Hanging up my keys...

[freebirdrfd]

After 23 years of driving trucks, I'm hanging up my keys Friday. Starting Monday I'm gonna try my hand at being a dispatcher. I was going to leave the company i work for and go to a competitor, but the boss asked me if i would be interested in dispatching.. So i figured I'll give it a shot. I've worked on our dock, I've done regional and local, I've worked in the garage, I've run east coast ( for another company ) so now I'll see if i can sit in an office all day .......... Besides I'll still get to jump back in the seat for a few hours if things get really busy.. I think it will be interesting doing a different aspect of the industry. For some reason i can't get myself to leave trucking. I'm a nationally certified Fire-Fighter, I'm a state certified E.M.T., but i guess i will always have my hands in TRUCKING...........

[robertt]

For some reason i can't get myself to leave trucking. but i guess i will always have my hands in TRUCKING...........

I know the feeling. When I was 12yrs old, in 1974, I went on a trip with a friend of the family and his son in a COE Peterbilt from Tulsa to Stamford, Ct. I remember Jim telling me, "If you EVER get in a truck, you will never get it out of your blood". Their couldn't be a truer statement. I would LOVE nothing more than to jump in a truck again, but I know better, right now anyway.

I wish the BEST for you, I hope it works out. It sounds like if it doesn't you have options.

[Mackman]

You will be back in the seat. They all come back. lol


Good luck.

[Roadhog]

a dispatcher...



.........Arrrgh!

[geeshock]

I I remember Jim telling me, "If you EVER get in a truck, you will never get it out of your blood". Their couldn't be a truer statement.

heh, that's so true in my case

[Sabine]

Oh my God, you have crossed over to the dark side!

[Jackrabbit379]

Have fun, Freebird! Best wishes, and don't be a stranger. Just because you gone and done something like this dont mean you can't stop by and see us.

[Windwalker]

Well, I retired a few months ago and took up small engine repair.
As of this week, I'm SWAMPED with lawn mowers to fix.
May have to work overtime.
If I don't, I won't have any place to put anything.

There is life after driving.

Enjoy a life with a seat that doesn't vibrate.

(though occurs to me that if more of the women driving 4-wheelers knew about the vibration,
more of them might want to sit in a big truck....)

[Jackrabbit379]

Too bad we're not closer, Windwalker. Speaking of small engine reparing... The man who worked on our mowers, and stuff retired.

[freebirdrfd]

I just got home from my last scheduled trip .... I'll still jump in the seat when things get busy if they need me. O-well, i guess life goes on

[cdswans]

Have fun, Freebird! Best wishes, and don't be a stranger. Just because you gone and done something like this dont mean you can't stop by and see us.

I second that! And don't worry, we know you have to take an oath and promise never to tell the truth again but that only applies to your own drivers. You can still be honest with us.

[Windwalker]

Too bad we're not closer, Windwalker. Speaking of small engine reparing... The man who worked on our mowers, and stuff retired.

Well, here, things are promising to get a whole lot busier. Seems that a few of the shops around here tell customers that they have to spend $180 for a new carb, and when they bring it to me, I have the old carb working just fine in about 5 minutes (for a $20 fee). With all the humidity in the air, water forms in the gas tank and makes it's way down into the carb. There, it corrodes the little brass jet. All I do is drill out the jet according to the size of the engine, drain the water out, and it's running like new. Word seems to be getting around.

But, if it gets any busier, I'm going to have to start working overtime.

Fact is, I'm going as good as I did driving, and getting Social Security as well.

[Roadhog]

After 23 years of driving trucks, I'm hanging up my keys Friday. Starting Monday I'm gonna try my hand at being a dispatcher.

The best dispatchers I've worked with are truckers. I've always felt that should be a prerequisite for the job.

One of my best friends dispatches. We drove for the same outfit for 5 years, and he comes from a family of truckers. He was my dispatcher for the last year I drove reefer, before I switched to a flatbed steel company.

It wasn't an easy transition for him, but like you mentioned, when time called for it, he slip seated a run. Being a small company and short handed, he also did some of the yard work, and he pre-loaded our trailers at times.

That all faded off as he learned dispatching more, and started bringing in his own accounts.

[Jackrabbit379]

Well, here, things are promising to get a whole lot busier. Seems that a few of the shops around here tell customers that they have to spend $180 for a new carb, and when they bring it to me, I have the old carb working just fine in about 5 minutes (for a $20 fee). With all the humidity in the air, water forms in the gas tank and makes it's way down into the carb. There, it corrodes the little brass jet. All I do is drill out the jet according to the size of the engine, drain the water out, and it's running like new. Word seems to be getting around.

But, if it gets any busier, I'm going to have to start working overtime.

Fact is, I'm going as good as I did driving, and getting Social Security as well.

Most people don't know that there are more ways to skin a cat.

