Hello, And Question About Effective Qualcomm Communication

I’m so thankful, Brett, to you for this whole website, for all that you and the moderators and everyone keep doing to keep it real and the genuine article! You’re a heartening bunch and I’m sure glad for the kind opportunity to know and learn from you, a pure delight.

I've used the search bar on this topic of Qualcomm messages, and made notes for my “Trucker Lore” binder, yet crave more actual examples of messages/words/phrases you all really send to your FMs/shippers/consignees at different points in your loads day-to-day? Brief ways to say what needs saying without wasting their time with too many words (like now), and that keeps good communications as much as can be? Trying to imagine how many different communications even need to happen per load assignment, with and without whatever comes up.

I’m not naturally great at this part. I have to learn how to communicate online and I’m not used to it. I managed to blunder first post, and alienate others with PMs, sorry about that! Older than most, still had to look up “PM,” “ROFLWTF," and “OMG," and even “LOL." —LOL! I love people, laugh a lot out loud, just trying to make a good life, work hard, carry on, joyfully! Learning the lingo would help a LOT for one who's just not out loud funny or witty with words! Love those of you who are, and everyanyone who posts on this site always make each day brighter! The work part’ll be ok for an introvert, but good, efficient communication being key in this career, I’d better get better at that, and fast, too. Quickly learning to concisely communicate with an FM without turning them off or wasting their time would be a great help for me. Just trying to make a life and do well, strengthen this area of weakness, be good at whatever I do. Feeling challenged in this area. I appreciate you ones who are already good at this, and am trying to learn from you, thanks! Have been living under a rock or something.

Meanwhile, I’ll be starting over on the High Road that I never finished while wrapping things up, and still have a lot of work to do there before I head out to school or training. So I’ll mostly be over there on that part of the site awhile, but graze and glean a ton of complementary wisdom and mirth from the general discussions, too. So I’ll watch for other future posts elsewhere about messages you really send, etc. Don’t like to lurk, but my questions are almost always either searchable or will be answered momentarily, anyway, and I just am continually amazed by trying to keep up with this renewable font of wisdom, just by reading. I’m making a go of it, and all ears. I do want to say Hello, I appreciate y’all, and

Thanks again!

Stone Age

Happy Holidays Safe Travels!

Nancy, you're building a notebook of Trucker Lore?? That's a great project!

As for your question about Qualcomm messages, most are fill-in-the-form style, often called Macros. The most common is in moving a trailer of freight. At Swift, it might look like this:

Macro 1: ARRIVE AT SHIPPER (a simple notification, nothing to fill out)
Macro 2: LOADED CALL (enter shipping details like Bill of Lading #, weight, seal, trailer #, your ETA information, and more)

Then you go your merry way. There are Macros if you make intermediate stops.

Macro 5: ARRIVED AT FINAL DESTINATION (again, just a notification)
Macro 6: EMPTY CALL (fuel level, drive hours left, trailers dropped & picked up, and so on)

There are macros for breakdowns, fuel stop, request for road expenses, paycheck info, and much more.

There is also Macro 0, a blank form you're thinking of, and you can type whatever info you need.

One important use for Macro 0: this is the way you document important things like having to stop because of bad weather, or you can't get an MT (empty trailer). Phone calls are OK, but that's not documenting things.

Ditto.

I use "arrived at location, docked at location, depart location, fuel stop location" for every load.

Then we have fill in forms for getting road assist/breakdown help, scale ticket reimbursement, and directions to locations.

We also have a "free form" I use for a things like "truck needs repair, heading to shop". Or " home time requested for 01/15".

It's not that big a deal. But on the flip side....I'm really wordy too and send my FM a "laugh for the week" of some crazy stupid thing I did.

Example.. One of our other forum members has my FM and went to WY with a bunk heater problem. I was in TX with an animal problem. Here was my text...

"So I figured out what you do when you want to kick drivers off your board. You sent Kanelin to the frozen tundra of WY with no heater, and sent me to wild kingdom it TX. As deer ran into the highway being chased by coyotes, I ran over a paw. Too afraid I'd get bit by rabid canines I stopped at a rest area to check the tires where a sign said " beware poisonous snakes". Your cunning plan to eliminate us didn't work. Your stick with me ;)

Hahah yes I wrote exactly that... I got back "you have no idea how badly I needed a laugh today! Thanks"

Off course there are some FM who have no sense of humor, or want things strictly related to work. So it depends on your relationship and personality of your FM.

I never have to give ETAs unless meeting another driver or the load was late due to loading or weather issues. They consider the appt time my ETA. If I have a problem meeting it, then I tell him. If I free form him once a day I'd be shocked. When I first started I used to send him "will be parked at the customer by.midnight for 0800 appt" but once he learned I'm always really early I stopped bothering.

I once hadn't talked to him on the phone for a month and called him "hi. I missed you. How you doing?" That actually made him laugh. He said people usually call with problems or complaints lol

A couple of other QC macros I use multiple times every day;

Macro 3 "Arrived at Stop XX" (01-99)

Macro 4 "Depart from Stop XX" (01-99)

Macro 6 "Empty call". Establishes availability for next load, documents trailer number dropped in the yard, and indicates I am no longer under a dispatched assignment.

Since I have multiple Walmart store deliveries for each dispatched load, I need to communicate arrival to and departure from a stop and report it in sequential order. (EX: stops 1-5).

I typically keep my freeform text messages for reporting any delays or changes during my dispatched route.

The other thing to be aware of is get massages from driver management and planners for pre-plans, traffic updates, store issues, and other general business.

It's a two-way communication system that IMO makes the job easier and at times safer.

@G-Town:

get massages from driver management and planners

@G-Town:

get massages from driver management and planners

OMG..."messages".

Now I'm offended no one asked me for massage lol

The other thing to be aware of is get massages from driver management and planners

Wow G..........You weren't kidding when you told me the DM's and Planners treated you Drivers well in Pottsville!

The other thing to be aware of is get massages from driver management and planners

Wow G..........You weren't kidding when you told me the DM's and Planners treated you Drivers well in Pottsville!

The horror!

shocked.png The horror!

OMG ROFL

Just wanted to say that i'm loving this thread. Extremely informative for a hopeful like me. Thank you all for your contributions, and keep them coming!

I'm going to start a file organized alphabetically by topic and fill it with hints like these so I can review it with my training materials.

Props for Rainy for starting this thread. I had the idea also, using a title like "Trucking Lore", or "Stuff Your Trainer Never Taught You But You Oughtta Know". But Rainy pulled this off, and now I'm just a contributor.

And, yes, sculpy, these ideas will really make your trucking life easier!

It's all y'all's fault/!