*Hey there Big Strappers* Thanks for dropping by to watch today's video. Your company treat you right? The way you deserve to be treated? Ya know we drivers gotta stick together, and hold our ground. Love to hear from you.
All these stories are well written. The truth is, if you cannot pay your mortgage, car, living expenses AND have some money and time leftover to enjoy life, you have a dead end job.
My experience. 1. I have never had a dispatcher who has ever driven a truck. Not even a panel van. So they can be very unsympathetic to your troubles. 2. I have had dispatchers try to pay me absolutely nothing for waiting, switching trailers, maintenance, pre-trips, ect. I hate confrontation. Nevertheless, even truck drivers need to stand up for themselves once in a while.
I've had more problems being bullied by loaders and Warehouse people that I have by dispatchers and management. Our main distribution warehouse hire some very lazy and unsafe people who load my trailers without any heed for my safety. I made an effort to complain personally to their lead heads and to their manager, and what I got in return was even more dangerous and improperly loaded trailers. I eventually had to confront the loaders in person quite angrily threatening them with physical violence if they didn't stop, and my trailers have been loaded properly ever since. I was perfectly willing to lose my job to Stand My Ground and to not let these lazy pieces of crap risk my life because they don't want to do their job properly. Sometimes you have to stand your ground and be prepared to face the consequences.
I experienced bullying first hand and when I refused got cut off on work. My solution to this was I got my own truck and put it on with a company where I am self dispatch. It didn't completely get rid of the bullying I still get phone calls telling me I need to run harder but they really can't make me because I'm self dispatch.
Best way to avoid all this? I found a small family owned carrier to work for. Owners wife and daughter are the dispatchers. I went from being bullied daily by a major carrier dispatch office to being treated like family. I make less per mile, but make more per month, and I'm kept as busy as I want!
Same here. I actually bought my first tractor through payroll deductions from the company in 1999. I'm still with them and have 4 tractors leased on there.
Thanks for your videos. I just want to say, a few weeks ago I went to my office manager to ask him to pay me for the 4 hours I was sitting at a shop away from the yard I work from. I explained to him if I had not been sitting at this shop (with airbrake troubles) I would have made it back for a second load or at the very least went home early if there had not been a run I could do in the time I had left in my 14 for the day. My office manager told me that they generally do not pay for downtime until it has been 24 hours, but he was willing to pay me for a few yard moves to make it up to me. It got me another $40. Which I happily accepted and thanked him for. Prior to discovering your channel and listening to your wisdom, I likely would not have spoke up and just sucked it up. Thanks so much for helping to give us a voice! Have a great holiday!!
Costco Store 443 in Littleton, Colorado: I was bullied by the manager, Andryi, and I stood up for myself and lectured him on being a decent person. Proudest phone call from work when I got to tell my manager, “How could anyone be upset about being told to be more respectful?” The office couldn’t rebut.
I'm in the process of getting my license and I love these damn vids ... I'm not sure how much of it in can use just yet but it's good to recognize the tricks of the trade.
The only way you can be bullied is by allowing it to happen in the first place. I've been driving 2 years now and I don't take any crap from my DM. I love my job but the DM can make you miserable if you let them.
When I was at the big CF back in the 90s we had the best sales associates they would target the best customers out on the street they would assist you at the customers on the street they would buy you breakfast they would find out what size trailers work best at that pick up location
Great Video. I had a Broker try to bully me last week.A few brokers are using the hours of service cancellation for the covid-19 emergency relief to push drivers to run loads straight thru without a break..
I'm a real young guy with a messed up 5 years in the industry. From "Janitor" @ 18Yrs old to dispatcher/call taker/terminal manager, to warehouse, to owner operator 5 ton for 3 years, to 1 year of tractor trailer driving. Id like to have a chat with you one day! Your videos are the most truthful thing on the internet. Cheers.
I'm an owner operator, have been for a long time, I've leased on to 5 different companies in the last 4 months because the owner of the company doesn't care how these office people treat the O/O's. So don't be afraid to jump ship if you have to. The right company is out there you just have to find it. I have 30 plus years driving and a perfect record so I don't have a problem finding a contract even with my work history lol.
