The Power Of Your Dispatcher To Make Or Break You ...

Do you think your dispatcher has the power or ability to influence your progress?

I've had the feeling for the longest time, that not only has one of my dispatchers "had it in for me" but that he has set me up for failure over and over. It feels like this has been an uphill, almost daily battle from sending me on difficult runs to assigning me bogus tractors that were either not suited for the job at hand or in need of repair, therefore I've been subjected to an even tougher job than necessary.

1) Is this just my imagination or am I truly experiencing what I think I'm experiencing? ....Obstacles thrown at me at every turn by one of my dispatchers, putting my career in jeopardy ...

2) Do I have any recourse on this at all? Is there anything that I can do? (I've already tried the team-effort, congeniality route, etc. Didn't work)

-mountain girl

Mountain Girl, I've been thinking about your situation ever since you posted this a few days ago. I've been so busy I just haven't had the chance to sit down and put my thoughts together for you. I was in Connecticut the other day when you posted this and now I'm headed from there to Sacramento California, they are keeping me running! Since the trip to California ran me right past my home town, I decided to take a 34 here at my house. That gives me the chance to put into words, some hopefully helpful advice. I've long since been a big supporter of you, and I hope you can pull this whole thing off. Your situation is uniquely challenging with or without a difficult dispatcher. I will readily admit I know very little about the LTL sector of trucking, and even less of what it is like to have multiple dispatchers. Excuse my thoughts if they seem slightly all over the place, but I think you have a lot going on in your situation, and I hope there is something of value in what I have to say that will benefit you. If I am way off base, just let me know and that will be an end to it, but I hope you will find some little golden nugget of wisdom in here.

I've had the feeling for the longest time, that not only has one of my dispatchers "had it in for me" but that he has set me up for failure over and over. It feels like this has been an uphill, almost daily battle from sending me on difficult runs to assigning me bogus tractors that were either not suited for the job at hand or in need of repair, therefore I've been subjected to an even tougher job than necessary.

That phrase about your dispatcher stetting you up for failure sounds like it could have come right off the pages of one of those moan and groan trucking web sites. I realize you are experiencing some serious issues, but I would be very careful about adopting that particular mindset. Trucking has it's difficulties and problems, and your particular job is tough no matter how you cut that nut. You are a brave girl for doing what you do, and not only that but you've got your little "board of directors" at home which basically without realizing it have wanted you to take on a very difficult job so that you could be home for them. All of that is so commendable that it makes me very proud of you for tackling it all like you do. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let the problems become stumbling blocks, turn them into stepping stones. I don't know how to explain that process to you because I feel inadequate in my understanding of the LTL sector, but I do know a little about interpersonal relationships with co-workers, and I think that is really where your issue is at.

Your last job ended basically because you thought someone was out to get you, or at least you thought they didn't want a female working there - and I don't doubt that you were correct in your assumptions, but I want you to realize that sometimes we can sort of stir up our own set of problems by letting our feelings show too much at times when we are around our co-workers. There are some strange folks in this world whose egos seem to thrive or "feed" upon the misery they can cause for others. I've known my share of these types. My best successes in dealing with these types is to out smart them at every step along the way, and be one step ahead of them all the time. Basically if this dispatcher is causing you grief, then you do not ever want to let them know that you are displeased with what they are doing. Read that last sentence slowly and let it sink in.

You and I have never met personally, but I get the feeling that you are a cheerful gal whose heart is kind of worn on her sleeve. You may be causing some of your own grief if this dispatcher knows they are getting a rise out of you. If I am right in these assumptions, you need to downplay your emotions and conduct yourself in a cool and calm way around this person. Do not let your feelings show in your facial expressions, your eyes, or even with your body language. What ever they assign you to do, you just get after it with a willing heart, and never let them realize their sick little triumph or victory. If they get no personal reward in their sick little psyche, they loose interest pretty quickly in causing you grief. There is also a reward for your career in handling a dispatcher this way. You will be developing your skills to a greater depth because you have taken on the challenging loads and runs and gotten them done without giving that person the satisfaction of spoiling your day. The end result is that they loose interest in dealing out misery to you, and you become that more proficient in your skills as a professional driver. Remember, that is what you are - a Professional.

