Ride-Along

finsinparadise · Apr 3, 2001

I am a dispatcher for Panther II Transportation. I have been here for 7 months and enjoy my job. On March 13 I was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. I went on the Ride-Along program and was able to ride along with one of our drivers. A female driver who drives an 18-foot straight truck was generous enough to allow me to ride with her.
Being a dispatcher I didn’t understand how frustrating it is to be cooped up in a truck for days at a time with no work. Now I can sympathize with our drivers. We sat in Lodi, OH at the Pilot from 1400 on Tuesday afternoon to 1000 on Wednesday morning. I was cold, tired, and frustrated. The load we got was small but put us in a good service area. We thought that we would move pretty quickly out of there but we were wrong. We ended up going to Battle Creek, MI for a load.
We arrived in Battle Creek at around 2359, and waited until 0800 for a load. Being from dispatch I recognized the shipper and consignee as two of our major customers. I assumed that the directions in the file that are sent over the QualComm would be accurate seeing as we go there often. But I was wrong. We searched for the roads we were supposed to be on, and when we got on the correct road, we searched for the address. Frustrating isn’t a strong enough word.
Before this experience I never understood the conflict between drivers and dispatch. Now I see how easy it is for drivers to get frustrated with us. I think this experience was a definite eye-opener! I have more sympathy and compassion for the drivers that call and complain that they’ve been sitting for 24 hours without a load. I do get the drivers that tell me that I don’t understand, and I love to share my ride-along experience with them. Although I was only out for 3 days, I wouldn’t have stayed out there any longer for any amount of money. I truly appreciate their drivers for what they do for us here in dispatch, and I feel like I’ve bridged the gap between our drivers and myself as a dispatcher.

LittleBigTruck · Apr 3, 2001

Thank you for taking the time to appreciate us and learn what life on the road is really like. If more dispatchers did ride-alongs, we may all get along better. When we call in and snap at you, please remember that we may have just sat all day and gotten offered a 50 mile load, or can't find the shipper because of those wonderful directions. Drive happy! Chris

finsinparadise · Apr 4, 2001

Panther has offered the Ride-Along program to all of the dispatchers. I have (so far) been the only female to go, but many of the male dispatchers have gone and have gotten the same result. I think it has made those of us who have gone more patient.

Bob and Hooligan · Apr 4, 2001

I think it is great that you would take the time and effort to ride along with one of your drivers. Perhaps, if more would do this, there wouldn't be so much conflict between operators, and dispatch.

Hope, other companies will encourage their staff to do more of this. As a O/O, I would be happy to sit with a dispatcher to learn more about the problems you face.

Panther should be happy to have a worker like you.

Good luck in the future.

Road Hooligan

Wild Bill · Apr 4, 2001

Life is the best teacher. I think more dispatch personnel and Safety/management should ride along also. I also think drivers should sit in with a dispatcher for a couple of days also. Learning to be more understanding is a two way street.

So I will Offically announce I am willing to take any single female between the ages of 18-35 on a ridealong for a couple of weeks. LOL }>

http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/User_files/3acbef844d19a8f3.jpg

Sierra · Apr 5, 2001

My husband and I drive for Panther, it was great to see your post. I am glad to hear your experience was educational. As a former member of the Round Table that was our goal. The year that I spent on the Round Table the ride along program was brought up at every meeting, and was very happy to see Panther start the program. Driving a "B" unit we just do not have the ability to transport a ride-along safely or we would be taking Dispatchers out ourselves. Maybe later this year, hubby needs to take a little time off the truck, that would free up a seat for a female dispatcher to ride with me. I also agree with another post in this stream that we as drivers should spend time in dispatch and learn what it is all about. Unitl we spend time in someone elses shoes we truly have no idea what problems they face. I have been a dispatcher (in a past life) and I have had the opportunity to spend time in our dispatch office and learn. I have dispatched loads, answered qualcom messages, even issued a Comcheck all under the supervision of a dispatcher. I have heard Rick Buffington make the offer of $100 to any driver who will come in and spend 8 hours at a dispatchers desk and learn. I really take my hat off to Panther for thier efforts to bridge the gap between dispatcher and driver, but thoese efforts are waisted if we don't take them to heart.
Sierra

WendyCal · Apr 10, 2001

That sounds like a great program -- wonder if you could get the 'suits' to give it a try! }> :7

Seriously, though, the give and take approach certainly does seem to have it's merits. Perhaps a "swap" of one team member for a dispatcher of the opposite sex (making the dispatcher the same sex as the team member left in the truck) would be an eye opener to all of us -- what would WE do for three days in dispatch, i wonder?

*********
Godspeed to all of you out there on the highways and byways!

RichM · Apr 10, 2001

While it is nice PR on the part of Panther to have a dispatcher post her comments about being on the road for THREE DAYS that does not give a true outlook on the way it really is.We all know that.There has been a adversidial relationship between dispatchers and drivers for as long as I can remember. Last week I had a call at 1230 AM for a pick up 100 miles away then a stright thru run to Atlanta 250 miles. I said" I really can!t do this safeky as I have been awake since 0700 and just went to sleep about 30 minutes ago,so I have to refuse this trip." She replied" Well we are open 24 hours a day so you should be available 24 hours a day". I got poed and replied"Do you sit in your cubicle 24 hours a day?",she then hung up on me. I think we should start taping these calls and sending them to our respective headquarters.There is very little thought given to our personal agenda!s,just move that freight.. Thats my venting for the week LOL.Oh I really doubt that we would be allowed to trade places for a week,because we would then see WHAT REALLY GOES ON..

