.......And They Said You Would Have Days Like This As A Truck Driver!

On the down side they bought you a ford... They could be trying to kill you ;) Dodge Ram for life ;) My cummins has never failed me 680k so far.

Did everyone here at TT always have good DM's?

Anyone that's driven for a number of years has had a lousy dispatcher or two along the way. Once you've been out there for a year or so you pretty much understand the basics of how the industry works. You know when you're being treated fairly and when you're not.

A dispatcher could be "lousy" for a number of reasons. The obvious one that comes to mind is they hate their job, they hate truck drivers, and they just don't care about much of anything. It happens. If they feel that way to the point that their performance suffers, they won't be around for long.

Politics can be another reason a dispatcher "seems lousy". By that I mean maybe that dispatcher has an abrasive personality or is a drama queen around the office and nobody likes them. Well in that case the load planners, the other dispatchers, and the bosses really don't care how that dispatcher feels about anything and they're simply not going to get the favors when they need them that other dispatchers will get.

Regardless of the reason, the easiest way to tell when something isn't right is by the loads you're getting. If your weekly miles are down or you're getting a lot of short runs, you bring it up in a professional manner and ask for a better balance. At the same time, talk around with other drivers in your company to see where you stand. Maybe things are slow right now and everyone is light on miles. Maybe not. You have to figure out if it's just you that isn't running like you want to or if it's a company-wide thing.

If you find it's just you or just the drivers on your board, you give your dispatcher one or two more polite but firm messages saying "Things need to improve. I'm not getting the miles other drivers are getting." If nothing changes, it's time to make a phone call to the boss.

You start out by letting your dispatcher know that you've tried your best to get a better balance of loads but for reasons beyond your understanding it just isn't happening so you're going to make a phone call to the boss to see if they can pull some strings. Just make it abundantly clear that you're not "ratting out" your dispatcher. You just feel like you need someone with more authority to pull a few strings and get things back on track. IF you're a solid driver with a great reputation and you talk to the bosses professionally you'll usually have good luck with this.

I've done that a few times over the years and things worked out great. Sometimes it was a change in the software they were using and they weren't able to make the changes they used to make to balance things out. Sometimes there was a new infrastructure put in place where they went to a revolving system of load planners and drivers that weren't getting the right balance were being lost in the system. And once or twice it turned out I moved to a different dispatcher. But maybe twice in 15 years did I actually need to switch dispatchers. If you're a great driver - hard working, safe, and reliable - and you know how to talk to the people in the offices like a professional, 99% of the time that things aren't going right for you it's nothing personal. It's simply a matter of new software, new load planners, a new infrastructure, the loss of a major customer, a slow economy, or new managers. If you know how to talk to people and you have a great reputation as a driver you will be able to work it out just fine.

Remember, companies make money by keeping those wheels turning. When you're not making money, neither is the company. And the dispatchers, load planners, and managers almost always have some of their pay tied to their driver's performance. So they want to see you turning big miles also.

In trucking, for the most part, everyone wins or loses together. When those wheels are turning and the customers are happy, everyone is making money. When things aren't going well for the drivers, they're not going well for anyone. So keep that in mind when things aren't going your way and you approach people in the offices for help. If you're a great driver, the people in the office stand to make money from your great performance. So talk to them about it. Encourage them to keep putting the miles on you and keep the money rolling in. Tell em you're anxious to be one of the top drivers and you can handle anything they throw at you.

Build a great reputation for yourself and get to know your dispatcher's bosses a little bit. If you'll do that, someone will always be there to have your back and things will work out well in the long run. Dispatchers have very little authority. Sometimes a quick call to the boss can get the attention you need from someone with the authority to fix the problem and you'll be able to straighten things out just fine. It's a delicate and complex relationship between drivers, dispatch, load planners, and management. If you learn how the system works and play your cards right, you'll do just fine.

This thread is amazing. This is better than reading a book!

