Why Drivers Quit

[RichM]

Sometimes it amazes me how Companies demand superior performance from the driver/contractor but settle for mediorce performance on their Dispatchers part.
I will not identify the Carrier that I am with but this situation could have probably happened on a number of them.
Last week I received a call at home from a Dispatcher whom I didn't recognize asking me to travel to a town about 80 miles away and loan a E unit driver my pallet jack so he could get loaded.Originally they offered $100 and I balked due to the 80 mile deadhead back.So he raised the pay to $200.00 which I accepted.
I received all of the info over the q/c including the E Unit drivers name and phone number.
This is what took place.I pointed out to the dispatcher that the E Driver could rent a pallet jack for about $25.00.
Lie # 1,He said the Driver does not have a credit card and as a result no one will rent him one.
Lie # 2 .Less then 1 hour later I received a Phone Call asking how soon can I get there.The other Driver really needs the P/Jack.
About 26 miles into the trip I received a message that they no longer needed the p/jack.They then balked at paying me for a dry run,but eventually came around.

Later that day I was bored so out of curiousity I called the other driver and he told me that he had told dispatch 3 times that the p/jack was needed at the delivery not the pick up. He had 14 pallets of heavy motar mix going to a construction site which had no dock.
He told me he called this info in,when he received a Q/C message stating that I was enroute he called back and said it was not needed at the pick up.When he called in his pick up info they asked him where I was and when did I show up.He exploded at them and for the 3rd time told them he needed the p/jack at the delivery.This was when they sent me the message that the p/j was no longer needed.
And they wonder why we get frustrated and quit.
RichM
Owner/Operator
18 Years

 

[mcbride]

>And they wonder why we get frustrated and quit.


Rich,

I totally sympathize with you and your dispatcher woes. The most curious thing for me to understand is why dispatchers feel as though they need to lie to the drivers. We have on several occasions just told them there is no need to lie about a situation...we really are not unreasonable people and the truth goes much further with us. We do understand that mistakes happen and many customers can be a pain in butt. Furthermore, we are more apt to help out our carrier during a bad situation when we aren’t fed a concocted story by a dispatcher...and if we find out we have been lied to by a particular dispatcher we aren’t going to help that individual again.

My personal problem with dispatchers is they often fail to recognize we drivers, are actual people like them out here and have to eat, sleep and use the bathroom just like them! How many times has a dispatcher inquired of your personal needs while you are held up at a pick up or delivery location for 6 hours and there are no eating establishments or toilet facilities nearby or available? We are fortunate that we have food preparation capabilities and toilet facilities available to us in our truck but most people don’t. I would like to see how a dispatcher would react if he/she were told you can’t leave your desk for 6 hours!

I personally think that FedexCC had the right idea when we were with them....they had dispatch personnel ride along with drivers for a week....their attitudes toward drivers did change.

Another thing I noticed about your post was there was no mention of a thank you or an apology from your dispatch for your trouble...Wouldn’t it be nice if we all worked to together as a team and got rid of the “us against them” attitudes?

mcbride-
O/O-Super D unit-Team-6yrs
--What goes around comes around--
LEGAL NOTICE: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those held by the posting author and do not represent the views or opinions of Expediters Online.com, On Time Media, LLC, it's agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertisers or sponsors.

 

[davekc]

As the current driver shortage continues to intensify, I think more and more carriers are going to have to pay attention to these kinds of things. McBride had a interesting point in that alot of misrepresentation goes on within many carriers. Everyone is working towards the same goal, so alittle honesty will do wonders.
The companies that have or adopt that way of thinking will be the ones that prosper over the next year.
Davekc

 

[redytrk]

I had a simular go-around with a inexperianced/inept dispatcher mon night.I was called to take two skid off a broken down truck,then take it to LEX and transfer to another truck.I asked the weight if it could be moved by the drivers.Answer was yes.Got there,found truck height missmatched by 4".When we tried to move the pallets the boxes just slid off the skids.Now we half to pick up the skids and muscle them.One weighed 300# the other 200#.With aching backs we got it done.
Now off to LEX.I requested disp set up a dock transfer at LEX. They said they would. 2 hrs later I called to see where to transfer.I got a lot of static.,about why this needed to be a dock transfer.I pointed out that most lifting was considered to be in the range of 60 to 80# to be considered safe.They finally agreed and dispatched a lift gate truck equiped/W pallete jack to meet me. This all delayed the shipment by more than 2 hrs.
It is no wonder people leave...But you know what? the grass is really no greener.

 

[RoseBush]

>And they wonder why we get frustrated and quit.


I have (had) a local dedicated (GM) run that was 60 not-too-hard hours for a gross of $600 and some benes in the company straight truck. It was cool (even if a little mondane), not getting rich but livin steady.