Bullying is what you call it? I fought my dispatcher over detention [wait time] almost my entire time at a certain carrier. After most of a year, of my dispatcher not responding to requests, acting confused, and refusing to communicate via email, he finally gave me his supervisor's contact info. I told his supervisor what I thought of the company's payment on detention, and their failure to pay the cents-per-mile rate given by the recruiter. A year's worth of frustration...He just had me turn the truck in. Learned me. If the company doesn't pay hourly, your time is worthless to them.
never ever think the dispatcher knows what he's ( shes) talking about, if you dont know them. I got bullyed by them with hazmat bills and wrong placards
Except for customers, I never had too much trouble hauling trash or trusses. Because those managers either used to drive truck or listened to the most senior driver at the location. Hauling trusses has the added bonus of if the weather is bad, the customer isn't going to risk damaging the truss or the crane so we can just clock out and go home if the weather is bad. Same with garbage, no matter how upset the customer gets, we were never going to rack up several hundred dollars of towing to pick up $30 a month worth of trash.
WERNER shorts the mileage to a destination 100 miles and then marks the driver as a late load. They want you to always keep calling, kissing the dispatcher"s ass. (Scam❗)
If you call into your office with a problem, before you pickup that phone, have notes written down and a clear sense of how you're going to present the problem to your dispatcher or manager. And after you finish your presentation and the first thing out of their mouth is: "So what your telling me is.............." Stop them right there and tell them you heard what I said, I'm hanging up now, you think about what I said and call me back.
I always hated the computer routed miles going through hilly curvy back roads and small towns with speed limits, when actually an all interstate route was smarter, and faster, even if on a map, it looked longer! That was just another form of bullying!
I just don't understand how these otr companies keep employees. I've recently decided I want short hours, so I have a 32 mile bid where I work the dock for a few hours, and I still make 70k. If I want to make more, I just choose to do a higher mile run. Still home every day. No mileage shortage, and everything non driving gets paid 30/hour (hooking, dropping, fueling, dock, education, chaining, waiting for trailers on a longer run, waiting for repairs, helping out the office, although that last one will piss off the office staff, since they only make 16/hour).
The dispatcher is the bad side of trucking ! I call it whipping you with a load . I’m sooo glad to see someone talk about this . It’s a real problem. They get away with it and company loose good drivers. I have great dispatchers now. Everybody’s respectful .
I have a great dispatcher where I am. He was a driver for years and it helps so much. The planners seem to be just out of school though looking for their gold stars. If my dispatcher ever leaves I am gone too
Too true. I worked for the largest UK haulage company and its exactly the same bully boy culture. 70 hours per week around 3000 kilometers, which for the uk is alot, but still the despatchers would bleed you dry and tell you how bad you were. Needless to say i didnt stay long.
I read an article recently says that truck driver pay has fallen in the last 30 years. Is there any truth to it. Your channel is very informative, I’ve learned a lot watching your channel.
I guess I'm lucky only dealt with one newer night guy that tried to pull some crap. I told everyone what he tried to pull and he was gone quick. The only thing i get bullied for is my companys top speed. Ahem.......but everything else is great. Not a lease. No interest in owning my own truck. Making enough to live comfortably. Don't care about being rich.
-------- being bullied.... if it's from a distance ...the bully is a profound coward foremost the bully part is massaging his/her inflated ignorance and egotistical fueled certitude ----- be well Dave ✅
Very true Dave. You have opened my eyes up with some tactics now. They also use reverse physchology when you ring about problems. I mite try the top and see how that plans out.
Great video Dave. When I first read the title, I thought that you were referring to the hazing that goes on between veteran and rookie drivers. It's also part of the culture, and is great fun, but needs to be reined in at times.
