Gratifying Discussion With My DM

I can't stress this enough to new drivers; gaining the trust of your dispatcher is huge. Dispatching is mostly a game of problem-solving and putting out fires. If you're a safe, reliable driver who makes their appointments on time, you're way ahead of most drivers.

Brett just clarified what Davy is talking about. I've been preaching this stuff for years. I learned it in the arena of real world opportunities. As a driver, the best things you can do to advance your career are the things that get positive results. You've got to be consistently productive, safe, and easy to work with.

Most of the time drivers think they need to be demanding, and almost abusive to get the kind of loads that will produce a good income. It's exactly the wrong approach. If you've ever watched how a dispatcher spends his long days, you've witnessed a person who is constantly being forced to resolve other people's issues. When they want to give some great opportunity to a driver they naturally gravitate to the ones who are problem solvers. They have certain drivers they "favor" because they've proven to be trustworthy.

This weekend we had four loads available on my dedicated account. My dispatcher told me he had 15 drivers available. He called me first and gave me my pick of the lot. It happens all the time. It's weird because I never really feel I go out of my way to do anything impressive. I just love this job and try to serve my dedicated customer with respect and excellent service. I mean, they are paying me very well - shouldn't I be doing the best I can for them?

Do your best work. Manage your truck and your time like the professional you want to be perceived as. Be considerate. Be willing to make sacrifices when necessary. That's how you compete in this field. That's how you find success in trucking.

Davy is finding it just as many of you are. Keep up the great work guys!

I really enjoy reading these stories of success. Davy is someone who I like a lot because we have similar backgrounds. Long construction career and then trucking.

And I also appreciate having a great FM at my company. He was a driver and really understands what it’s like on the road. Plus he’s very intelligent and focused on how to make everything mesh together for the benefit of both the driver and company. I got a kick out of Brett’s story of threatening to go on strike over this issue. I’m going to remember that if they ever try to assign me to a new DM.

My assumption is that Driver Managers get incentive pay. The better their team performs, the more money they make. So of course they will favor and reward their drivers who produce great results. It’s a symbiotic relationship. My FM told me he refers to me as Mr. Automatic. I told him I refer to him as Mr. PITA. LOL, we got a good laugh out of that.

I think one of the problems in our society is the Me First mentality. Always remember, we as drivers don’t make money unless our company (which writes our paychecks) makes money. Always try to nurture the goose that lays the golden egg.