Is it ever a good idea to give a dispatcher a Christmas gift?

[lowrange]

I've never done it, never even sent a dispatcher a card. Even so, my dispatcher is my sole point of contact with my company and I do appreciate the relationship we have and how he treats me.

[Pony Express]

It couldn't hurt!! He or she will definately appreciate it.

[Jimbpard]

I do.
Still even give my old boss (mom&pop outfit) a gift who gave me my first driving job.

I dont see what it could hurt.

Merry Christmas!

[GMAN]

I don't recall ever having given a dispatcher a Christmas gift. However, since I am the chief cook and bottle washer (and dispatcher) for my company I think it would be a great idea.

[thebaldeagle655]

Let's put it this way, it can't hurt! I came back from the NASCAR and Indy Car races at Texas Motor Speetway in June and gave each of our 3 dispatchers a little $7 car with a Danica Patrick hero card in the package. While some of our drivers were sitting complaining about no miles, I was running my rear off. Not saying it was in any way related to the gift but, yes, mine will be getting a little something when I get back to the yard tomorrow!

[lowrange]

Hmmm... I thought someone would say it was some kind of conflict of interest. Well, there isn't a lot of time, is there? Maybe I could call it a 'holiday' gift and get it there by early January.

Let's try this, a $50 gift certificate to Red Lobster or something, is that on the mark or is there a better idea?

[mike3fan]

Hmmm... I thought someone would say it was some kind of conflict of interest. Well, there isn't a lot of time, is there? Maybe I could call it a 'holiday' gift and get it there by early January.

Let's try this, a $50 gift certificate to Red Lobster or something, is that on the mark or is there a better idea?

Thats fair,I usually gave $50 Best Buy cards. Some companies it's against policy though.

[tracer]

I wanted to give something to my dispatcher, who is basically a nice guy but I couldn't figure out what it should be. Then I saw a trucking calendar at a truck stop... It was called "Custom Trucks". I figured he'd like to have it on the wall of his cubicle It only cost me 10 bucks. And it's tax-deductible

[Musicman]

Hmmm... I thought someone would say it was some kind of conflict of interest.

Are you kidding, in this business? There is certainly nothing wrong with a little bribery now and then. The one thing I have always tried to keep in mind though, is that you don’t want to make the gift so nice that it is obvious bribery.

When I was a leased-on operator, the night shop foreman used to give me all kinds of mechanical pointers and would even come up with cheap parts and labor if it was necessary. My last Christmas there, I gave him a liter of his favorite (Don Julio Repasado) tequila. To this day, I can still call him anytime and get free, quality mechanical advice. That gift has paid for itself literally hundreds of times over.

[BanditsCousin]

I skipped the card and gave mine a check this year. No card. Just a check

Edit: It's only ok for o/o's to give dispatchers cards

[nctrucker1]

Nice thing to do for your dispatcher. But, remember your good mood when your dispatcher sticks it to ya when things are hitting the fan. Most dispatchers will hang anything on the poor driver if it will make his/her sorry ass look innocent.

[Hawkjr]

I have a nice present i love to give to my dispatcher... It's Seven Letters and Two Words... I'm Just Can't Wait for the day i can give it to him!!!!

[boneebone]

Sure, bribes are always good.

[Musicman]

Nice thing to do for your dispatcher. But, remember your good mood when your dispatcher sticks it to ya when things are hitting the fan. Most dispatchers will hang anything on the poor driver if it will make his/her sorry ass look innocent.

Trust me, I’m not sticking up for dispatchers here, but just about every place I have ever worked as a company driver or O/O, I have had a good relationship with most of my dispatchers. I think a lot depends on driver attitude. Dispatching could be an easy job, but imagine being responsible for 150 trucks, 140 of which are driven by whiners that you cannot depend on to get the job done right. If some dimwit misses a delivery because he or she overslept, it’s going to be the dispatcher’s ass that gets chewed by management.

I have always gone out of my way to not be part of that majority. When I have been asked to do things that were unprofitable, I usually have accepted without much complaint, but also reminded my dispatcher that being a team player doesn’t mean ALWAYS taking one for the team… that it only works if sometimes you get the juicy loads as well. I’ve found that if you are always on-time and have a pleasant disposition that you get the best loads. I have also gone out of my way to develop a personal connection with dispatchers and customers. People love you if you seem genuinely interested in them. Also, most people love talking about themselves. Learning about the people you do business with, whether a dispatcher, broker, shippers or receivers, or your mechanic is just a good business practice that always pays back many, many times more than you ever put into it.

[nctrucker1]

point taken music man, I try to do my job, but there are times I wish I never got into trucking after a day of nothing but trouble to get or drop a load. Seems like these days nobody cares about what the driver has to do to try to make a buck. I am glad you have a good dispatcher. The dispatcher I have has never been in a truck and tries to tell me how to do my job. I will be moving on in the spring, hopefully, if the rotten economy picks up.

[geeshock]

never done that, always thank them if they are doing a good job and let them know I apreciate them. Even wish them a merry christmas or what ever holiday it is regardless of how good a job or bad they are doing.

[Musicman]

point taken music man, I try to do my job, but there are times I wish I never got into trucking after a day of nothing but trouble to get or drop a load. Seems like these days nobody cares about what the driver has to do to try to make a buck. I am glad you have a good dispatcher. The dispatcher I have has never been in a truck and tries to tell me how to do my job. I will be moving on in the spring, hopefully, if the rotten economy picks up.

I have had plenty of bad dispatchers in my years in this business. I had one that was a little Napoleon Syndrome, Jersey born and bred SOB that liked to verbally run all over people. This guy had one driver so angry that he turned around with his load, drove several hundred miles back to the yard, forced his way into the office, picked the dispatcher (Steve was his name) up by his neck and promised to kill him if he ever talked to him in the same manner again. Steve and I had a rocky start, but we came to an understanding after a while. The deal I have with everybody is that I will do my job to the best of my ability and always respect them and they will do the same for me. Steve got to the point where he would call me up just to vent about his personal life. Did I really like this guy? Not really, but I understood him and he understood me.

The operations manager of the same company had a similar problem with being verbally abusive. We got into an argument about whether or not I had the trailer loaded correctly. It was one of those loads where no matter what you do, it is going to be over axel weight. The company trucks didn’t have a sliding 5th wheel and there was only so much you could do, grossing 79,900 lbs. Mike (the ops manager) started cursing at me, so I hung up on him. He called back with the same attitude and I hung up again. We went through this a few times before he figured out that I wasn’t going to listen to his BS and he finally calmed down. After that we never had problems.

Perhaps it was a somewhat unique situation in that this is an LTL company that has a very hard time keeping drivers, even those who are bottom of the barrel types, for longer than a couple of months. At a company like that, if you are truly a good and dependable driver, you can get away with murder and not get fired.

[dollarshort]

I've never done it, never even sent a dispatcher a card. Even so, my dispatcher is my sole point of contact with my company and I do appreciate the relationship we have and how he treats me.

What you need to do is promise them you will get them a gift but then never get it. That way they will understand what it is like to be promised something and then be lied to.

[thbogle]

It never hurts to give a dispatcher a little something at christmas especially if they treat you good(sometimes if they treat u bad too). I usually gave a little something to my dispatchers even if it was only a card. I got a card this year from my boss and its nice to get something. It makes them feel appreciated.

[got mud?]

What you need to do is promise them you will get them a gift but then never get it. That way they will understand what it is like to be promised something and then be lied to.

make them wait for the gift. give them a really crappy gift but really talk up how important it is. or give them a really good gift and the next day tell them they have to switch that gift for a crappy gift cause another dispatcher dispatcher needs it.