Making Appointments

How do you all handle making appts such as dentist or doctor? Do you tell them you have to be home a day prior to the appt? I gave plenty of notice for a dentist appt and my company still can't get me home on time. Advice?

How do you all handle making appts such as dentist or doctor? Do you tell them you have to be home a day prior to the appt? I gave plenty of notice for a dentist appt and my company still can't get me home on time. Advice?

I tell my company about 2 weeks in advance and im always home the day before. My Co and DM are really good about getting you home. They really only need 2 or 3 days notice depending on where you are. Kinda sounds like they are dropping the ball.

The problem is my regular dispatcher knew way ahead of time, but weekend dispatch sent me on a run too far from home. I probably could have called in and tried to get out of it, but thought I could make it back. I don't think weekend dispatch is aware of appointments or if they are they don't really care.

I've been in the offices where dispatchers are during weekend or night. And what I saw was shocking. Where there would be an army of dispatchers, there were only a few during the weekend and/or nights. So you have just a few guys looking out for all their drivers. I don't blame them when that stuff happens. They were absolutely swamped when I was there.

At my company which has about 12000 drivers we have about 75 or so dispatchers on the weekends all the drivers are condensed into super regional boards and each board is allotted 3500 to 4000 driver each and then splint between 10 dispatchers for 12000 drivers.

Here is the thing about weekend and night dispatchers. They are not there to plan loads or babysit drivers. They have one job and one job only....keep the loads that are already moving on the move and prevent service failures do to broke down trucks. You break down they get another truck to take the load. That is all they are there for. Nothing else.

Now for anything else like home time or doctor appointments or weddings or deaths, vacations or anything else NOT concerning on time delivery of your load that would fall to your day time week day DM/FM.

That's good info for us new guys, Guyjax. 12,000 drivers at your company! Wow! Care to share who that is?

Guyjax works for JB Hunt. I normally wouldn't say who someone works for unless they've made it known publicly already, which he has.

Thanks, Brett.

I've tried to get on their web site, but for some reason it won't display. I think I need to try a different browser.

Thanks, Brett.

I've tried to get on their web site, but for some reason it won't display. I think I need to try a different browser.

I did manage to get on JB Hunt's website using Firefox...I normally use Internet Explorer. At any rate, JB Hunt isn't hiring in Montana, so they are out for me.

Yep I work for J B Hunt. I like the company. Need a minimum of 6 months OTR before applying.