Friday afternoon they QC'd me to say that effective Monday, my run would change from two round-trips per day to one. I understand and all, even though it's a tough situation. But I still have to do 3 of my 4 stops anyway, but for half of the pay. To add insult to injury, instead of honoring my request to take a slow ride home (about a half hour), they say they need me to "stay available" up there. So I do... for a couple hours. My days this week have still been around 10-11 hours at the company's disposal, but my pay each day is now $60. Um, does anyone detect a problem here? My company doesn't.

Sure, that's the nature of the business.
Sure, I am always free to find another job or another line of work.

Still, something's not right about that. And as the sole bread-winner for my family... I'm concerned on a number of levels.

Yet the fact remains that as I walk out the door, there will be two drivers walking in--hoping that the recruiting lines are for real and that they don't get screwed like they did at their last job.

I don't know what the solution is, but thanks for listening!

Valerie Weise
Royal Oak, Mi

 

[Weave]

I often forget all about "hours" put in as an expedite truck owner operator. I do net very decent pay as an expediter, but if I counted the hours away from home, I would "work" 24 hours a day. Unless I am sleeping after a load I am available 24 hours a day while in service. Ready to go around the clock whenever needed. In my case usually 2 to 3 weeks at a time with the same routine.
Hours on a load or working? let me see... here is my last load:

Dispatched: 12:00 PM from Jackson, GA
Arrived at Pickup: 2:30 PM at Dalton, GA
Scheduled Pickup: 4:00 PM (1.5 hour nap)
Check Pickup: 4:00 PM, not at site- 5:00 PM new instructions
New Instructions: Go to Calhoun, GA and get freight direct
Arrive in Calhoun: 5:30 PM
Loaded ready to go in Calhoun: 5:45 PM
Arrive at consignee: 7:00 AM Philadelphia, PA (rushed to beat AM traffic in Philly area), had to park on street to wait, too much noise to sleep
Scheduled Unload time: 8:00 AM Convention Center
Unloaded: 9:00 AM (Finally!)
Depart Philadelphia: 9:15 AM
Arrive at sleep point: 9:45 AM Paulsboro, NJ
Eat and Shower complete: 10:15 AM
Fell asleep: 10:30 AM
Total time working on load: 21 hours (less 1.5 hour nap in Dalton)

I made a post a while back where I said my total time actually working on loads was 70-80 hours a week. See how it adds up?
Do you want my "easy" job?

-Weave-

 

[DMWJEFF]

Weave,
How did you get from Calhoun to Philly (782 miles) without a 10 hour shutdown?

 

[ATeam]

Snip

>Total time working on load: 21 hours (less 1.5 hour nap in
>Dalton)
>
>I made a post a while back where I said my total time
>actually working on loads was 70-80 hours a week. See how it
>adds up?
>Do you want my "easy" job?
>
>-Weave-

Yes we do! Diane and I have not said expediting is effortless, but we have found it to be easier than any work we've done in the past. Expediting is also a very easy job to learn, compared with the training required for other jobs we've had (like four years of college and three of law school).

Another aspect of expediting we fully enjoy is your ability to decline loads at will. Also enjoyable is that when you are done with a load you are truly done. Other than following up on your settlements to make sure you got paid (seldom a problem with good expediting carriers), there is nothing more to do but wait for your next load.

Your marketing plan is reduced to making sure dispatch has your telephone number. You don't have to sell your services. Your carrier does that for you. You dont' have to maintain an inventory of goods to sell, your in the service business. Except for a few hours of HAZMAT training every couple years - and only that for certain kinds of HAZMAT - there are no continuing education requirements. Our old jobs required a minimum of 20 hours a year in the classroom just to keep your license. And then there is the paid tourism expediting offers that few other jobs can offer.

Do we want your "easy" job! You darn betchya we do! And if you don't, all the better....that's more freight for us!

 

[ATeam]

>And they wonder why we get frustrated and quit.
>RichM
>Owner/Operator
>18 Years

Rich,

Did you quit? If not, what are the redeeming qualities of the business that keep you in?

 

[ATeam]

>Sometimes it amazes me how Companies demand superior
>performance from the driver/contractor but settle for
>mediorce performance on their Dispatchers part.

In an effort to better understand the dispatchers' jobs and thus better communicate with them, I've been asking them - as the opportunities arise - to tell me more about what they do and how they are evaluated. It is not all the case at our carrier, and probably others, that they settle for medicore performance from dispatchers.

FedEx CC dispatchers have a very specific set of objectives asigned to them. Virtually everything they do is tracked by computer and then graded against the objectives. Those results are then reviewed for bonus, promotion, and/or corrective action.

