Great way to make use of your down time. As a manager in my last career I always thought it was very beneficial for each department to at least see how their counter parts work. Makes for a much better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes.
Hope they get you rolling soon.
Oh man, so close to meeting you. I was there noonish Friday, but left out 0400 Saturday morn
Oh man, so close to meeting you. I was there noonish Friday, but left out 0400 Saturday morn
That would have been nice. I'm sure our paths will cross eventually. Just a few minutes ago as I was walking out to my truck I saw a guy I met during orientation. He just happened to stop here for a reset while on his way to Maine. Never know where or when you might run into somebody you know.
Hey I was in Souderton PA Friday! Didn’t get to stay long they sent me back to Houston. First time driving up there solo. It’s really beautiful this time of the year. It’s been like 5 months since I’ve seen a terminal.
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
It is always very nice to meet your dispatcher (or whatever title they have) in person. Very benificial to see how the system works. My dispatcher makes me dizzy when I watch him. He is younger and very tech savy so he speeds through those computer skills at light speed. An overall understanding of how things operate is always a good thing in my opinion.
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I figured I might as well add another "stuck in" topic. They are popular at the moment. Well I came to our terminal in Pittston, PA late Friday night to have a check engine light issue checked out. My "appointment in the shop was for 10:00am Saturday. So at 2300 Saturday I got a call to bring my truck into the shop. Turns out it is a clutch issue that needs to be fixed at an International location. They are not open until Tuesday.
It's not all bad though. My fleet manager was working today. I spent about an hour sitting with her at her desk. Asking questions, watching her take calls, and she was kind enough to explain to me what she was doing. It was fascinating to watch her navigate around her 2 computer monitors, bringing up truck info, load info, sending messages, etc. All while talking on her head set. It was like multitasking at light speed!
She told me I was doing great so far as my logs were concerned and she was impressed with my fuel cost rating, which is below the established goal.
I'm glad I had the chance to see the job from another perspective. I recommend taking the opportunity to do the same if you ever get the chance.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Fleet Manager:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.