Dispatcher woes

[silverram03]

I don't know how many of you guys out there are truck drivers but I am and man I have had this problem just building up for quite some time. I work for a local building material supplier in town and have a newer dispatcher(1 year) that doesn't seem to know anything about dispatching or even simple organization for that matter. My main problem is the inefficiency that not just I but all of our drivers face day in and day out with this guy. For example, our dispatcher will send some one up town and then send someone back up there in the heat of rush hour traffic with a small amount of material, that could have easily been incorporated with the initial run that was made the first time, I mean after all it was literally within a couple of blocks of the first trip. Another example is his total lack of knowledge for local geography and mapping skills, I don't know how this can be since he has lived here for nearly his entire life. Any driver in this business or any driver for that matter understands where I'm coming from with this. Any way I just have to vent and see how many of you guys face this on a daily basis. I mean this dispatcher of mine could manage to turn a normal smooth running 8 hour day into a 12-14 hour marathon. And why should he care? he goes home at around 3:30 everyday. Any way just wanted a little guidance from my favorite place to be, the good old T. D. R.

 

[jnelson]

You that dispatcher brain are hard to find. ,and harder to keep.

 

[Holysmokes]

LOL..... Thats funny. The company I work for is a nationwide company. Our routing department is in Ralieh, NC. Im in Ohio. They obviously dont have a map or have any knowledge of Ohio. I will be on 1 call then run a call 25 miles away. (we have over 80 techs) and went BACK TO THE SAME FRIGGN HOUSE ON ANOTHER APPLIANCE!(in the afternoon) #@$%! Oh yea,I passed a buddy of mine working 9 driveways down so we took an extended lunch to vent.

 

[MMeier]

I USED to have that problem.

 

[GFrance]

I know your pain. I got my start at a lumber supply co 30 yrs ago deliverying local. I felt like a hamster on a wheel in a cage. Now I haul fuel to stations & my dispatcher is always trying to put more product into a station than it will hold. Been dealing with him for 22 yrs. I use to call him when the load wouldn't fit to find out where he wanted the retain to go. Now I just call the station ahead of time & bring them what will fit.

Dispatchers, we don't need no stinkin dispatchers. Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[silverram03]

I know your pain. I got my start at a lumber supply co 30 yrs ago deliverying local. I felt like a hamster on a wheel in a cage. Now I haul fuel to stations & my dispatcher is always trying to put more product into a station than it will hold. Been dealing with him for 22 yrs. I use to call him when the load wouldn't fit to find out where he wanted the retain to go. Now I just call the station ahead of time & bring them what will fit.

Dispatchers, we don't need no stinkin dispatchers. Oo. Oo. Oo.

Amen to that, I personally think that as a pre-requisite a dispatcher should have to drive in the mix of things for the company they work for. I think their whole perspective would change within the first couple of weeks. I just find it funny that the drivers I work with are more routing savvy than my dispatcher will ever be, period. I will admit we often vent about the same things but our powers at be must be the blindest people to ever walk the planet, because no matter how many times you try to help them smooth things out with a better idea they say we will talk to him about it. Well he either doesn't hear it or they don't want to hear how to do the job the right way. I just love it when a company that I work for has managed to scare away two of the best dispatchers I've ever had and then promote incompetence from within. Oh and don't even get me started on salesmen and credit returns. These guys must use a whole different calculator than the rest of us. In our yard right now we could literally build a 5,000 square foot house just from all the returns we have picked up recently. I mean how much extra material do you need to fudge on a routine track home site or any site for that matter. And no matter who you ask contractor or salesmen it always the other guy that over-ordered or shipped too much material. Off my soap box, for now.