Drivers who do U.S./Canada runs are probably familiar with the plastic chairs the customs officers have you sit in when you are delayed at the border for one reason or another. While sitting in one on Wednesday, a thought came to mind.
Perhaps a plastic chair should be added to the dispatch room at carrier headquarters, and when a driver is sitting in a plastic chair at the border, a dispatcher must sit in the plastic chair at HQ. The dispatcher could not return to his or her desk or leave work until the driver's problem was solved and the driver vacated the chair at the border.
While this idea would degrade dispatch productivity and morale, it would help keep the driver's plight on the minds of the other dispatchers. The driver in a plastic chair would not be as likely to be forgotten about over a shift change or other incoming calls when there is a dispatcher seated in a plastic chair doing something that you are not permitted to do at the border; namely, call out, "Hello? Is anyone paying attention? Please don't leave me here! Hello?"
The productivity hit dispatch would take by sidelining one dispatcher would serve to remind all others of the productivity hit we drivers take when, through no fault of our own, we are forced into the plastic chair. For full effect, the dispatcher who sits in the plastic chair must do so off the clock. The dispatcher won't get paid but he or she cannot leave either.
As it is with drivers, it should not matter to the dispatcher that the border delay may have come through no fault on the dispatcher's part. The delay may be due to a a broker error, shipper error or vindictive customs officer. It's not about being fair. It's about being consigned to the plastic chair until the driver is permitted to move.
Perhaps a plastic chair should be added to the dispatch room at carrier headquarters, and when a driver is sitting in a plastic chair at the border, a dispatcher must sit in the plastic chair at HQ. The dispatcher could not return to his or her desk or leave work until the driver's problem was solved and the driver vacated the chair at the border.
While this idea would degrade dispatch productivity and morale, it would help keep the driver's plight on the minds of the other dispatchers. The driver in a plastic chair would not be as likely to be forgotten about over a shift change or other incoming calls when there is a dispatcher seated in a plastic chair doing something that you are not permitted to do at the border; namely, call out, "Hello? Is anyone paying attention? Please don't leave me here! Hello?"
The productivity hit dispatch would take by sidelining one dispatcher would serve to remind all others of the productivity hit we drivers take when, through no fault of our own, we are forced into the plastic chair. For full effect, the dispatcher who sits in the plastic chair must do so off the clock. The dispatcher won't get paid but he or she cannot leave either.
As it is with drivers, it should not matter to the dispatcher that the border delay may have come through no fault on the dispatcher's part. The delay may be due to a a broker error, shipper error or vindictive customs officer. It's not about being fair. It's about being consigned to the plastic chair until the driver is permitted to move.
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