A professional sometimes has to quell their emotions and "just do it." I wish you every success, and I hope that maybe there is something in here that you will find helpful. Attitude is everything, if you can just keep yourself from falling prey to the current trend of thinking you've got to muscle your way into controlling the way your DM operates, and just keep consistently doing what ever it takes to "get er done" you will come out on top.

... ... I get the feeling that you are a cheerful gal whose heart is kind of worn on her sleeve. You may be causing some of your own grief if this dispatcher knows they are getting a rise out of you.

-Old School

Old School, for some reason, the way you so deftly put this has finally sunk in. ... I not only see your point, I finally, finally get this. As much as I hate this part of life in general, it's time for some personal growth. Ugh. Those of us who are fun-loving, humorous, positive, self-confident, lalala have to learn that while it's fine to express these things openly and make good friends along the way, cheer up those around us, on the other end, we have to learn to hide our disgust and not allow the sick-minded to bring that spirit down. And if they do, to never, ever show it in any way, shape, or form, as you say.

To take it even further, I have to force myself to brush these people and their stupidity aside, not allow them any space inside my mind, so that I can continue to get out there and drive safely and professionally, without interfering with my concentration on the task at hand, which is to always drive safely.

When I allow (key phrase here: when I allow) people like this "get to me," my focus on the thousands of things my job requires, is reduced. Next thing I know, I've bumped into a stationary object; not at 75 miles per hour, but in some customer's yard, at 3-5 miles per hour, pulling forward, doing the easiest thing in the world, and turning right.

Congratulations, you have another report to fill out, for a preventable accident.

If anyone heard about the recent storm in Colorado, November 16, named Winter Storm Ajax, I drove it. Well, duh.

As I have since learned is typical, it was not --the night-time driving, the transitional storm, the black ice, the poor visibility, the other truckers blasting past me, my newly dispatched tractor that was unfit for the conditions, the 30-40 seconds on I-25 N when I couldn't see the road or anything in front of me, at all, the rain changing to sleet, then snow, the 50 mph winds, the exit I missed, the necessity to take the next exit, drive South 3 miles, take that exit and drive North again to the exit I missed, the transition from a 28' pup to a 48' van before my trip, the moment the dispatcher yelled at me an hour before -- but the moment when I got to the customer and almost successfully passed by the parked 53' tractor-trailer-sleeper without touching his nose cone with my van, at 3mph ... ...that got me into trouble.

The hour and a half drive (normally 40 minutes) to this destination was harrowing. What I failed to do once I arrived at the customer at 9:00pm was to take a break. My nerves were shot. My judgement was reduced to stupidity. I should have clocked for and taken a well-deserved 15-min break, whether I was running out of hours or not. And I was. I had successfully handled and driven in clearly the toughest storm of my career so far and regardless of any other factor, including the worsening storm, I should have stopped, set my brakes, done an inter-trip inspection, run a couple of laps around my rig (yes, in the snow) and done anything but drive down the customer's 1.5 mile entrance, until I had calmed myself down. I was not visibly shaken, but no doubt the adrenaline was coursing through my veins and fogging my mind.

Yes, the dispatcher was an idiot to send me on that run. Yes, he dislikes me and was going to set me up for failure, whenever he possibly could until I either quit or failed. Yes, there is no doubt he deliberately gave me a tractor that should never have left the yard that night. Yes, he pressured the heck out of me. Yes, he humiliated me daily, in front of anyone in dispatch who could hear. Yes, I got sent home the last time I turned down an unfit tractor a couple of weeks before. Yes, there was tremendous pressure to get it done before the storm got worse. Yes, I hate the slimy little butthead.

The truth is, he could never do my job and my job was and always will be, to be the commander of my own ship and refuse to drive when my trained instincts tell me it's unsafe to do so.

It was a bad combination of wanting to prove that I was tough enough to handle the run and allowing myself to be intimidated by a guy sitting on a stool, behind a computer.

And speaking of toughness, I know all you experienced drivers out there, for whom I have the utmost respect, would agree when I say,

the tougher thing to do would have been not drive that run to prove I could do it, but to refuse the run because I knew better. (As all the experienced drivers around me were doing that night)

(Big girl tears, here. Sorry) Damn, how I hate growing up.