In Rich's story, a dispatcher at his unnamed carrier got it wrong about what end of the trip a pallet jack was needed, and thus initiated a dry run that was paid for but not needed. That's not the kind of thing that goes unnoticed at FedEx and it's not likely to be a mistake this dispatcher (perhaps a new one) makes twice.

Diane and I continually learning how to help dispatch do their jobs better. Sometimes it's by providing ideas from the street as Rich did when he suggested the E-unit driver rent a pallet jack.

Were we in that situation, we also would have suggested that the carrier can rent a pallet jack on the driver's behalf. We've seen that happen before with our carrier where additional services or equipment are needed to get the job done and the carrier pays for it by phone.

Other times we "help" dispatchers do their jobs by providing feedback to their supervisors about how the dispatcher screwed up and making sure it is noted so it can be dealt with in house.

It's not a one-way street in the driver/dispatch relationship. No driver should ever settle for being simply frustrated. Positive suggestions made in a helpful spirit from the field are well received. And even frustrations can be voiced and documented in a way that helps dispatch understand how to improve.

I know of no more serious charge a driver can make against a dispatcher than that the dispatcher lied. If that charge is fairly and professionally communicated to the powers that be in house, it would help numerous drivers in the future and help reduce the temptation to lie again.

 

[Special K]

Very early in our time at Roberts Express, we were offered the opportunity to sit with a dispatcher for a couple of hours. It was absolutely fascinating, and well worth the time spent. I wish they'd make it part of everyone's orientation. If any of you get by your company's headquarters, I highly recommend taking the time to do that. We tend to think it's a one-way street, that it's only dispatchers who don't understand the drivers' position, but how many drivers really understand what the dispatchers have to do?

 

[Tom Robertson]

The frustrations expressed by Rich are not only real but an everyday occurrence which needs to be addressed. Rich has 18 years in the industry, and although he knew how to handle the situation to insure he was paid for his efforts, he obviously found it disturbing enough to share his thoughts. His concern is for others in this industry that may not have had the experience to be reimbursed for their trouble. Rich knows from his experience that this kind of problem exists with all the major carriers, and his post should not be questioned with something as trivial as “what are the redeeming qualities of the industry?” We all believe in the industry or we would not be involved. Rich’s post simply points out an area that needs improvement, and gives a heads up to the Newbies that this kind of problem is a negative portion of the industry that needs to be addressed correctly, that is shared by all drivers in the industry, and dealt with properly so they will be paid for their trouble.

Weave further points out that these changes in plans can put some real strains on the single driver, creating situations that must be adjusted to, or the driver must face a total loss of pay for hours already spent following the orders initially given. A team driver can always turn a portion of the work over to the other team member, while a single or solo driver does not have this option. If you think this is easy, let’s see you put in the 21 hour day without the help. Then do this not once but two or three times a week, for several weeks in a row... easy... I think not!

The approach taken with my company is that of “team effort”. We are a very small company and would never place anyone in the position of dispatching who did not have strong experience in our specific portion of the industry. Anyone dispatching for my company receives a bonus for all miles they are responsible for “booking”. The dispatcher then has a vested interest in every load, and shares in the responsibility of the shipment from start to finish. Another very specific personal attribute necessary for anyone dispatching, is the ability to LISTEN. Listen to the customer, listen to the drivers, and listen to those responsible for making any changes to the load.

Understanding all aspects of the load is important in order to keep misinformation to an absolute minimum. Sometimes there are circumstances that change the entire parameters of the load AFTER it is accepted. It is the responsibility of the person dispatching the load to understand everything about those changes before contacting the drivers.
As an owner and dispatcher I am always attuned to driver suggestions and concerns, but feel the responsibility for accurate information on all shipments is mine. Addressing the lying issue, my company policy is simple... NO TOLERANCE.

 

[LDB]

>Hours on a load or working? let me see... here is my last
>load:
>
>Dispatched: 12:00 PM from Jackson, GA
>Arrived at Pickup: 2:30 PM at Dalton, GA
>Scheduled Pickup: 4:00 PM (1.5 hour nap)
>Check Pickup: 4:00 PM, not at site- 5:00 PM new
>instructions
>New Instructions: Go to Calhoun, GA and get freight direct
>Arrive in Calhoun: 5:30 PM
>Loaded ready to go in Calhoun: 5:45 PM
>Arrive at consignee: 7:00 AM Philadelphia, PA (rushed to
>beat AM traffic in Philly area), had to park on street to
>wait, too much noise to sleep
>Scheduled Unload time: 8:00 AM Convention Center
>Unloaded: 9:00 AM (Finally!)
>Depart Philadelphia: 9:15 AM
>Arrive at sleep point: 9:45 AM Paulsboro, NJ
>Eat and Shower complete: 10:15 AM
>Fell asleep: 10:30 AM
>Total time working on load: 21 hours (less 1.5 hour nap in
>Dalton)
>
>-Weave-

Unless I'm confused (some would say my usual state) this run became illegal per DOT rules at 2 a.m. somewhere between Georgia and Philadelphia. I don't think a D unit can run outside logs and the 14 hour rule would take effect based on the original noon start. In any event, the point is well made that it's a time consuming job.

