* New York - Dispatchers to drivers: ‘Don’t blame us’
-- Carol was a dispatcher for eight years but could no longer take the pressure, so she became a driver... "As a dispatcher, I found it very stressful and frustrating. I would make appointments, and the drivers couldn't make those appointments," says Carol (all the dispatchers in this article asked that their real names not be used). "Then I'd have to reschedule for the following day or the day after that, and I would find that extremely frustrating. I went back to driving, because it's just so much easier ... The dispatcher is on the frontline with the customer,” Carol continued. “When there are complaints, it goes through the dispatcher, and they get an earful. Then they get it from the other side, too, the drivers, and they weren't happy about the changes. I guess nobody likes change, but that's the trucking business" ... Now, as a truck driver, Carol understands better the dispatcher's side of things, and she's more sympathetic to their challenges. "The dispatcher has to keep the customer happy, avoid complaints from them," she says. As for driving, "I have no one to be responsible for except myself. And I love it" ... Other dispatchers agree that they're caught between the driver and the customer, trying to keep both sides happy. It's not easy because dispatchers don't have the power or flexibility that drivers think they have... Dispatcher Bill adds: "I know that sometimes things don't make sense from the driver's perspective. I understand that, but you have to look at it from a broader viewpoint. I tell my drivers that we plan for success, but plans change. There are outside influences. I try to do the best for my drivers, but sometimes a new situation is not ideal for anyone" ...
(Photo: How much do truck driver dispatchers make?) -- NY, USA - Fleet Owner, by Larry Kahaner - Feb 26, 2016Labels: freight brokerages, trucking industry news USA
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