Pardon in order to enter Canada.

Truck wheelbase is too long for some Canada Provinces.

Truck not governed to 65mph and load transits Canada areas that require speed limiters.

Truck in another Express Center has more dwell time and also qualified for load.

Truck has authorized passenger that would not be allowed at some locations.

Truck is over length for NYC or other urban customer location.

Customer has excluded your truck from their property.

 

[ATeam]

Load was dispatched to a truck within 50 miles of express center; you were beyond 50 mile limit....

Truck in another Express Center has more dwell time and also qualified for load.

This is where it gets confusing. How can both be true?

We had an incident not long ago where we accepted but did not get the load, but felt we should have. We called and asked why the other truck got the load. The answer was the other truck was closer. We had more dwell time and the load did not pick up until the next day, leaving plenty of time for both trucks to get to the pickup.

The pickup was equidistant from two express centers. We were in one, the other truck was in the other. It may have been true that the other truck was closer, but it would not have been by much and, as I said, both trucks had plenty of time to make the pickup.

Is "the other truck is closer" a valid reason when both trucks can make the pickup on time and one outranks the other with dwell time? Under the new dispatch system, does it matter any more what express center you are in relative to freight picking up in another express center?

The reason we were given as to why the other truck got the load did not make sense to us, leading to the temptation to draw other conclusions as to why we did not get the load.

None of the other reasons on the list you offered applied in this case. We are in a fully-equipped, fully-qualified truck, and, the reason given to our inquiry was, "the other truck was closer."

It still does not make sense to us and we have tried to be careful in gathering the facts and fair in thinking it through.

Add to your list:

- Dispatcher offers a favor or sweetner to entice a truck to take a bad load and the favor/sweetner is later redeemed by putting a good on that truck ahead of others that would otherwise get the load.

To answer Humble2drive's question that began this thread, no, it does not have to be this way. The more information that can be provided about what trucks get what loads and why, the more open and fair the process will be perceived to be.

 

[layoutshooter]

We had the same thing happen to us once as well. The difference between the two trucks was 6 miles. It was a pre-dispatch put out on a Friday for a Monday pick-up. We had a <75. Stuff happens, not the norm. Makes ya mad when it happens though.

As for the "too long in NYC", since when did they pay attention to that? We get dispatched for runs on a regular basis where our truck is not allowed. We find out on the way in or out. Lots of fun when that happens. Even happened in Toronto once. Just what we needed, a ticket in a foreign country. Luck was with us, no cops seen us go in. Happens in big cities with art museums in downtown areas. Once we get in and see the no truck signs we have only to choices, stop, turn around and abandon the load or take our chances. Neither option is all that good.

 

[dieseldiva]

This is where it gets confusing. How can both be true?

We had an incident not long ago where we accepted but did not get the load, but felt we should have. We called and asked why the other truck got the load. The answer was the other truck was closer. We had more dwell time and the load did not pick up until the next day, leaving plenty of time for both trucks to get to the pickup. .

We've had this same thing happen except the "reason" was reversed. The load was picking up in our express center but it went to the other truck, who was NOT checked into our express center, because they had more dwell time. One time this happened and the other truck was so far out that they had to adjust the pick up time! Go figure......

 

[layoutshooter]

Yeah, all you can do is laugh at it. Does no good to cry!

 

[piper1]

- Dispatcher offers a favor or sweetner to entice a truck to take a bad load and the favor/sweetner is later redeemed by putting a good on that truck ahead of others that would otherwise get the load.

Phil, in surface expedite anyways, this is impossible to do without the dispatch supervisor approval and it is documented when it happens. ANY time a dispatcher does anything against what the system recommends (adds $$ or different truck etc.) it all has to be documented on the screen and approved. Sat in dispatch...watched it happen. The amount of work the dispatchers have to do, leaves them little time to play any games.

As far as the closer truck thing, of course that gets done..it saves FedEx money in DH and DH FSC. Might only be a few bucks but if it happens 300 times a day....

 

[piper1]

I would also like to know how a load can come out offered at a low pay, gets declined by everyone and then 15 minutes later comes back at a higher rate. Aren't we supposed to be getting a percentage of what the customer is charged? Where does the higher pay come from? Is FedEx dipping into their cut to get the load covered?

If everyone rejects it, they still gotta get it moved...so they ADD money to the load. If you pay attention to where you are and where others are around you....you can work this situation to your advantage sometimes.

 

[Humble2drive]

. . .

The reason we were given as to why the other truck got the load did not make sense to us, leading to the temptation to draw other conclusions as to why we did not get the load.

Exactly the point I was making.

A contractor's business is in large part dependent on the decision reached by a complex computer system. If there is no reasonable explanation for that decision based on known criteria then the contractor is led to the "temptation" to fill in the blanks.

It has been my experience that in most cases these "blanks" are filled in with negative conclusions that lead to anger and resentment.

In these cases:

Gossip runs rampant
Morale is effected
Retention is effected
Customer service can be effected

It just seems to be in the best interest of all parties to develop a better solution to this dilemma.

 

[layoutshooter]

Exactly the point I was making.

A contractor's business is in large part dependent on the decision reached by a complex computer system. If there is no reasonable explanation for that decision based on known criteria then the contractor is led to the "temptation" to fill in the blanks.