I almost got bullied once. Under a nursery stock load Oregon to Connecticut. Morning of delivery I was on time but dropped the drive line at the GW bridge at toll booth. Got repaired, allegedly and dropped it again on way to deliver 1st of 3 drops after sitting the weekend. 2 days later got it going and the whole time I was in contact with receiver, everything is good. Go to deliver and receiver jumped me. No doubt he was looking for a discount and he had to start with me. He ran me off. I call in from a travel plaza ( pre-cellphone ) and was told by dispatch that they were told I refused to open the doors. Crazy stuff there. After another night with the load I was told to go to last drop and I did. When I got there nursery told me that I was to call in. He told me he was afraid I’d have to go back to previous stop to give them their trees. I asked him did he want them and he said yes he would take them. I called in and just like he said they wanted me to go back to the original drop as it was just 20 miles away. I declined and did it my way. It’s crazy how they want to treat a driver and I miss it today but I never had a problem being fair or firm...
Another good, common sense vid... This is my 27th year and I certainly ran into my fair share of this over the years. It's a fact of life, of course, but keeping a clean record over all these years enabled me to escape the worst of it eventually, leading to lots of interesting experiences in driving in the North Dakota oilfield for a few years, then a dreaded return to OTR in 2016. I returned as a heavy-haul driver for a small three (now six) truck outfit, though, so it's far more personal than a big company. I doubt I could ever return to a big company with such issues, for I tend to be a little more vocal about such issues than I should at times (I've bitten enough chunks out of my own posterior over the years to know better lol). I recall working for a company out of Vincennes back in the late 90s hauling auto seat parts mostly. There were two dispatchers and the one to whom I was assigned was the best ever, for she was always up-front and fair. Help her out with a not-so-hot run? Yep, because she would always take care to make it up to you later, unlike her replacement. I went from one end of the spectrum to the other with him and he was like dealing with a shady used car salesman. He was ultimately the reason I walked out one Friday evening when weeks of rational reasoning with him failed to solve the issues at hand. The truck was spotless when cleaned out at their Cadiz, Kentucky yard and he even got a call so he could cover the load. His most immediate worry? He was supposed to be going home in a half hour... He simply had no business managing people but, yes, they make it into such positions.
Man, idk what to think anymore. On the one hand my company has been great. We got paid during the covid shut down whether we drove or not. Mine came to $140 a day. Then we got a bonus of $100 a week on top of that pay. Now the mileage on my checks don't match what's on my elogs. By a couple hundred miles sometimes. I like this company. Then I notice these discrepancies.
Im a dispatch and lemme tell you why you shouldn't ALWAYS point your finger at dispatch There is a saying in dispatch business "DISPATCH IS ALWAYS TO BLAME", it doesnt matter if you are a collage student or ex. driver...for ex. -If you are late for delivery without calling dispatch to advise why are you late its dispatch fault i remember once being cut $500 on my paycheck cause the driver decided to take a nap without advising us and was late 5hrs for delivery on FORD load, while driver went home with just simple "Warning"...like can u imagine how stressful and unfair that is? Every time when something bad happens bosses will always call dispatch because they dont have the balls to call the driver since loosing a driver is far greater loss to them then loosing 1 dispatch This is just 1 example out of MANY, so when dispatch calls u to ask stupid question they are not doing it to annoy you but cause they HAVE TO as per the Bosses of the company to avoid any potential issues that can get them into trouble Its sad reality that drivers dont understand, im not saying that all dispatches are good and that all drivers are bad Both of us drivers and dispatch have common enemy and thats company owners/managers EVERY COMPANY IS A MIRROR OF THEIR OWNERS doesnt matter if its trucking company or a car-wash company
What is this strange thing you call "TRAINING " I have never heard of such a thing because all office staff works a 8 to 5 or 7 but are home every night on the other hand I know where they work and if I get to the office and chew them out because all they are are computer screen truck drivers planning you on a flat earth I give my boss the choice you rather have me as a driver who gets his job done or a dispatcher you get complaints about and with shippers and recievers if you friendly and ask nicely they load you before appointment sometimes I managed to get loaded or unloaded they day before if you nice and sometimes call ahead yourself and ask the shipper and recievers and 9 out of 10 they say yes if you can make it before they close
Crime inc. In a nutshell. They do everything to prevent legal exposure, keep new blood in the revolving door, and kill the solo drivers to run them out or go team. Glad I made it a year and lost all the weight I gained with them. I don't miss my dispatcher yelling, "Well what's the problem man," when I arrive 2 minutes late to a receiver. Thanks for the CDL, no thanks on ever working for 'em again.