RichM · Apr 10, 2001

I was doing some thinking about my last post and believe I have done a diservice to many hard working dedicated dispatchers.If any of you read this please accept my apology. I am aware that dispatching can be stressfull with very demanding customers.
However I don!t think that a few days riding along with a driver gives the full and complete picture. I think if the dispatchers could be made aware of our costs and revenue needed to operate it would probably help them to understand what we need to operate and run a so called business. For example ,one dispatcher told me once that I was making up the cost of the annual registration fee,she also had no idea what an oil change and service job cost.She assummed it was $19.95 like her automobile.. Our income flucates all over the place while they know how each weekly paycheck will be. If they knew what our expenses were vs the revenue that a discounted load pays perhaps we might all be on the same page..Just my thoughts..

Beaker · Apr 11, 2001

I'm glad you chose to back-peddle a bit on your comments about dispatchers.

I've been on both sides of the fence. Both a dispatcher and a driver. I can tell you that neither is a walk in the park.

While a dispatcher, I too voluteered to go on a ride-along with a driver for a week. It was both frustrating as well as exhausting. I learned a lot. I knew of quite a few dispatchers who either went on a ride-along, or they wanted too. It had nothing to do with PR for the company. These dispatchers should be applauded for their willingness to try on someone else's shoes.

I've never heard of a driver who chose on their own accord to sit a whole shift, yet alone three days in the suicide seat. Why not?!!

As far as that dispatcher offering you the load at 12:30am. They were doing their job. It seems to me that safety is OUR responsibility. When we're too tired to drive, we need to take ourselves out of service. I know the game quite well. We play the odds by leaving ourselves in service so we can rack up the layover hours or so we can catch that big load. She quoted the customer with your truck since it was in service. She had no idea that you had no sleep since you did not notify her by taking yourself out.

We're the professionals, it's our responsibility to be ready to go when we say we're available. We need to be grown up & accept the scoldings when we deserve it.

I'm also the first to admit that some dispatchers need to grow up too. Even though they have company policies to follow, they need to enforce the policies with empathy in their tone. They need to speak with respect and courtesy.

Nuff said for now.

BBOBB · Apr 12, 2001

Read your story about driver/dispatcher. I have sat for up to seven days waiting for a load. Currently leased with TST Expediting and looking for more positive cash flow. Can you provide me with any information about Panther II. Your cargo vans are rolling when I am still sitting. I currently live in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee but will be moving to Pensacola, Florida when the house sells.

Sierra · Apr 14, 2001

RichM, I too am glad to see you had a change of heart. The whole idea of the ride along program is to educate the Dispatcher and that is up to the Driver they are with. We as Drivers must impart as much information to the Dispatchers as possible if a program like this is going to work to our benifit, and I don't mean be a complainer but an educator. I may have a sugar coated view of things but I don't see any of my Dispatchers as advisarys, we all have a job to do and if I can help a Dispatcher do their job then truly I am doing my job. But even if my view is sugar coated I am making money and after all is said and done isn't that what counts?

finsinparadise · May 1, 2001

Feel free to call our recruiting for info on Panther, we'd love to have you!

"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane!!!"--Jimmy Buffett

finsinparadise · May 1, 2001

Don't quote me on this, but I think here at Panther our drivers are able to sit with us for four hours, yet only one has agreed. It was a welcome change to see him here in dispatch, asking the why's that are easier to explain in person. As for being out only three days, I was supposed to be out for a week, as many of my colleagues were, but a family emergency had me home sooner. I love the feedback from drivers, and although I was only out for three days, I have "somewhat" of an idea of what you guys/gals go thru. And for the driver who was woken up at 1230, here at Panther we have the ability to see how many hours you have, and while it might not always be accurate, it gives us an idea of how far you can go. If one of our drivers says that s/he doesn't feel safe, we will never!!! force them to go. I agree that they should be out of service, or at least let dispatch know that they are low on hours and would only like small loads or loads that pick up later. I'm glad to see so many people respond to my message. Please feel free to email your comments to me ([email protected]) since I usually don't get much time on here. Thanks, and keep your comments coming. It might not seem like it, but I try to take as many comments as I can and look at the situation from your shoes. Thanks again!

"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane!!!"--Jimmy Buffett

blubomber1 · May 1, 2001

I, too, have been on "both sides of the fence". Dispatching and driving are truly 2 seperate worlds. I was a driver first,so I went into dispatch with the knowledge of knowing what it's like laying over 40 hours waiting for a load, and then only paid 5 cents a mile for my dead head home after the first 100 miles. But then again, when you're trying to scare up freight for 3 drivers in TX,FL and NM, dealing with consignees for late freight, and the bosses wondering why you can't keep it all together? I start driving again this weekend for the first time in 4 years with Try Hours, and I'm really excited about getting back out there again. At orientation, I got to talk with the Operations Manager there, and he said the biggest problem between dispatch and drivers is lack of communication. If a driver doesn't tell a dispatcher he's nearly out of hours and the dispatcher books his truck to do the run with no prior knowledge of the situation, what's gained? You lose face with the dispatchers, the company could lose credibility with that particular company and lose it's business, and lost revenue for that driver and others. I know it sounds a bit extreme, but in all likelyhood, it's possible. Thanks for listening to me ramble on.....