It has been my experience that in most cases these "blanks" are filled in with negative conclusions that lead to anger and resentment.

In these cases:

Gossip runs rampant
Morale is effected
Retention is effected
Customer service can be effected

It just seems to be in the best interest of all parties to develop a better solution to this dilemma.

100% Correct. Don't expect anything to be done about it. Large corporations do not respond very well to problems like this. FedEx is no exception. That is just how it is in general, not just knocking FedEx, it is a problem in most industries in this country. Large corporations forget that there are people involved, they think only along the lines of balance sheets. When that practice becomes more of a the norm and management stops responding to those below them the corporation will lose many of their best people.

 

[LDB]

One of the best solutions is to go to Green and spend an hour or two sitting in dispatch observing. I did that. I can tell you exactly what happened and why "you" (that's the generic you meaning everyone) didn't get the load. OK, ready? Here it is.

It's a well defined conspiracy. It's bullet proof. It's invisible. All the dispatchers are in on it. They have the secret handshake and the code.

OR

It has nothing to do with dispatch. They are too busy. They don't have time to play games and show favoritism. Not only that, they really don't care about favoritism.

Now, before any conspiracists suggest the first explanation is correct and they just put me with the one guy trained to hide the conspiracy, let me say that I surreptitiously observed several other dispatchers during my visit. They all followed the same patterns.

There is no conspiracy. There is no favoritism.

Yes, it would be nice if they could give us a document that clearly enumerates all the possible dispatch scenarios, but until then we can eliminate conspiracy/favoritism from the list.

 

[Humble2drive]

Here are some of the reasons gathered over time that a few of us have worked on when for when this question is asked:


Load requires special training/qualifications such as A&E, Nuclear, T-Val, IAC or SEC.

Load is HAZMAT category that is not allowed on a cargo van.

Load requires a truck without an on board animal

Load requires same size truck but one with greater recorded payload.

Load requires air ride truck

Load requires maximum door opening; your roll-up door inhibits loading.

Load requires a team; you’re a solo.

Load completion requires more drive or on-duty time than you have available.

Load is ASAP pickup and there is a closer truck to meet customer requirement.

Load requires dock high truck at shipper or consignee

Load requires a furniture dolly; you only have a two wheel dolly.
Load requires furniture pads; you have none or not enough.

Load requires decking; you have none or not enough.

Load requires pallet jack and you don’t have one

Load requires a wooden floor for freight securement.

Load requires US Citizen driver.

Load was pre-dispatched before you became available.

Load was dispatched to a <75 status truck.

Load was dispatched to a truck within 50 miles of express center; you were beyond 50 mile limit.

Driver or truck was placed out of service for non-submittal of required document.

Driver requires Commissioner’s Pardon in order to enter Canada.

Truck wheelbase is too long for some Canada Provinces.

Truck not governed to 65mph and load transits Canada areas that require speed limiters.

Truck in another Express Center has more dwell time and also qualified for load.

Truck has authorized passenger that would not be allowed at some locations.

Truck is over length for NYC or other urban customer location.

Customer has excluded your truck from their property.

Thanks Team C.

Interesting info; however, we are mixing two scenarios.

Scenario 1 - A truck in your category disappears from the express center, VRU shows a load dispatched and you never got the opportunity.
This is the scenario that most of your explainations address. They are reasons that the opportunity should not be sent out to the truck.

Scenario 2 - A truck receives a load opportunity which implies that the truck is eligible for that load. The computer evaluates the criteria and reaches a decision.
This is the scenario that I was addressing. It is the scenario that is left up to a computer program, using defined criteria which should provide a clear reason. That is how mindless computers work.

My bad for being unclear.

In the past we called on scenario 1 situations and we have a collection of answers similar to some of those you gave. We no longer invest our time chasing those.

While both scenarios cause discontentment, it is the mystery decision made by a mystery computer program that seems to need some improvement.

 

[Humble2drive]

. . . Large corporations forget that there are people involved, they think only along the lines of balance sheets. . .

Good point and true.

This is why I specifically mentioned the impact on driver retention and customer service. Both areas effect the bottom line and every company (regardless of size) should be concerned.

 

[layoutshooter]

Good point and true.

This is why I specifically mentioned the impact on driver retention and customer service. Both areas effect the bottom line and every company (regardless of size) should be concerned.

Like when they beg you to take that load that really is not good for your needs, with the, "we will pay to relocate you if needed" then you ask for that relocation and they tell you that none is available at this time? That is one of my favorites.

 

[aileron]

I used to try to find out why I didn't get the load when I was sure it was mine, but the result of that was just more anger. So now, I don't care anymore. When I don't get the load, I don't care why, just wait for another good one.

 

[ATeam]

Phil, in surface expedite anyways, this is impossible to do without the dispatch supervisor approval and it is documented when it happens. ANY time a dispatcher does anything against what the system recommends (adds $$ or different truck etc.) it all has to be documented on the screen and approved. Sat in dispatch...watched it happen. The amount of work the dispatchers have to do, leaves them little time to play any games.

I'm not suggesting something is going on under the table or that supervisors are not involved. I am not suggesting that at all. I'm simply pointing out the commonly-known practice as one of the answers to the question "Why didn't I get that load?"

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Been there and done that as well. I had more dwell time I had all the quals & they didnt have a -75 either I know the truck that got the load. They were next to me.
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