Yup!!!! I'm right in the middle getting emails by my carrier for foolish things select knuckleheads driver do like not being potty trained using office toilet which I never use. Drivers were warned that garage bathroom would be locked and drivers would have to go to convenience store.
@Smart Trucking ...not the kind of bullying i had thought you were going to mention...i have an story about Operator vs. Operator bullying...Our Linehaul Driver Vs. A Port Driver.
Same problems in callcenters, ups customer support units, where they take normal people and make them teamleads. They think they are finally on the top, without HR or Management training. First thing they do is fire dedicated, hardworking, members of their teams and only keeping the subservient ones who never open their mouths. I have observed this with several well known ! Fortune 500 companies.
K and B is a perfect example of a bullying company. Biggest mistake of my life was to go work for them. I was only there three weeks before I jumped ship. That company has such a high turnover rate of drivers because they don't want good, loyal drivers. They want easily manipulated drivers that they can pay less and overwork. It was only because I knew my rights and the law that I got out of there without any major issues with my paycheck and my DAC Report. They tried their darnedest to get me to abandon my truck so that I wouldn't be able to work anywhere else and would have to crawl back to them. I instead drove my truck 8 hours straight back to the terminal. Then I took pictures to prove that I left it on their property in good, working condition and just got a greyhound bus back to my home on my own dime. If a company has to hire full time staff to only do damage control on all their negative press and reviews online, that's a huge red flag. Any company worth its salt doesn't have to worry about that and uses their money to keep their equipment running and paying their drivers better. Thankfully now I drive locally and get paid hourly rather than per mile. But for the first couple years I had my CDL I had to keep jumping around companies because the vast majority of them are so exploitative. Unfortunately this isn't just an issue with trucking: every industry seems to have worker exploitation built into their business models. Just look at Amazon and Walmart
Happens in machining but once you beat the shit out of them, get fired yada yada... That company is toast. Some odd reason they never fire lower management
I worked for a medium sized co. four 4 years or so and applied there because they ran west and south for the most part,which is what I wanted.I said I would do the odd short one when they were in a pinch but under no circumstances would I do New York city and if it were a prerequisite to being hired ,we should end the interview now.They told me they had lots of guys to go there and I wouldn't be dispatched there. Four years later the took me out of my newer unit and put me into an older unit that just barely passed a circle check and sent me east.On the way back from Philly and almost at the border,they tell me I have to turn around to Albany and pickup a load from a "sick" driver and deliver it to NYC.I said NO.When I got back to the yd,They hauled me into the office and told me things had changed.I said changed for you ,not for me.I cleaned the truck out and cleaned the truck up and left.
Don't put up with what you don't feel comfortable with,but also don't complain alllllll the time or you won't be taken seriously.I don't complain much so when I do it's taken seriously.
I'm fortunate to have always worked for a small company with a true open door policy. I've had a few small problems over the years but they've always been resolved quickly. From what I've seen over the years, the biggest issue is that management and ESPECIALLY dispatch sometimes needs to be reminded that THEY work for US, not the other way around! It's likely to be a bigger problem for new drivers than experienced ones. That's why us old timers need to kinda watch out for the kids until they get their feet under them. There's been many times I've walked into the office to turn in paperwork and said "hey (dispatcher name that's standing there), how much of your mortgage (new car, motorcycle, boat or whatever I can come up with) did I pay for this week? If there's a new driver standing there, I tell them not to forget who actually works for who.