This accident, a measly 4" scratch in the other driver's nose cone of his otherwise 53' pristine trailer, cost me my job.

Basically if this dispatcher is causing you grief, then you do not ever want to let them know that you are displeased with what they are doing.

-Old School

For me, not letting on I was displeased (which I did) but also not allowing it to interfere with my focus on my own responsibility to drive safely ... ...would have been key.

I clocked out at 1:30am. I arrived home at 4:00am, called dispatch, and refused to drive in the continuing storm.

Many painful lessons learned.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

-mountain girl

Mountain Girl, I am so sorry to hear how this all turned out! Man, I just wish there was something I could do to help - it's sometimes very frustrating watching the folks that we have encouraged and mentored along the way, and then having to watch them get knocked around in their new careers. You have had one tough challenge after another, and you have done everything you could to try and get this off the ground. I commend you for your valiant efforts!

For those of you who are new in our forum, Mountain Girl's experience is a great example of why we try to get folks to put in a good solid year of over the road driving before you start trying to land a local driving job. Those local jobs can be grueling! Not only are there more intense demands upon the drivers skills, you are also dealing with multiple dispatchers, constant demands and changes in what needs to be done right away, and it is just a very demanding work environment that is usually in a constant state of flux. I'm really thinking of P & D work which is what Mountain Girl was doing.

This is a major problem for the women. So often we have ladies come in here who want to get into this career, but they still have children that they are responsible for. Taking an over the road job is out of the question so they double down on looking for local work, and they find that it is a very tough nut to cut! Of course the men have just as much trouble with it, and often times they will look for local jobs just so they can stay near by their families. All of this is commendable, but people just never realize how tough it is. Then there is the additional problem of if things don't work out for you then it is double tough to go out and get another driving job, because most folks are looking for Over The Road experience, and they are not real keen on hiring someone with some accidents on their record.

Mountain Girl, please stay in touch with us, and let us know if things develop so that you are able to find some more work driving truck.

Again, I am hurting with you, and I just wish there was someway I could help you advance your career. You're still our poster child as far as I'm concerned.

Mountain Girl- What kind of weekly mileage have you been running?

2) Do I have any recourse on this at all? Is there anything that I can do? (I've already tried the team-effort, congeniality route, etc. Didn't work)

-mountain girl

Brett has it all detailed out in his book.

Mountain Girl- What kind of weekly mileage have you been running?

-jetguy

I'm a p&d/linehaul combination driver. I get paid by the hour in the city and by the mile in linehaul. I don't usually get more than 35-42 hours a week. One of the city dispatchers is a mean, royal pain the carcass.

-mountain girl

MG - I do think that certain coworkers have the ability to influence your job. I really hope that you find a solution and are able to stay with the company. I hope it works out for you.

Mountain Girl, I've been thinking about your situation ever since you posted this a few days ago. I've been so busy I just haven't had the chance to sit down and put my thoughts together for you. I was in Connecticut the other day when you posted this and now I'm headed from there to Sacramento California, they are keeping me running! Since the trip to California ran me right past my home town, I decided to take a 34 here at my house. That gives me the chance to put into words, some hopefully helpful advice. I've long since been a big supporter of you, and I hope you can pull this whole thing off. Your situation is uniquely challenging with or without a difficult dispatcher. I will readily admit I know very little about the LTL sector of trucking, and even less of what it is like to have multiple dispatchers. Excuse my thoughts if they seem slightly all over the place, but I think you have a lot going on in your situation, and I hope there is something of value in what I have to say that will benefit you. If I am way off base, just let me know and that will be an end to it, but I hope you will find some little golden nugget of wisdom in here.

I've had the feeling for the longest time, that not only has one of my dispatchers "had it in for me" but that he has set me up for failure over and over. It feels like this has been an uphill, almost daily battle from sending me on difficult runs to assigning me bogus tractors that were either not suited for the job at hand or in need of repair, therefore I've been subjected to an even tougher job than necessary.

