Would You Refuse This Load?

I drive for a small company and absolutely love it. I drive a daycab. I drive 500 miles or so with 1 or 2 stops.

I was told in a voicemail Friday that I'll be doing this run that I did once before a few years back. Typically, the run I'll be doing consists of driving 325 miles to a dropyard, drop and hook to an empty and deadhead home. Tomorrow they're wanting me to drive to the dropyard but make 3 additional stops on the way home. This new route only adds about 40 miles to the trip but takes an additional 2 hours because you have to drive through towns. The run can't be done in HOS rules so they'll offer to put me up in a motel. That means the next day I'm burning 3-4 hours of my clock getting back to the terminal and have a short clock to work with that day. Essentially, I'm losing over $100-$150 taking this assignment. Other drivers say they laugh at dispatch and give a firm NO when asked to do this run. I've always been a yes man but I'm really thinking I should say no to this one. What would you do?

I was told in a voicemail Friday that I'll be doing this run that I did once before a few years back.

Oh c'mon! - You can't take a load that they haven't bothered to put on you in "a few years?"

I don't refuse loads. I think I've refused one single load in about seven years. They want you to be efficiently making money for them. That's how you make money for yourself. This is trucking - logistics is never perfect. Do what needs to be done. They'll be so happy with you you'll start getting the best runs. I'm headed off this week on a run that a lot of our drivers refuse to run. Personally, I think it's a money maker.

My dispatcher loves that I am willing to do it. He is always throwing extra pay on me for the routes I regularly run. He told me yesterday when he dispatched me, "You'll see I threw you a bone on to this load when you get your paycheck." It happens all the time. My accessory pay is through the roof.

I tell him all the time, "Don't get yourself in trouble on my account." He just laughs it off and says, "Nobody questions me about throwing extra money on you. Now if I did it for these slackers here, I'd be catching some flack, but nobody bothers me about taking care of you. They know you are taking care of business."

That's how you want to establish yourself.

Is this a one time shot or a regular run? If they are asking you to do it just the one time (and you love working for this company), definitely accept the assignment without griping. And don't listen to the other drivers or worry about what they think.

Never turn down a run. Things have a way of working themselves out. I did a unfavourable run which nobody likes a few days later I was given probably the 2nd best one we have.

Experience from the members here, have shown that being a "team player", and taking the occasional hit for the team - can result in being treated AS a team player down the road. Doing a favor FOR dispatch, makes it more likely that they'll do favors FOR YOU in return.

Rick

David, a few months ago you said:

So I've been driving for 2 months. I was very lucky to land this local job making 70k/year straight out of CDL school

Now you're saying:

I was told in a voicemail Friday that I'll be doing this run that I did once before a few years back

Maybe you meant you did this run a few months back? I'm not sure what's up with that.

Essentially, I'm losing over $100-$150 taking this assignment.

The first question I have is this - are you really losing that much money because of this assignment? Does this mean you're going to run fewer miles and get a smaller paycheck this week? It's entirely possible this will be the case. I ask because I've seen a ton of drivers say things like, "My truck only runs 62 mph so I'm losing $200/month compared to drivers running 65 mph" - which is utterly false. They're not losing anything, though they're convinced they are. So really think about your week and figure out whether or not your paycheck will be short because of this run.

I would take the run, but if you're on good terms with dispatch and can do it in a professional manner just let dispatch know the situation. Discuss it with them. First of all, make sure you really are losing money this week. Now you should be getting some sort of pay for the extra stops. Most companies pay extra when you have more than one stop on a load.

Not only that, but like Old School mentioned the dispatchers should have some leeway with the way they pay drivers. If they have a run that's costing drivers money they should find a way to make that up to them if possible. Then again, maybe it's just something you do once in a great while but you otherwise totally have it made. You certainly don't want to spoil a great situation by getting on the bad side of the office personnel over something trivial.

So make sure you look at the big picture closely and really think things through. Are you really losing money because of this? Will they be giving you extra pay for the stops to make up for the lost time? Will they be able to make this up to you in other ways, like with special runs you wouldn't normally get or a few extra bucks in your paycheck? Is your situation so good that it would be foolish to raise a fuss over it?

Do it. Sometimes we need to do a load we dont care for. If you refuse to do it or get all bent out of shape with dispatch I can almost guarantee you'll be given those crap runs more frequently. I've had a few jobs that I've overheard dispatchers or managers talking amongst themselves about certain drivers that expected all the real easy runs and if they didn't they got all worked up. Those drivers were constantly given the "bad" loads because they were looked at as complainers. I also run a daycab and rely on hotels if I'm out overnight and while I'm not too big on it every once in a while isn't a bad deal. Treat yourself to a nice meal and relax, maybe take your swimsuit. If you're making 70k, sounds like home daily you've got it made. Some drivers would kill for that opportunity. and you said its been a couple years (or months) since you've had this run just do it. It will all even itself out and no reason to rock the boat over something relatively minor.

What kind of local job is it if you dont mind me asking?

Just the other day I delivered around Joplin Missouri and my pre-plan was to take an empty to the caves in Carthage drop that and pick up another trailer that they thought was to be unloaded the next day. I guess our driver broke down and the trailer was towed to the caves. Anyway when I went to Americold they could not find the paperwork on the trailer I was supposed to pick up. I spent about an hour trying to figure out what's going on going back and forth between night dispatch and of course they were essentially Clueless. Finally the yard jockey saw me drive out of the cave bobtailing and flagged me down. He asked what was going on because he knows our company and I told him I wasn't sure tried to explain it to him and he said I know where that trailer is I took it in and it got unloaded earlier. Got to love those guys they know what's going on. Anyway took the empty to Scribner for a drop and hook. Got a call from the load planner the next morning and ask what happened? Anyway I ended up getting $50 for running around for an hour, he apologized for the run around. He's not my dispatcher but he's done me some favors over the last couple months because he knows I'll run hard. A couple months right after Easter he had me run over 300 miles in one day dragging empties to where they needed to be at the packing plants on top of the mileage he gave me a an extra hundred and fifty bucks. Always willing to do what they need I've learned they don't forget.

Like someone said if your on great terms and feel comfortable trying to get out of it then great. However your driver manager is basically GOD and God have mercy on you if you get on his bad side. It’s my experience that they will tell you they love you, tell you great job, all the while they are sliding the knife in your back while smiling at you. Worst part is you may never even know your walking around with a knife sticking out of your back.

Like someone said if your on great terms and feel comfortable trying to get out of it then great. However your driver manager is basically GOD and God have mercy on you if you get on his bad side. It’s my experience that they will tell you they love you, tell you great job, all the while they are sliding the knife in your back while smiling at you. Worst part is you may never even know your walking around with a knife sticking out of your back.

The only reason I approved this comment is for a teaching moment.

Rubber Duck, I am.not sure what is going on with you, but this "us against them" mentality is exactly what we are teaching against on this forum!

Dispatchers make money when we get loads done. Period. If you are a jerk, they will be jerks too. If you are nice and get the job done, you will be rewarded.

You can even get to the point where if you dont want to do load for whatever reason, you ask nicely and it disappears. But you need to reciprocate that favor.

My FM is my partner and team mate, my support system. and i support him. it goes both ways. If you think you have daggers in your back, what does your dispatcher think you out in his?

Get the back stabbing crap out of your head.