There is no way to get the shipment to the place on time. It is a stupid game they play with you when you get on the road.(How can you trust these people❓❗)
Always have another company in mind, and don't let dispatch broker customer bully you - I'm on lease and If I don't like the way dispatch talk to I cancel the load and he knows it stoped pushing bad loads to me in order to please his bodies brokers ---- one time I canceled already booked load because broker couldnt understand my ETA for PU, I told them 1:30 they how come it's this and that I'm said, ok I'm doing it, after 2 min broker calls me and almost begging to take it and he doesn't know anything about ETA issue ---- I took that load because I needed it but they learned their lesson how not to talk to driver. I can do this because I always have another option in my mind
The last Mega carrier I was at for a few years I watched a janitor move 2 become a dispatcher.. I am not the person to say she was or was not qualified personally I thought it was kind of nice to see some growth in the individual also it's kind of nice to work at a company that will provide you that opportunity to grow But at the same time I guess I would say dispatchers may have a little bit too much Authority but that kind of falls back onto the truck driver for putting up with the crap.. I've had to point blank hang up the phone on a dispatcher numerous times and steer the truck how I saw fit not how they wanted never had any serious repercussions for doing that either matter of fact that dispatcher will call you in the next day or two and act like it never happened
I was bullied @ CDL school by a Instructor!, I could not double clutch fast enough and kept stalling out, The Instructor started yelling and told me to put the truck in park and get in the seat in the sleeper then he who taught truck for years I am guessing got in the drivers seat and double clutched and shifted gears like a madman(Sound like a Instructor or someone who just wanted a cheque every week), ,back at the school I pretended I was having a bad day and asked how I did, he said not good so I said well, if I did not have a asshole for a Instructor I might have did better. I then went in the principals office and demanded my money back or I was going to put the truck in the ditch and kill the Instructor, he told me everything was full and there was nothing he could do, I said ok, you got a choice get me the money or a third piece of heavy equipment, the truck component does not even have a book ! I now have Front End Loader, Excavator, and Bulldozer The school had a Dorm but the cooks went home weekends so when the coffee machine was locked in the kitchen Friday evenings. I went home too. This has to be the worst school I went to. One day in the cafeteria this Instructor was bragging to the other Instructors how he planned to fail me anyway so I had to come back in 6 week refresher course! I reported him to main office and did not see him since. That was in 2010,
Your videos about how to deal with dispatchers and customers show me how fortunate I am to drive for a company where respect is reciprocated between drivers and all levels of management. They have great equipment and run only W900s. They have their own full service wash bay and shop and they are not shy about keeping their equipment maintained and the drivers comfortable. Most driver pay rates are fixed per load and they tell you upfront what they are. I sympathize for the drivers stuck at companies that treat them like a whore. Trucking is a bitch these days.
This is why I became an owner operator. I work when I want cause I dispatch myself. Get your experience with the company you're with and find a good company that appreciates your work. DRIVE SAFE AND DONT BE RECKLESS!
I consider myself lucky, I work in the transportation department for an international manufacturing company. Yes it's more of a corporate atmosphere, but there's no bullshit.
I have been trucking, long haul since 1982, i knew even back then to avoid BIG COMPANIES, i drive new extended hood Petes with all the Bells and Balls, i do what i want pretty much when i want, try that with a big company in you turned down beginer truck,
To anyone running a trucking company it is vitally important to hire dispatchers with driving experience. The more the better. Don't get me started as to why this is important. 23 years experience and driven for many different companies so I've seen a lot of incompetent dispatchers and at an almost 100 percent level the dispatchers without driving experience were incompetent.
I've been on both sides of this issue in some cases I've had people try to bully me I've taken a little bit of it because I like and need my job in other cases I've had to push some people to get to the level I need them to be to get the job done safely and efficiently. I always try to be fair though.
*Hey there Big Strappers* Thanks for dropping by to watch today's video. Your company treat you right? The way you deserve to be treated? Ya know we drivers gotta stick together, and hold our ground. Love to hear from you.
Smart Trucking awesome topic, video, and advice. Thenks Dave
I thought the cuts in the video back and forth between the Smart Trucking sign and sitting at the table was a great touch.
All these stories are well written. The truth is, if you cannot pay your mortgage, car, living expenses AND have some money and time leftover to enjoy life, you have a dead end job.
My experience.
1. I have never had a dispatcher who has ever driven a truck. Not even a panel van. So they can be very unsympathetic to your troubles.
2. I have had dispatchers try to pay me absolutely nothing for waiting, switching trailers, maintenance, pre-trips, ect.
I hate confrontation. Nevertheless, even truck drivers need to stand up for themselves once in a while.