That phrase about your dispatcher stetting you up for failure sounds like it could have come right off the pages of one of those moan and groan trucking web sites. I realize you are experiencing some serious issues, but I would be very careful about adopting that particular mindset. Trucking has it's difficulties and problems, and your particular job is tough no matter how you cut that nut. You are a brave girl for doing what you do, and not only that but you've got your little "board of directors" at home which basically without realizing it have wanted you to take on a very difficult job so that you could be home for them. All of that is so commendable that it makes me very proud of you for tackling it all like you do. Keep your eye on the prize and don't let the problems become stumbling blocks, turn them into stepping stones. I don't know how to explain that process to you because I feel inadequate in my understanding of the LTL sector, but I do know a little about interpersonal relationships with co-workers, and I think that is really where your issue is at.

Your last job ended basically because you thought someone was out to get you, or at least you thought they didn't want a female working there - and I don't doubt that you were correct in your assumptions, but I want you to realize that sometimes we can sort of stir up our own set of problems by letting our feelings show too much at times when we are around our co-workers. There are some strange folks in this world whose egos seem to thrive or "feed" upon the misery they can cause for others. I've known my share of these types. My best successes in dealing with these types is to out smart them at every step along the way, and be one step ahead of them all the time. Basically if this dispatcher is causing you grief, then you do not ever want to let them know that you are displeased with what they are doing. Read that last sentence slowly and let it sink in.

You and I have never met personally, but I get the feeling that you are a cheerful gal whose heart is kind of worn on her sleeve. You may be causing some of your own grief if this dispatcher knows they are getting a rise out of you. If I am right in these assumptions, you need to downplay your emotions and conduct yourself in a cool and calm way around this person. Do not let your feelings show in your facial expressions, your eyes, or even with your body language. What ever they assign you to do, you just get after it with a willing heart, and never let them realize their sick little triumph or victory. If they get no personal reward in their sick little psyche, they loose interest pretty quickly in causing you grief. There is also a reward for your career in handling a dispatcher this way. You will be developing your skills to a greater depth because you have taken on the challenging loads and runs and gotten them done without giving that person the satisfaction of spoiling your day. The end result is that they loose interest in dealing out misery to you, and you become that more proficient in your skills as a professional driver. Remember, that is what you are - a Professional.

A professional sometimes has to quell their emotions and "just do it." I wish you every success, and I hope that maybe there is something in here that you will find helpful. Attitude is everything, if you can just keep yourself from falling prey to the current trend of thinking you've got to muscle your way into controlling the way your DM operates, and just keep consistently doing what ever it takes to "get er done" you will come out on top.

... ... I get the feeling that you are a cheerful gal whose heart is kind of worn on her sleeve. You may be causing some of your own grief if this dispatcher knows they are getting a rise out of you.

-Old School

Old School, for some reason, the way you so deftly put this has finally sunk in. ... I not only see your point, I finally, finally get this. As much as I hate this part of life in general, it's time for some personal growth. Ugh. Those of us who are fun-loving, humorous, positive, self-confident, lalala have to learn that while it's fine to express these things openly and make good friends along the way, cheer up those around us, on the other end, we have to learn to hide our disgust and not allow the sick-minded to bring that spirit down. And if they do, to never, ever show it in any way, shape, or form, as you say.

To take it even further, I have to force myself to brush these people and their stupidity aside, not allow them any space inside my mind, so that I can continue to get out there and drive safely and professionally, without interfering with my concentration on the task at hand, which is to always drive safely.

When I allow (key phrase here: when I allow) people like this "get to me," my focus on the thousands of things my job requires, is reduced. Next thing I know, I've bumped into a stationary object; not at 75 miles per hour, but in some customer's yard, at 3-5 miles per hour, pulling forward, doing the easiest thing in the world, and turning right.

Congratulations, you have another report to fill out, for a preventable accident.

If anyone heard about the recent storm in Colorado, November 16, named Winter Storm Ajax, I drove it. Well, duh.

As I have since learned is typical, it was not --the night-time driving, the transitional storm, the black ice, the poor visibility, the other truckers blasting past me, my newly dispatched tractor that was unfit for the conditions, the 30-40 seconds on I-25 N when I couldn't see the road or anything in front of me, at all, the rain changing to sleet, then snow, the 50 mph winds, the exit I missed, the necessity to take the next exit, drive South 3 miles, take that exit and drive North again to the exit I missed, the transition from a 28' pup to a 48' van before my trip, the moment the dispatcher yelled at me an hour before -- but the moment when I got to the customer and almost successfully passed by the parked 53' tractor-trailer-sleeper without touching his nose cone with my van, at 3mph ... ...that got me into trouble.

