July 2010
Ray’s Rules for Dispatchers, part 1
Hello folks hope all is well, I thought I would go right to the group of individuals who are either the most loved or most despised in most trucking companies with this month’s article. I myself have been a dispatcher, just as most folks who start a trucking company from the ground up, you end up performing almost all of the jobs until some critical mass have been earned and you find that you are required to step back and play more of an administrative role. As with anything else in life, there were elements of the job I loved and there were parts I absolutely hated and there were ground rules that had to be followed.
I always believed that if you had 10 loads and 10 trucks to move in a day it could be done by anyone in the office but if you have 15 loads and 10 trucks you’ll need a good dispatcher. There is an enormously gratifying feeling of accomplishment when confronted with copious amounts of freight to move and a limited amount of trucks to move it on and at the end of the day it is all covered and everyone and everything is under control.
The relationship between dispatcher and driver is as complicated as any there is in this world, Dr. Phil would go nuts trying to get all the bugs out. It is often a nonstop game of push and pull, the driver wants to know 3 moves in advance where they are going to be sent and what the freight is and the dispatcher is trying not to say too much for fear that the next load falls through and they will be accused of lying, just to get the last load moved, a perfect example of being between the rock and the hard space. All this being said there are some simple rules that if followed can make the relationship work to both parties benefit.
Rule 1, first and foremost the foundation of the relationship must be solid, this is accomplished by knowing what each party’s expectations are of each other. If you’re a dispatcher of a company that specializes in 2-3000 mile turns and the driver your company is hiring for you to work with has to be home every other weekend to get their kids, guess what, this isn’t going to work. Spell out exactly what you expect of the driver including, notice of time off needed, any particulars of the freight that needs to be discussed, check in requirements, availability for work, to be dealt with respect etc. Get it in writing!
Rule 2, have the driver spell out exactly what their expectations are of you, they might need to have every second weekend off for family, they might have an upcoming series of professional appointments that need to be made, they might suggest that they expect to be dealt with respect. They might say that they have to get 10,000 miles a month in to be successful. Whatever the individual’s expectations are review them and make sure that you can accommodate them, because if the expectations of the individual cannot be met you are going to have an ongoing issue with this person until they finally quit or you fire them? Get it in writing!
Rule 3; be honest, all the time! This might seem like a no brainer but it isn’t for everyone, if you as a dispatcher decide it would be easier for you to B.S. a little to a driver to get an extra load covered you are playing with fire and are likely to looking for a new career shortly. Integrity and honesty has to be the cornerstone of your relationship with your drivers as soon as you get caught just once in a little white lie you’re done. This information will fly though the driver fraternity quicker that grass through a goose and you will not be trusted from then on and when you need that favor, because you’re really really stuck, forget it liar not gunna happen!
Rule 4; be consistent, with everyone! The last thing any driver needs is to think that some other driver is getting preferential treatment. Spread the sweet with the sour evenly throughout all of your drivers, do not favor anyone more that another on anything. This will cause dissension and mistrust and when you’re called on it and you probably will be, you’re done. Every driver or owner operator who has decided to spend their career at your company and ends up on your board deserves every opportunity you can grant them to be successful, remember that and you will be fine.
Rule 5; Never Never talk down to another driver or coworker! This one gets under my skin; everyone on this planet deserves the right to be dealt with, with respect, period! I was at a company last week and they have a dispatcher that the drivers hate, all of them despise this person, but the customers love this individual. What a croak, this person had never driven before and I don’t have a problem with a dispatcher who hasn’t been on the road but, its walk a mile in my shoes time here folks. I have a million safe miles under my belt and I am proud of that fact, I also know that it can be a lonely lifestyle, I know what it’s like not to be available when things go sideways at home and your 2 days away, to have just left a receiver who really didn’t want what you had to deliver and for some reason felt it was his job to make you aware of his problem and all you want to do is get to your backhaul and get home etc etc. now it’s time to talk to my dispatcher and they’re going to talk down to me, I don’t think so, not this cat, no how no way, I’m ready let’s dance dickhead!
I could go on with this article for a couple more pages, but I’ll give you folks some space to comment on my ramblings and give me a few of yours.
Who knows you might also want to distribute this to someone you think might be able to use it.
Safe trucking
Ray