Leo
truck 767

Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[davekc]

I think Rich brought up this topic because it is a issue that comes up time and time again with many carriers. The idea of putting drivers in dispatch for a day is a great idea. I would also follow that up with dispatch doing a few ride alongs. Understanding both responsibilities is paramount to a good working relationship.
I do find it over the top that one with 18 months experience is telling a 18 year veteran how to deal with dispatch issues.
Davekc
owner
20 years

 

[Dave Johnson]

>I do find it over the top that one with 18 months experience
>is telling a 18 year veteran how to deal with dispatch
>issues.
>Davekc
>owner
>20 years

But is he wrong? Did he provide bad advice?

Isn't it funny how you manage to agree with what he said, yet put him down for daring to advise someone with more 'experience' than he?

This is exactly why I never posted much here. There is always an approved 'opinion' you must go along with, a group of drivers you can't disagree with, or you're the 'stupid newbie'.
x( x( x(

 

[davekc]

Isn't it funny how you manage to agree with what he said, yet put him down for daring to advise someone with more 'experience' than he?


Apparently you may be reading the posts too quickly. I didn't write whether I agreed with A Team's post or not. I did like Special K's idea.
I enjoy different opinions whether I agree with them or not. That is what forums are for.
No offense taken
Davekc
owner
20 years

 

[bigjimhp]

Just another day in the life of the expediter

 

[garman]

Nobody can be talking about Panther ii having a shortage. I just had one guy complete their two-day class, and he was told Panther ii has 1,100 trucks and they have a training class every week just to glut the market with drivers etc.

What happens to these people when things start to slow down?????

Panther ii should realize is the drivers are the back bone of their business, but the drivers are treated like crap and threatened all the time, no wonder they have such a turn over.

"Dispatchers," What a bunch of people who are not trained to properly work with the drivers and even try to understand how they operate or care at all about them!

I was told they recently hired close to 200 dispatchers and have only around 35 still working for them!

 

[garman]

>Nobody can be talking about Panther ii having a shortage. I
>had one guy complete their two-day class, and he was
>told Panther ii has 1,100 trucks and they have a training
>class every week just to glut the market with drivers etc.
>
>What happens to these people when things start to slow
>down?????
>
>Panther ii should realize is the drivers are the back bone
>of their business, but the drivers are treated like crap and
>threatened all the time, no wonder they have such a turn
>over.
>
>"Dispatchers," What a bunch of people who are not trained to
>properly work with the drivers and even try to understand
>how they operate or care at all about them!
>
>I was told they recently hired close to 200 dispatchers and
>have only around 35 still working for them! "HERE is the real deal"
How about getting a load offer through the Q-Com and accept it only later to find out your $150 flat rate turned into only $85 at pay day.
How about all the dead heads out of your own pocket? Constant harassment from dispatchers who LIE about everything to try and con you into taking a load for them, only to become very rud to you if you decline their load offer. As a driver/owner you never have any idea at he end of the week what you are actually getting paid for. I was out on the road for five weeks and asked to head back to my home tome of Grand Rapids, Michigan. for christmas and Panther ii told it's drivers we will get you home for Christmas one way or another! In the process, I was harrased many times by dispatchers to take a load way down south that would have stranded me there over the holidays. "Why drivers quit," It's funny the drivers are the back bone of the freight Company's driving through rain,fog,icy raods and constantly being stressed out only to end up sleeping in your truck away from home when it's all said & done. Oh I forgot to mention all the training. I praise all of you drivers out there you are the real heroes delivering freight to help keep our country running! x(

 

[davekc]

I would talk to their contractor relations dept. Your experience is not one we have had with our years at Panther. Not every dispatcher is having a good day or is new and inexperienced. You as the driver must identify that and return the call and talk to another dispatcher. As far as pay, whatever is sent via the QC is what you should be paid. During Easter, we were in San Diego and they deadheaded us home. We made it as far as Pheonix and got a run for ESPN that got us the rest of the way. If they keep hitting you with loads, take yourself out of service. They may ask, or be persistant, but you can still tell them no.
All you can do is be as professional as possible and hang up on the rude or obnoxious. Over the last couple of years we have had maybe 1 or 2 negative interactions. No company is perfect, but as mentioned, we have had a good relationship thus far with Panther.
And no, I am not a recruiter
Davekc
owner
20 years