BEEP!!! IN THE NIGHT....

**poison** · 11-07-2007, 12:32 AM

i was just curious while it hasn't happened to us as of yet,as we have only been in expediting since aug. what are the chances of getting a load offer say after 20:00 21:00 or even later at night.to me probability seems slim because although the consignee may have an emergency it does not mean the supplier is open 24 hours.Am I wrong for
thinking this or am I just kidding ourselves.

**davekc** · 11-07-2007, 12:32 AM

Chances are probably slimmer, but we have done loads at all hours of the night.

Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

**poison** · 11-07-2007, 12:42 AM

I guess I should ask what are the odds say 1 out of 100 loads what %age
do you think it would be

**OntarioVanMan** · 11-07-2007, 12:43 AM

Murphys Law: Stay up all day, go to sleep late...they'll call at 1am!!!for a "ready now 700 miles"

**Moot** · 11-07-2007, 01:19 AM

Most of the after midnight load offers have been recovery or transfers do to a breakdown. Loads swapping out because of length of haul should be set up before the freight leaves the shipper. I can't understand why dispatch waits until the last minute to set these up.

I have had a few load offers after midnight for loads picking up at 1800 and later. No excuse for this!

**The Enemy** · 11-07-2007, 01:53 AM

I've had the QC go bump in the night, immediately followed by the phone ringing. They have always been to rescue a breakdown. At that point I tell them to make it worth my time. Not that I'm not a team player and don't want to help them out, but I value my sleep, especially after driving all day. On one occasion I was called at 3 am to drive 80 miles to rescue a broken down D unit with 2500 lb over sized van load. The remainder of the trip was 175 miles to the drop. Well by the time the conversation was over I got payed D unit rate all miles loaded and empty in my Sprinter. They made it worth my time since I was the only truck around for 200 miles. I'm happy to help out if they help me out as well.

**Turtle** · 11-07-2007, 02:23 AM

I've gotten a few calls after 9 or 10 at night for a load picking up at 6AM or something. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year I'll get a call in the wee hours for a load picking up ASAP and delivering ASAP, usually a replacement part for something that's broken down at a factory, emergency inventory, or in one case, to replace a blown tire on an airplane at the airport. But for the most part those middle of the night beeps are for swaps and breakdowns.

Moot:

"Loads swapping out because of length of haul should be set up before the freight leaves the shipper. I can't understand why dispatch waits until the last minute to set these up."

I know why. I had the operations guy in, uhm, an east coast state, tell me why. It's because, "It's impossible," to make those decisions when the load is booked. When I pointed out that there are many carriers who swap out long loads when using solo drivers, and they almost all do so by scheduling the swap right up front so that the first leg driver will know when and where the swap will be made, he still insisted that it's impossible and that those carriers don't do that. He even went as far to say that that's the reason Con-Way NOW is no longer in business, since he had heard that they did that sort of thing on a routine basis.

I had to laugh at that one.

A few weeks ago a solo straight truck driver picked up a load in Canada, bound for the US. He faxed the paperwork to ViaSafe from the shipper, and headed out for the border. Never called in to make sure the paperwork was received and was legible. Whoops. He gets to the border and still doesn't have a clearance. They can't read the paperwork, please re-fax it in. In the meantime, he runs out of hours.

About 4AM I get a phone call from dispatch (I'm having a hard time typing this while laughing) who wanted me to go from New Baltimore to Windsor and take his paperwork to a fax machine and fax it to the broker for him.

I'm still laughing at that one.

Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop

**RobA** · 11-07-2007, 10:06 AM

This story is just another example of how US based carriers are not giving the drivers proper support at the border.
The driver shouldn't be responsible to fax the papers...DISPATCH should.
The driver faxes the papers and boogies; he's doing his job he's driving.
The broker needs someone to contact and it's very difficult to contact a driver even in the 21st Century. They often don't know who the carrier is or how to contact them.
If the Dispatch was doing their job properly they would've contacted the broker to ensure everything was OK for their driver to cross.
Sheesh....it's communications not rocket science.
Most Canadian carriers have someone in dispatch to look after these issues. It keeps the freight moving.

>A few weeks ago a solo straight truck driver picked up a
>load in Canada, bound for the US. He faxed the paperwork to
>ViaSafe from the shipper, and headed out for the border.
>Never called in to make sure the paperwork was received and
>was legible. Whoops. He gets to the border and still doesn't
>have a clearance. They can't read the paperwork, please
>re-fax it in. In the meantime, he runs out of hours.
>
>About 4AM I get a phone call from dispatch (I'm having a
>hard time typing this while laughing) who wanted me to go
>from New Baltimore to Windsor and take his paperwork to a
>fax machine and fax it to the broker for him.
>
>I'm still laughing at that one.
>
>
>Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race -
>Aesop

**greg334** · 11-07-2007, 01:37 PM

What ever happened to the website idea that some of the custom brokers were working on to eliminate the paper work stuff? It seems that this would be a big help for all carriers to get working... Maybe.... never mind, it is bigger than all of us.

**ATeam** · 11-08-2007, 09:32 AM

A driver once shared with us his point of view about rescue loads. It is a view we adopted after hearing it.

When a truck breaks down, a driver needs help. He or she will want to get the freight off the truck to be freed up to tend to truck repairs. The driver may need other support on the road too that we may be able to provide enroute or when we arrive (for example, picking up a couple gallons of coolant that might be needed)

When a rescue call comes in, it's not about the money. It's about the driver and we go. We do expect to be paid for the run, but we are not going to quibble about the price.

**bamamule** · 11-08-2007, 10:26 AM

Well said i agree but if thars 5 vans sitting in the parking lot with me i'm not recovering a van load

**ebsprintin** · 11-10-2007, 03:12 PM

I don't have a by month count of my late night loads readily at hand, but it sounds like I probably get more of them than people here have suggested. Part of it may have to do with the fact that I like driving and delivering at night, so my availability has me on a late night cycle. That being said--for the most part--the loads offers are still arriving before 2000 hrs for the late night, early morning pickup.

eb

**Moot** · 11-11-2007, 09:16 AM

I accepted a load offer Friday night for a noon pickup today (sunday). I am 32 miles from shipper and have been for at least 24 hours. At 01:41 this a.m. I get a call from a dispatcher asking me if I am where his QC says I am. I confirm my position. There is a long moment of silence and then he says "okay, that's all I needed to know. Sorry about the call."

**OntarioVanMan** · 11-11-2007, 09:37 AM

Well DOH!!!! They musta been real bored in that office...*L*

**nightcreacher** · 11-11-2007, 09:48 AM

this is expedite,loads happen anytime,especially if you make plans to do something else.
you might get a pre dispatch on your way to delivery,or 3 oclock in the morning,after you just fell asleep ,Your on call just like a Doctor or fireman,if your in service,it can happen 24 hours a day,365 days a year.If you talk to others in your company,and they say I'm wrong,your not driving at the right place.