The hour and a half drive (normally 40 minutes) to this destination was harrowing. What I failed to do once I arrived at the customer at 9:00pm was to take a break. My nerves were shot. My judgement was reduced to stupidity. I should have clocked for and taken a well-deserved 15-min break, whether I was running out of hours or not. And I was. I had successfully handled and driven in clearly the toughest storm of my career so far and regardless of any other factor, including the worsening storm, I should have stopped, set my brakes, done an inter-trip inspection, run a couple of laps around my rig (yes, in the snow) and done anything but drive down the customer's 1.5 mile entrance, until I had calmed myself down. I was not visibly shaken, but no doubt the adrenaline was coursing through my veins and fogging my mind.

Yes, the dispatcher was an idiot to send me on that run. Yes, he dislikes me and was going to set me up for failure, whenever he possibly could until I either quit or failed. Yes, there is no doubt he deliberately gave me a tractor that should never have left the yard that night. Yes, he pressured the heck out of me. Yes, he humiliated me daily, in front of anyone in dispatch who could hear. Yes, I got sent home the last time I turned down an unfit tractor a couple of weeks before. Yes, there was tremendous pressure to get it done before the storm got worse. Yes, I hate the slimy little butthead.

The truth is, he could never do my job and my job was and always will be, to be the commander of my own ship and refuse to drive when my trained instincts tell me it's unsafe to do so.

It was a bad combination of wanting to prove that I was tough enough to handle the run and allowing myself to be intimidated by a guy sitting on a stool, behind a computer.

And speaking of toughness, I know all you experienced drivers out there, for whom I have the utmost respect, would agree when I say,

the tougher thing to do would have been not drive that run to prove I could do it, but to refuse the run because I knew better. (As all the experienced drivers around me were doing that night)

(Big girl tears, here. Sorry) Damn, how I hate growing up.

This accident, a measly 4" scratch in the other driver's nose cone of his otherwise 53' pristine trailer, cost me my job.

Basically if this dispatcher is causing you grief, then you do not ever want to let them know that you are displeased with what they are doing.

-Old School

For me, not letting on I was displeased (which I did) but also not allowing it to interfere with my focus on my own responsibility to drive safely ... ...would have been key.

I clocked out at 1:30am. I arrived home at 4:00am, called dispatch, and refused to drive in the continuing storm.

Many painful lessons learned.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

-mountain girl

I have to clarify this ...

For me, not letting on I was displeased (which I did) but also not allowing it to interfere with my focus on my own responsibility to drive safely ... ...would have been key.

where I said ...

(which I did)

...I meant ...I did not let on my disgust that night.

...but I did let him get to me ...

-mountain girl

Mountain Girl, I am so sorry to hear how this all turned out! Man, I just wish there was something I could do to help - it's sometimes very frustrating watching the folks that we have encouraged and mentored along the way, and then having to watch them get knocked around in their new careers. You have had one tough challenge after another, and you have done everything you could to try and get this off the ground. I commend you for your valiant efforts!

For those of you who are new in our forum, Mountain Girl's experience is a great example of why we try to get folks to put in a good solid year of over the road driving before you start trying to land a local driving job. Those local jobs can be grueling! Not only are there more intense demands upon the drivers skills, you are also dealing with multiple dispatchers, constant demands and changes in what needs to be done right away, and it is just a very demanding work environment that is usually in a constant state of flux. I'm really thinking of P & D work which is what Mountain Girl was doing.

This is a major problem for the women. So often we have ladies come in here who want to get into this career, but they still have children that they are responsible for. Taking an over the road job is out of the question so they double down on looking for local work, and they find that it is a very tough nut to cut! Of course the men have just as much trouble with it, and often times they will look for local jobs just so they can stay near by their families. All of this is commendable, but people just never realize how tough it is. Then there is the additional problem of if things don't work out for you then it is double tough to go out and get another driving job, because most folks are looking for Over The Road experience, and they are not real keen on hiring someone with some accidents on their record.

Mountain Girl, please stay in touch with us, and let us know if things develop so that you are able to find some more work driving truck.

Again, I am hurting with you, and I just wish there was someway I could help you advance your career. You're still our poster child as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you for the read.