Dock Workers And Truckers: Respective Perspectives

Hello, first time poster and 4 year dock worker here! I want to open a discussion between the two of us, dock worker and driver. I think that there's something to learn from sharing our experience interacting with each other.

Although, I've been a dock worker for four years, last year, by a sort of fluke I guess, I found myself dispatching road drivers. We called them purchase drivers ( or PT) as they were from different companies (I worked at fedex freight at the time). It was always the PT drivers that seemed to be stressed or impatient. Not to say that all PT drivers were angry or that fedex road drivers were always happy, but when someone came into dispatch all grumpy, it was usually a PT driver.

Chief complaints were usually:

Time - driver already started their clock and their box is still being loaded/unloaded OR we had no available empties.

Hazmat- This one never ceased to amaze me. So many drivers would arrive, wait patiently for me to get to them, we go through the process, I hand them the paper work and they begin to scratch their heads. “I can't take this I don't have a hazmat endoresment." Well your company is a hazmat carrier. “Ok but what am I supposed to do?" Call your dispatch see what they want you to do. I've always wondered if this situation is the result of a lack of communication between driver and their dispatch or between me and their dispatch.

Well I'm not a driver yet but, your post, especially the Hazmat part will be something I will definitely remember!

Hi Freight N., I'm not a driver either, but you came to the place that is trying to correct your complaints as part of helping new drivers get into trucking. Two parts of the regular mantra are:

1. Treat everybody with respect because you don't stand much of a chance getting help or a favor when yelling or complaining. 2. Get all the CDL endorsements so you get more load opportunities.

As for how non-hazmat drivers get dispatched for hazmat loads, I've just got guesses. It could be a mistake in how the load was reported to the trucking company, but that probably wouldn't happen often enough to account for your experience. I would think the truck company's load planning/dispatch software would help prevent a non-hazmat driver getting assigned a hazmat load, but it does sound like something dispatch might do to drivers that are in the doghouse, so to speak, especially if those drivers are also the angry ones.

Maybe some of the experienced drivers will have some answers to your question.

Thanks for your post, Paul

Once again I have to agree with Paul (a trend is developing here). This site is the best around for learning how to "do it right", and they welcome all comers.

I think it is great to have some info from different perspectives and anything you can bring to the table would be much appreciated; especially to those of us starting out.

The cornerstone of any career should always be work hard, respect others, and never stop learning. Welcome Freight N. I hope to read more from you.