I've had more problems being bullied by loaders and Warehouse people that I have by dispatchers and management. Our main distribution warehouse hire some very lazy and unsafe people who load my trailers without any heed for my safety. I made an effort to complain personally to their lead heads and to their manager, and what I got in return was even more dangerous and improperly loaded trailers. I eventually had to confront the loaders in person quite angrily threatening them with physical violence if they didn't stop, and my trailers have been loaded properly ever since. I was perfectly willing to lose my job to Stand My Ground and to not let these lazy pieces of crap risk my life because they don't want to do their job properly. Sometimes you have to stand your ground and be prepared to face the consequences.
Some Managers are fully aware of the bullying, and ignore it.
So close to hanging it up .. everytime i take home time it gets harder to come back..
Interesting, but true. One of the worst things about the job is those types of dispatchers.
Nothing a big stick won't fix.
I experienced bullying first hand and when I refused got cut off on work. My solution to this was I got my own truck and put it on with a company where I am self dispatch. It didn't completely get rid of the bullying I still get phone calls telling me I need to run harder but they really can't make me because I'm self dispatch.
Best way to avoid all this? I found a small family owned carrier to work for. Owners wife and daughter are the dispatchers. I went from being bullied daily by a major carrier dispatch office to being treated like family. I make less per mile, but make more per month, and I'm kept as busy as I want!
Same here. I actually bought my first tractor through payroll deductions from the company in 1999. I'm still with them and have 4 tractors leased on there.
I only work for small companies.
The bigger the carrier, the more nonsense you have to deal with.
Thanks for your videos. I just want to say, a few weeks ago I went to my office manager to ask him to pay me for the 4 hours I was sitting at a shop away from the yard I work from. I explained to him if I had not been sitting at this shop (with airbrake troubles) I would have made it back for a second load or at the very least went home early if there had not been a run I could do in the time I had left in my 14 for the day. My office manager told me that they generally do not pay for downtime until it has been 24 hours, but he was willing to pay me for a few yard moves to make it up to me. It got me another $40. Which I happily accepted and thanked him for. Prior to discovering your channel and listening to your wisdom, I likely would not have spoke up and just sucked it up. Thanks so much for helping to give us a voice! Have a great holiday!!
Have a good holiday trucknlady!
One day I will pimp slap my dispatcher.. just waiting on the opportunity..
Costco Store 443 in Littleton, Colorado: I was bullied by the manager, Andryi, and I stood up for myself and lectured him on being a decent person. Proudest phone call from work when I got to tell my manager, “How could anyone be upset about being told to be more respectful?” The office couldn’t rebut.
I've seen bad dispatch chase away a lot of good drivers smart companies make sure they have good dispatch
I'm in the process of getting my license and I love these damn vids ... I'm not sure how much of it in can use just yet but it's good to recognize the tricks of the trade.
The only way you can be bullied is by allowing it to happen in the first place. I've been driving 2 years now and I don't take any crap from my DM. I love my job but the DM can make you miserable if you let them.
Great video! And your absolutely correct, drivers getting bullied by their carriers is the rule not the exception.
When I was at the big CF back in the 90s we had the best sales associates they would target the best customers out on the street they would assist you at the customers on the street they would buy you breakfast they would find out what size trailers work best at that pick up location
Going on 1year with my license next august 16🙏
Great Video.
I had a Broker try to bully me last week.A few brokers are using the hours of service cancellation for the covid-19 emergency relief to push drivers to run loads straight thru without a break..
I'm a real young guy with a messed up 5 years in the industry. From "Janitor" @ 18Yrs old to dispatcher/call taker/terminal manager, to warehouse, to owner operator 5 ton for 3 years, to 1 year of tractor trailer driving. Id like to have a chat with you one day! Your videos are the most truthful thing on the internet. Cheers.
I'm an owner operator, have been for a long time, I've leased on to 5 different companies in the last 4 months because the owner of the company doesn't care how these office people treat the O/O's. So don't be afraid to jump ship if you have to. The right company is out there you just have to find it. I have 30 plus years driving and a perfect record so I don't have a problem finding a contract even with my work history lol.