[freebirdrfd]

So, after 6 months of dispatching my boss call me on to the dock today and tells me that after today i will no longer be dispatching .. He said if i wanted to go back driving he will put me back into a truck for $1.00 more an hour than i was making driving before, but $4.00 an hour less than i'm making now ( or should i say earlier today )... He gave me no real reason for getting me out of the office. He said i joke with the drivers to much, I said that we always joked around and busted balls. he told me that i shouldn't be joking around with the driver now that i was working in the office.. So he basically wanted me to act like i was better then them being a dispatcher. Bull S... Somebody said to me that he probably offered me the office job just so i wouldn't go to work for our biggest competitor..... Whatever the reason is it sucks... no warning no nothing. Just basically in 2 hours your not gonna be working in the office anymore ...... I wish i had gotten to see the west coast and mid-west before i went to dispatch, Maybe now would be a good time to do it????? The problem is that i would like to be home to see the family every week.. I really want to tell him to shove it up his azz.. I really don't know what to do. I guess no matter what i end up doing Ole FREEBIRD is gonna be back in the saddle again

[jagerbomber3.0]

So, after 6 months of dispatching my boss call me on to the dock today and tells me that after today i will no longer be dispatching .. He said if i wanted to go back driving he will put me back into a truck for $1.00 more an hour than i was making driving before, but $4.00 an hour less than i'm making now ( or should i say earlier today )... He gave me no real reason for getting me out of the office. He said i joke with the drivers to much, I said that we always joked around and busted balls. he told me that i shouldn't be joking around with the driver now that i was working in the office.. So he basically wanted me to act like i was better then them being a dispatcher. Bull S... Somebody said to me that he probably offered me the office job just so i wouldn't go to work for our biggest competitor..... Whatever the reason is it sucks... no warning no nothing. Just basically in 2 hours your not gonna be working in the office anymore ...... I wish i had gotten to see the west coast and mid-west before i went to dispatch, Maybe now would be a good time to do it????? The problem is that i would like to be home to see the family every week.. I really want to tell him to shove it up his azz.. I really don't know what to do. I guess no matter what i end up doing Ole FREEBIRD is gonna be back in the saddle again

First time i have ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for treating their workers good. Having an easy to get along with dispatcher that acts like a decent real person makes drivers a lot happier and easier to work with. Crazy stuff.

[TK THE TRUCKER]

That sucks. I've recently gone through a similar situation. You think you're doing a good job and someone tells you your not and then changes it. In my case 3 weeks ago my boss/company owner called me up to the office at the end of the day on a friday and laid me off because he "knows" I was "unhappy". When confronted with the question of what made him want to lay me off he did not have an answer. What's hilarious is that 3 weeks earlier he wanted me to be "lead driver" and help manage our other 4 drivers and give me a dollar more per hour. I'm fine with it because my time there was going to be coming to an end anyways.

[freebirdrfd]

First time i have ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for treating their workers good. Having an easy to get along with dispatcher that acts like a decent real person makes drivers a lot happier and easier to work with. Crazy stuff.

That's what i thought, But then again what the hell do i know......

[freebirdrfd]

Just when my wife and i were getting caught up on our bills, this happens with no warning and no real reason.... I know that i am still employed there, but who the heck would want to work for somebody that would do that to you.......

[Ridge Runner]

So, after 6 months of dispatching my boss call me on to the dock today and tells me that after today i will no longer be dispatching .. He said if i wanted to go back driving he will put me back into a truck for $1.00 more an hour than i was making driving before, but $4.00 an hour less than i'm making now ( or should i say earlier today )... He gave me no real reason for getting me out of the office. He said i joke with the drivers to much, I said that we always joked around and busted balls. he told me that i shouldn't be joking around with the driver now that i was working in the office.. So he basically wanted me to act like i was better then them being a dispatcher. Bull S... Somebody said to me that he probably offered me the office job just so i wouldn't go to work for our biggest competitor..... Whatever the reason is it sucks... no warning no nothing. Just basically in 2 hours your not gonna be working in the office anymore ...... I wish i had gotten to see the west coast and mid-west before i went to dispatch, Maybe now would be a good time to do it????? The problem is that i would like to be home to see the family every week.. I really want to tell him to shove it up his azz.. I really don't know what to do. I guess no matter what i end up doing Ole FREEBIRD is gonna be back in the saddle again

Kinda went thru that exact same thing. Only difference is I dispatch the yard drivers ans sometimes the local drivers. We always fill out weekly production reports for our respective shifts/areas we dispatch. H.R. also does regular surveys with the drivers on any problems they have. ( Traffic had the highest turn-over than any department and they wanted to know why )( We pay above...well above average for our area with a very good bennie package). Seems that survey also has a part about treatment by dispatchers. Seems I got some good marks in that area...... Dept. head didn't like it one bit. Wanted to move me out too....with a big pay cut. Thank goodness we have a sort of appeals process thru H.R. Armed with production reports we had a VERY short meeting. That's been over 2 years ago and haven't heard another word about it.