Oh The Times They Are A'changin'...

That old sage Bob Dylan knew a few things about the world we live in, and we've always maintained that in trucking you can always expect things to change on you. Well, this morning I got this message on the Qualcomm that went like this: "Hello, I am "So & So" I am your new driver manager , your old driver manager is no longer with the company."

I had such a good thing going with my DM that it is really disturbing, I mean he even seemed to know how I thought and would plan me out with loads that maybe no one else could handle, but he knew he could count on me to be creative enough to "get er done". Oh well, I know it's not like I'm starting over, but it was disheartening. I'm hoping this guy will be just as good or better, but I know I've got to prove myself capable of being trusted with the "good stuff". It's kind of weird because that was the only person I even knew at the company - now I don't know anybody, but my new driver friend "Schism". I don't even have a way to get in touch with my old DM to wish him well in what ever endeavor he is now pursuing. Life goes on, and the wheels keep turning, I just hope mine can keep turning like they have in the past. I'll do every thing I can to make sure that keeps happening.

That is the way to think. Just to the job to the best of your abilities. that is all we can do these days

Ah, You're walking in my shoes right now. I remember that day. I was so angry I stopped driving. That vent on TT was a classic!

Sorry for your loss OS. I've heard the stories and he sounded fantastic, it was havoc when he wasn't there. I sure hope this guy will do a good job for you.

That is the most disruptive thing that can happen to a driver and it's incredibly disheartening when you have a good thing going like that.

But fortunately you're in an awesome position. All companies track the performance of their drivers. So your new dispatcher may not know your personality, but he does know your performance.

The biggest worry I would have is his experience level. Experience in dispatching is just about as important as experience as a driver. Experienced dispatchers know a world more than the newbies and I've found it's pretty much impossible for an experienced driver to work with a brand new dispatcher. They want to do everything by the book and as an experienced driver you threw the book out long ago and found real world ways of doing things. So you're not on the same page. Nothing you want to do makes sense to the dispatcher, and vice versa.

I wouldn't wait too long to see what he can do. A couple of weeks should be plenty for him to show how good he is. If he can't keep you rolling then start talking to the bosses. You said your dispatcher was the only person you really knew at the company. I'm hoping you've at least had a few opportunities to speak with some of the higher ups like your dispatcher's manager and the operation's manager. Because if things don't go well with this dispatcher you're going to need someone that can pull a few strings to quickly get you moved over to a better board.

The thing I would tell management if I got put on the board of a dispatcher that wasn't getting it done was along the lines of:

You know the level I perform at and I expect to work with people that perform at the same level. I wouldn't mind helping someone learn the ropes if it didn't take money out of my pocket and make every day of my life more difficult. Not to mention, I know we have great dispatchers that operate at a high level. So how long do you think I'm going to sit here bleeding money and suffering on an inferior board when you can simply move me to one where I belong in 30 seconds?"

It's not a threat. It's not being unprofessional or combative. But it is stating in no uncertain terms that you expect to work with people that perform at a high level. You know they're out there and you won't settle for less. There's absolutely nothing wrong with expecting a lot out of the people you work with when you yourself have been performing at a high level all along. Not only that, but it works out best for the company if they take care of their best people and make sure their productivity lives up to their potential. That should be a no-brainer.

You said your dispatcher was the only person you really knew at the company. I'm hoping you've at least had a few opportunities to speak with some of the higher ups like your dispatcher's manager and the operation's manager. Because if things don't go well with this dispatcher you're going to need someone that can pull a few strings to quickly get you moved over to a better board.

I have the name and direct phone number of the guy that is the top level manager over the flat-bed division. I came across it by accident way back, and I have kept it in a file in my truck just in case the day should ever arise that I might need it. I'm not expecting to need it, but it's there if I do. Like you say I think I will know in a couple of weeks how this is going to go down. Fortunately my whole week this week was already planned out with a 1400 mile run followed by a 2400 mile run, and that's about all I can do and still stay legal. So I really won't even start to get a handle on how this guy operates until next week. I did find out that he has been with the company as a dispatcher for two years, but he has previously been over in the van division. He did say in his message to his drivers that he was planning on his board being the top producing board in the company. That's where we were before this happened, so hopefully the guys in the suits didn't put somebody in this position that won't be able to handle it. His message to us sounded like he was planning on giving us all we could handle - time will tell if he really understands what that means or not.

He did say in his message to his drivers that he was planning on his board being the top producing board in the company. That's where we were before this happened, so hopefully the guys in the suits didn't put somebody in this position that won't be able to handle it.

That's exactly what happens sometimes. The suits, who have no clue about driver/dispatcher working relationships (because they were never drivers or dispatchers), sometimes think, "We have to get this poor-performing dispatcher up to speed. Hey, why don't we put him on with the best drivers we have so they can teach him how it's done!"

It sounds brilliant if you have no idea what you're talking about. In reality it's a catastrophe.

So hopefully this isn't one of those, "Where can we stick this guy?" kinda things. Hopefully it's more along the lines of, "Our top board of drivers needs the best dispatcher we have or we're going to lose a lot of those great drivers." If they have that kind of insight you'll be in great shape.

I know personally, if I were assigning drivers to boards I would put the best drivers with the best dispatchers. They tend to approach the job from the same perspective and with the same goals in mind.

I am getting ready to experience that same thing, OS, I have been on the "Advancement fleet" with my dispatcher since starting with swift. Now after more than 6 months they will be taking me off his fleet and handing me over to God knows who and I have more than just a little trepidation about who will be my new DM. Good luck with your new guy and wish me luck with mine.

I am trying to avoid the same situation with Swift flatbed. They are moving all dedicated drivers on my account back to the Greer SC terminal. It is the terminal closest to my house but has not dispatched flatbed for a few years. I have so far successfully blocked any moves but I do not know how long that will last. My current dispatcher and I get along great and I stay busy. Not looking forward to a change. Good luck OS.

I'm sure it will all work out for us, it's just a little unnerving once you get used to someone and then they get yanked out from you. As long as we can keep proving ourselves we'll come out on top. Good luck man, I hope it all goes well for you!

I had a similar moment of panic when my DBL sent out a team wide QC message saying that he had been assigned different responsibilities and would no longer be our manager. I was like, "Nnnnnooooooooooo!" When I read the message. Fortunately, though, my panic was short lived as I was one of the ones he took with him over to the new board. Crisis averted...whew!