@roadkill yes I was in a curve coming out a tunnel on 76 it was raining so I didnt have my jake break on and my brake pedal is a test one. Gotta touch it just right or it doesnt work:/ @daniel glad to be of service. I did have 2 DMs previous to Amy. First one I loved but he got fired cause he was slow. 2nd one was a ****** bag that I had to politely tell how to speak to me. He didnt do his job adequately enough for me and was planning me 3 or 4 plans in advance late which started screwing with my money. @Zach I do know how to "put my foot down". I just pick my battles. This particular situation was no harm no foul to me due to the fact that I was in constant people net communication with my DM (document, document, document) and the shipper (they knew they dropped the ball). I rarely say no. Not because im a people pleaser but because I like to challenge myself. I make the impossible possible. Im out to prove to myself and anyone who doubted me a year ago that not only could I be a truck driver but a damn good one at that. Evidently because Im a girly girl that just doesnt go with trucking? I have proved myself 10 fold and if I complain or stand up for myself people listen. If your ALWAYS having an issue your not gonna get as much respect. I work for a smaller company. Very family oriented. You wont last long with them if your a chronic ass. That being said we all have our own way about things. I choose my way and anyone else chooses their. At the end of the day we all have to deal with our own choices.

@Brett & @RedGator seriously you should start a stickied thread with these messages about how to deal with DM's it's nice to see the "big company" approach and the "family business' approach they are alot alike but I think different on some key points.

But in all seriousness how does going to the boss not **** off your DM even if you explain the reason?

I like to challenge myself. I make the impossible possible. Im out to prove to myself and anyone who doubted me a year ago that not only could I be a truck driver but a damn good one at that.

That is the profile of the type of person that belongs in trucking!!! You really have to be adventurous. You have to like taking some risk. You have to love a challenge and be confident in yourself. But equally as important as having that fire inside:

You wont last long ... if your a chronic ass.

Amen to that. If you can combine that fire inside with great people skills, you'll have any company you work begging for more people like you. You'll do great in this industry. There are plenty of good drivers out there with lousy attitudes and the weakest link law holds true - you're only going to go as far as your weakest link will let you. You have to have the work ethic, the fire inside, and the people skills to really make it to that top tier where you'll get the great miles, the fair treatment, and the special favors that only top tier drivers get.

Nothing is more powerful than the human will. If you can get people to want to be nice to you and do nice things for you, you're going to be in an awesome place. Treat dock workers with kindness and respect so they'll want to get you in and out quickly. Do your job like a true professional and be willing to do the dirty work sometimes so your dispatcher will want to give you great miles and get you home on time. Be the type of person that people enjoy being around and enjoy helping.

Think of some of the most influential leaders throughout history:

• Jesus
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Martin Luther King
• The Buddha
• Mother Theresa
• Nelson Mandela

They lead by example with messages of peace and unity. They brought people together. Their messages will continue to resonate for centuries to come.

The conquerors...the intimidators - Stalin, Hitler, Genghis Khan - they rose to power but ultimately became examples of what not to be - what doesn't work - what isn't sustainable.

And remember, being peaceful doesn't mean you have to by shy or let people walk all over you. Quite the contrary. You can be bold. You can be strong. You can stand up for what you believe in. But how you communicate that message, how you handle situations, and how you treat others will ultimately determine whether or not the people around you are hoping for your success or plotting your demise. It will determine whether you'll be sailing your ship of life with the current or against it.

@roadkill yes I was in a curve coming out a tunnel on 76 it was raining so I didnt have my jake break on and

my brake pedal is a test one

.

Gotta touch it just right or it doesnt work

:/

Is that something that might become a safety issue or just a quirk of your new truck??

Well...I'm glad I brought my gun to THIS knife fight !!!!

But first things first.....Zach....how the hell do you make $40 and hour driving truck ????????

