Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul McGraw
Friday afternoon I broke the rules and called LaPorte to tell them I was dropping in Brownsville Friday night and would be back in Houston about noon Saturday and ready for a load. I also needed to ask them if they had a preference for an empty for me to bring from Brownsville, so I had an excuse for calling.
The LaPorte guy tells me he "wished he knew" I was coming in because he had plenty of loads Friday morning and he could have gotten me lined up with something if he knew I was going to be in Houston Saturday. :!: But as of that moment he had nothing and I would have to wait for Monday.
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Ok this explains some of it,if I am gonna be coming into a terminal late in the week like that I give them as much notice as I can.As soon as I am loaded and on my way I give them an ETA and ask if they might have something to do over the weekend.It's all about communication and if my dispatcher isn't getting it done for ME then I will take care of myself how I see fit.
You have to look at it like a dispatcher,if you have a load to move are you gonna wait around and hope someone calls in late in the afternoon? I would think that I would get that load covered anyway I could and as quickly as possible.
Things are gonna change in the dispatch area at Suttles very soon,so they
may get better,but I will continue to make sure I let the terminal I am going to know what is happening.I do not call the terminal on a normal weekday until I am available for dispatch and after I have talked to my dispatcher.
You have to realize that alot of this comes with time and getting to have a personal relationship with some of these terminals,I can call Crestwood,Grove City,Detroit and Friendly any time and they would give me their schedule for the whole week for the most part,only because I have hauled countless loads for them and they know me and that I will not screw them. Also it comes with learning what loads and what days they have them,I can figure out a couple of options as soon as I know where I am going,and them I might send them a message asking if they are gonna have so and so load again going to Blah Blah and if I could make it work when I get in?
You are not alone in having to sit though,I have been in Charlotte since Thursday night and my next load picks up Monday afternoon at 1600.It's a long story and only my opinion but I feel that this terminal is a bunch of lying self promoters and I will do everything to avoid the Charlotte terminal in the future.