More Learning For The Road.

Well here I was getting a little proud of myself. What is the old saying? Pride goeth before the fall.

I got a trip from Rome GA to Salem VA. Not great but not too bad.

Pickup wasn't suppose to be till 10am. Dispatch was not answering any of my requests to up the pickup time. Not just this load. They haven't answered any for my last 6 loads.

So... I took it on my own and showed up early. 0730. They started loading me at 8am. 2 hours early. Yippie.

Now my drop off. Not till noon the next day. I can get within an hour before I shutdown for the night, so I send another early drop request. No answer. So, again I take it on my own to do an early drop.

Big mistake.

I get there at 0740. My 14 hour clock is now running.

They don't open till noon.

After I get unloaded, I just have enough time to get to my next pickup. I pull into the yard with 7 minutes left on my 14 hour clock.

It would have been nice to hear from the load planners or dispatch when I put in my request.

Maybe shooting load planners is not such a bad idea after all. At least the weekend and holiday ones.

More learning from the road.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S

That is the problem with being reefer/dry van driver. Can almost never get anyone to co-operate when it comes to getting appointments moved.

Just another reason to be a flatbedder. Most of my pickup/deliver appointments are when I get there on the appointed day. Every once in awhile I have an appointment that has to be at the specific date/time.

Ernie

So, again I take it on my own to do an early drop.

Calling ahead to the customer is key. You certainly don't want to assume they'll take you early. And a lot of times they can take you early if they know you're coming. So you might get a break by calling ahead but not if you just show up unannounced.

Life on the road has a steep learning curve, eh?

Ernie is right though - refrigerated customers are a nightmare and they rarely allow early pickups or deliveries of live loads or unloads. It's always worth a shot, but it won't happen all that often.

Joe, is this just weekend dispatch that isn't responding to you? If so, then just realize that this is normal. There is a limited number of dispatchers on weekends and they are usually having to put out major fires and don't have the time or the inclination to deal with every little request. I'm not trying to belittle your concerns about your load, I definitely feel your pain and understand the frustration of dealing with weekend dispatch. I just make it a point not to even communicate with them unless I have an absolute dire emergency situation. It's one less frustration I don't have to bring on myself.

Now if your regular dispatcher isn't responding to you then I think you need to have a sit down with them and professionally remind them "hey, I am a rookie, and I'm still trying to get all this stuff figured out. Sometimes I need your help, and would appreciate it if you could at least respond to me within maybe a half hour or so."

My regular dispatcher is very quick to respond if I have a request. Sometimes if he doesn't know the answer he will at least send me back a quick response saying something like this "hey, I'm not sure what to do about this but hang on a few minutes, I'm working on it and will give you an answer shortly."

A good dispatcher is just as much an important asset to you as you are to them. It is sort of a dance that the two of you will do together to be successful. After you're out there longer and getting more experience you'll find you need them less, and they will recognize that when you do have a request it is something important to you or else you wouldn't be bothering them with it.

Keep this in mind, Joe. On this Earth there are MILLIONS of people who are alive simply because it's illegal to shoot them.

Learn it, love it, live it.

Cheers, Howard

I would love to be able to call these places since I can't get answers from dispatch usually.

The only problem. They don't give us any phone numbers. Once in a while, there will be a phone number with the order. But 90% of the time, it is the desk of the person that booked the load. It isn't receiving or the shipping department of that company.

And again, we are told never to call a company unless it is for better directions if we "get lost".

As everyone already knows about weekend dispatching. I have heard complaints from just about every driver about their weekend dispatchers. The thing I can't figure out. Most drivers that I have been talking too, are giving phone numbers to call. One guy works for CR England. He says they are encouraged to call the customer if they can drop early. Frees the driver and truck up sooner for more loads.

Just have patience. It all works out in the end. At least that is what everyone keeps telling me. LOL

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be mine. Joe S.

I would love to be able to call these places since I can't get answers from dispatch usually.

The only problem. They don't give us any phone numbers. Once in a while, there will be a phone number with the order. But 90% of the time, it is the desk of the person that booked the load. It isn't receiving or the shipping department of that company.

And again, we are told never to call a company unless it is for better directions if we "get lost".

As everyone already knows about weekend dispatching. I have heard complaints from just about every driver about their weekend dispatchers. The thing I can't figure out. Most drivers that I have been talking too, are giving phone numbers to call. One guy works for CR England. He says they are encouraged to call the customer if they can drop early. Frees the driver and truck up sooner for more loads.

Just have patience. It all works out in the end. At least that is what everyone keeps telling me. LOL

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be mine. Joe S.

Joe,

Here is something I have used many times & works about 85% of the time. Get on Google Maps, look up the company, usually there will be an address & phone #. I have done this so many times & have been successful a good percentage of the time being able to talk to someone.

Ernie

Well here I was getting a little proud of myself. What is the old saying? Pride goeth before the fall.

I got a trip from Rome GA to Salem VA. Not great but not too bad.

Pickup wasn't suppose to be till 10am. Dispatch was not answering any of my requests to up the pickup time. Not just this load. They haven't answered any for my last 6 loads.

So... I took it on my own and showed up early. 0730. They started loading me at 8am. 2 hours early. Yippie.

Now my drop off. Not till noon the next day. I can get within an hour before I shutdown for the night, so I send another early drop request. No answer. So, again I take it on my own to do an early drop.

Big mistake.

I get there at 0740. My 14 hour clock is now running.

They don't open till noon.

After I get unloaded, I just have enough time to get to my next pickup. I pull into the yard with 7 minutes left on my 14 hour clock.

It would have been nice to hear from the load planners or dispatch when I put in my request.

Maybe shooting load planners is not such a bad idea after all. At least the weekend and holiday ones.

More learning from the road.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S

thats kind of messed up? i hate to be ignored!

I would love to be able to call these places since I can't get answers from dispatch usually.

The only problem. They don't give us any phone numbers. Once in a while, there will be a phone number with the order. But 90% of the time, it is the desk of the person that booked the load. It isn't receiving or the shipping department of that company.

And again, we are told never to call a company unless it is for better directions if we "get lost".

As everyone already knows about weekend dispatching. I have heard complaints from just about every driver about their weekend dispatchers. The thing I can't figure out. Most drivers that I have been talking too, are giving phone numbers to call. One guy works for CR England. He says they are encouraged to call the customer if they can drop early. Frees the driver and truck up sooner for more loads.

Just have patience. It all works out in the end. At least that is what everyone keeps telling me. LOL

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be mine. Joe S.

Joe,

Here is something I have used many times & works about 85% of the time. Get on Google Maps, look up the company, usually there will be an address & phone #. I have done this so many times & have been successful a good percentage of the time being able to talk to someone.

Ernie

Thanks Ernie. I will give that a try next time. Never even thought about those kinds of phone numbers being listed anywhere. But it is worth a try.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be my own. Joe S.

So, again I take it on my own to do an early drop.

Calling ahead to the customer is key. You certainly don't want to assume they'll take you early. And a lot of times they can take you early if they know you're coming. So you might get a break by calling ahead but not if you just show up unannounced.

Life on the road has a steep learning curve, eh?

Ernie is right though - refrigerated customers are a nightmare and they rarely allow early pickups or deliveries of live loads or unloads. It's always worth a shot, but it won't happen all that often.

that sounds very good!