dispatcher, coordinators need to read EO posts

herronryan

Seasoned Expediter
whadayathink? maybe if dispatchers and coordinators read EO posts, they might have a clue as to whats going on. maybe if i could sit down with a dispatcher to ask questions for an hour, i might have a clue.

its like everyone is in the dark and no one knows how things get from point A to point B in the expedite business.

we dont know why our loads are brokered out

we dont know why we are getting skipped over

why does a deadheader just passing through get the load when i have 40 hours of dwell time?

here is my 2 cents worth. they need a 'dispatchersonline.com' and we need to read what they say about us. hahahaha

sad but true!:+
 

terryandrene

Veteran Expediter
Safety & Compliance
US Coast Guard
HR:

Pleased to have met you last month; I trust you got a decent load out of CIN for your effort.

The next time you're in or near Green/Canton, call your Contractor Coordinator and ask for an invite in to talk to her/him and also ask to sit with a dispatch agent for awhile. Your request will most likely be honored.

Hope to see you at Expo. There will be eight FedEx Custom Critical reps there that should be able to give you the answers that you need.
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
I am not sure what company you are leased to but at FedEx Custom Critical we have sat more then once with our dispatcher / contract coordinator and watched her work. Boy did we get our eyes opened. We sat and asked many questions on the WHY of things and also on the WHY of how thing happen the way they do. We feel that the experience was invaluable. If you can schedule some time to spend with a dispatcher I would highly suggest it.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
If a driver does not know how to get from point A to point B in the expediting business and does not know how loads are dispatched, that driver would do well to make a careful study of the numerous previous posts on such topics here in the Open Forum.

Open Forum members who have sat with dispatchers at their carrier offices have shared a fair amount about what they have learned. People who are more knowledgable than most about their carrier dispatch procedures have shared here as well.

And if a driver really wants to sit down for an hour with a dispatcher, I suggest that, with FedEx at least, the driver take the time and effort to sit down with a contract coordinator instead. Many of them, if not all, have been dispatchers themselves. All of them are knowledgable about the processes. They get paid to spend time with drivers to answer the very questions that have also been answered here on EO.

If you just want to spout off, go ahead. Open Forums are well suited to facilitate that behavior. If you are serious about wanting to understand the business, put the required time and effort into doing so.

A popular bumper sticker and office bulletin board sign says, "Your lack of prior planning does not constitute an emergency." In the same way, a lack of understanding of your carrier's dispatch procedures does not constitute a carrier fault.

Information about dispatch procedures is freely available to anyone who makes the effort to acquire it. Also, when one factors in the nature of expedited freight and the needs of the customers who ship it, dispatch procedures that may seem strange at first glance become more understandable when the bigger picture is in view.
 

herronryan

Seasoned Expediter
yes i do spout off alot but the reason behind it is because i am searching for answers. i am fairly new at this game and am continually learning. furthermore i had no idea i could actually sit down with a dispatcher or contractor coordinator until a few minutes ago. see-learned something new. sooooooooo i may just make an appointment soon.
 

herronryan

Seasoned Expediter
yep sure did get out of cin the next morning. thank you so much for the advice! nice meeting you too!
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Panther encourages sitting in with dispatch. I have and fast paced doesn't begin to cover it. It's something I would suggest everyone do if their company can arrange it.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
 

BigBuzd1

Expert Expediter
Any time we end up near HQ in Seville we stop in...although we try to go in at night to see the dispatchers because of the hectic pace of the day shifters...not to say night shift isn't busy, but at least we get to visit and talk, and bring the dog in with us. They love watching him do tricks. We mostly bug the higher ups and the office workers during the day. It's really nice to meet everyone that you hear on the phone...or only know from fonts on the QC.

Never pass up the opportunity to meet those you deal with.
 
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