DISPATCH

Dispatch is where all jobs run through, we are the traffic cops in a way. We help direct the tonnage and pass along information.

Dispatch is at the mercy of all of our partners to do their job correctly and for agents and drivers to be a part of the day to day and follow through on what they commit to.

After all dispatch does not actually book the work, they do not assign discounts or survey the jobs. Dispatch does not drive or inspect equipment or load or unload.

They dispatch the work.

Shit happens....every day....stuff that is completely out of the control of dispatch but they need to be the bearer of the bad news because they are the traffic cops and the information flows through them.

For example:
This Sunday one of our drivers called us and said his daughter was in an accident and he was in NY ready to load Monday but he needed to driver home to KY to be sure that she was all right. Fully understandable...he should...family first.
He was planned on four moves that week that now, on Sunday, need to be rearranged.- No one's fault and certainly the customers should not suffer but being June , as we all know, there are very little plan "B's".
This puts many things into motion and it will have domino effects on other agents and drivers and customers that have nothing to do with the situation . Jobs may need to get picked up by an agent, we may need to erase a job that has been planned for weeks and move drivers around now in order to cover direct loads and delivery dates.

This was one out of hundred incidents that can happen in just one day that effect many.
Dispatch needs to react and pick up the pieces and look over the whole picture and - yes- we need to let reps, agents and drivers know what ever it is that has now changed.

Some of the things that happen on a day to day basis that effect YOUR plans ...
- Equipment breakdowns- (some without warning and -yes- some even made up)
- Estimates incorrect- weight changes never called in or physical surveys never even done
- Moves that a rep or agent simply "forgot" to register
- Agents pulling their drivers off loads to cover "their own" self hauls
- Agents taking tonnage from other carriers effects each and every one of you
- Moves canceling that effect planned loads and delivery dates

How about this one, we had an agent book a binding cod move at 8000 lbs, they released it out of their warehouse. We planned a driver on it and sent him in to load it to find it was 11,000 lbs and bulky.
The driver did not have the room and did not load it, leaving him losing money , time and fuel. We had to plan another truck in making the customer late and the agent "blames" dispatch...think about it. Where could they have done better? The estimate? The communication of what it actually was?

I can go on and on ....but mostly - somehow- we all need to understand that we are ALL connected.

It is NOT- dispatcher's fault - there are many factors that go into a good move and a botched move.
All we can do is the best we can with the partners that we have.
It does no good to point fingers or to blame others ...it is much too busy for that and it does not help get a customer picked up and delivered.

I guess people need a boogie man or someone to blame or just want to simplify things .... believe half of what you see and less of what you hear.