Having been O/O's, our bread and butter was our relationship with our dispatchers (and we had dozens and dozens of em, they were regional all over the 48 states), and with alot of shippers, and some receivers. Did we have some disgruntled people ?? yup !! I will never be allowed in WalMart Distribution Center outside of Denver CO...It broke my heart...can you see the dripping blood ?? But we had shippers that told our DM that whenever we were in the area, they wanted US to haul their freight. We've had shippers that for some reason always had a reload right there for us...and it amazed our DM...In trucking, PEOPLE SKILLS RULE. If you can't smile while you'd rather choke em, make a joke when you'd rather run them over, and say Yes Sir,and Yes Mam, when you had other words that fit the situation...you WILL flunk the attitude test, and it WILL hurt you in the pocketbook. Redgator is doin' it perfectly...We, as O/O's have given OUR personal loaded trailer to a company driver in CA, so he could get home for his mother's funeral. We've "hauled pigs"..which is doing a buncha short runs..and we were always given the LONG runs, the well paying runs, the multi stop runs, the multi pickup runs, which paid us nearly $10k a few times doing coast to coast. So Zach, the super trucker...don't tell this old Lady trucker that doin' a favor now and then will get you nothing....well...maybe for your cranky old self...but for the rest of us, even if all we get is a warm fuzzy....thats plenty..we are caring people, after its all said and done.

Well...I'm glad I brought my gun to THIS knife fight !!!!

But first things first.....Zach....how the hell do you make $40 and hour driving truck ????????

Having been O/O's, our bread and butter was our relationship with our dispatchers (and we had dozens and dozens of em, they were regional all over the 48 states), and with alot of shippers, and some receivers. Did we have some disgruntled people ?? yup !! I will never be allowed in WalMart Distribution Center outside of Denver CO...It broke my heart...can you see the dripping blood ?? But we had shippers that told our DM that whenever we were in the area, they wanted US to haul their freight. We've had shippers that for some reason always had a reload right there for us...and it amazed our DM...In trucking, PEOPLE SKILLS RULE. If you can't smile while you'd rather choke em, make a joke when you'd rather run them over, and say Yes Sir,and Yes Mam, when you had other words that fit the situation...you WILL flunk the attitude test, and it WILL hurt you in the pocketbook. Redgator is doin' it perfectly.......... So Zach, the super trucker...

First off that Mister Super Trucker from you.... ;-)

2nd, I run only flatbed specialised,oversized and frequently overweight at the same time .My loads are planned weeks in advance including routing,securing permits making arrangements for escorts ,sometimes using local police.Frequently I'm limited to what routes I can take ,time of day I'm limited to running and low speeds .A typical 1000 mile trip you run in a day and half takes me all week.On the plus side ,I usually sleep in motels .Point is I earn my $40 phr.

3rd ,In case you'all weren't paying attention last time ,I'll reiterate for you ,been there done that ,ran the"favors" and very frequently got screwed for my trouble .I signed on to be a truck driver not a yard jockey/shuttle driver.Miles run is what pays the bills .While I'm shagging trailers for 8-10 hours i could have been running 400-500 miles instead.Because of the favors i frequently had to run harder longer to play catch up and still have time to see my family at the end of the week.Which is what its all about anyway .Making a living to support my family .My first carrier was US Express ,I was lucky if I got 1600 miles per week .When I complained ,those got cut to 1200.I switched to Werner ,dedicated services division.Stayed with them a couple years til they lost their contract with a major retailer ,saw a lot of good miles ,never once asked to shag trailers anywhere .Went next to another dedicated services fleet based out of Nashiville hauling various automotive parts /components to the Nissan plant nearby .No shag runs there either.They had a flatbed division as well ,dedicated to Carrier Air conditioners switched to that division when Nissan went by bye to another primary carrier..Been flat bedding ever since always specialised/dedicated freight .I honed my skills and now at the pinnacle of driving carrier .Like you I have repeat customer that specifically ask for me to deliver their loads .Not because I'm willing to bend over and say "here ya go" but because I'm not.Theres only a handful of people in this country that are even capable of doing what I do ,and they didn't get that way by making friends playing yard jockey.

@roadkill yes I was in a curve coming out a tunnel on 76 it was raining so I didnt have my jake break on and

my brake pedal is a test one

.

Gotta touch it just right or it doesnt work

:/

Is that something that might become a safety issue or just a quirk of your new truck??

Its just the truck. All of our KWs have the same pesky pedal. Gotta touch it just so. Just something I gotta get used too.