Bullying is what you call it?
I fought my dispatcher over detention [wait time] almost my entire time at a certain carrier. After most of a year, of my dispatcher not responding to requests, acting confused, and refusing to communicate via email, he finally gave me his supervisor's contact info.
I told his supervisor what I thought of the company's payment on detention, and their failure to pay the cents-per-mile rate given by the recruiter.
A year's worth of frustration...He just had me turn the truck in.
Learned me. If the company doesn't pay hourly, your time is worthless to them.
Exactly. If you ask the right questions you can pretty much tell how that company is run before you even sign on.
never ever think the dispatcher knows what he's ( shes) talking about, if you dont know them. I got bullyed by them with hazmat bills and wrong placards
He is a awesome teacher as a new driver he taught me a lot and I thank him for that 🙏 blessings
Love this video . Dispatcher make me motivated to get my own authority
You should
Thank you so much for being so honest and clear in your descriptions, you do inspire me A LOT
Except for customers, I never had too much trouble hauling trash or trusses. Because those managers either used to drive truck or listened to the most senior driver at the location. Hauling trusses has the added bonus of if the weather is bad, the customer isn't going to risk damaging the truss or the crane so we can just clock out and go home if the weather is bad. Same with garbage, no matter how upset the customer gets, we were never going to rack up several hundred dollars of towing to pick up $30 a month worth of trash.
Thank you for staying honorable,honest,humble & your integrity!!!
WERNER shorts the mileage to a destination 100 miles and then marks the driver as a late load. They want you to always keep calling, kissing the dispatcher"s ass. (Scam❗)
I work for K&B and our dispatchers are all complete bullies. Literally the scummiest dispatchers and load planners. It’s so wrong
If you call into your office with a problem, before you pickup that phone, have notes written down and a clear sense of how you're going to present the problem to your dispatcher or manager. And after you finish your presentation and the first thing out of their mouth is: "So what your telling me is.............." Stop them right there and tell them you heard what I said, I'm hanging up now, you think about what I said and call me back.
Dispatchers lie too much I always do what I want I always protect my self if something smell fishi I don't do it I learn from your videos
I was Bully at SWIFTY everytime you wanted to go on home time. Never could keep a doctor appt.
That's what you get for working with SWIFT.
Smart trucking. You help me as o/o all the time. Thanks for the content.
I always hated the computer routed miles going through hilly curvy back roads and small towns with speed limits, when actually an all interstate route was smarter, and faster, even if on a map, it looked longer! That was just another form of bullying!
Great insight for new drivers. Thanks.
I just don't understand how these otr companies keep employees. I've recently decided I want short hours, so I have a 32 mile bid where I work the dock for a few hours, and I still make 70k. If I want to make more, I just choose to do a higher mile run. Still home every day. No mileage shortage, and everything non driving gets paid 30/hour (hooking, dropping, fueling, dock, education, chaining, waiting for trailers on a longer run, waiting for repairs, helping out the office, although that last one will piss off the office staff, since they only make 16/hour).
The dispatcher is the bad side of trucking ! I call it whipping you with a load . I’m sooo glad to see someone talk about this . It’s a real problem. They get away with it and company loose good drivers. I have great dispatchers now. Everybody’s respectful .
I have a great dispatcher where I am. He was a driver for years and it helps so much. The planners seem to be just out of school though looking for their gold stars. If my dispatcher ever leaves I am gone too
Serge .L that has nothing to do with race . Small minded u r
Thanks for been so honest talking about trucking
Too true. I worked for the largest UK haulage company and its exactly the same bully boy culture. 70 hours per week around 3000 kilometers, which for the uk is alot, but still the despatchers would bleed you dry and tell you how bad you were. Needless to say i didnt stay long.
Some bullies ,used to be drivers who never had good people skills. Some became dispatchers or even safety and compliance.(jitters not Pam)
I read an article recently says that truck driver pay has fallen in the last 30 years. Is there any truth to it. Your channel is very informative, I’ve learned a lot watching your channel.
I am not a trucker, but I watch your videos as a way to deal with people and get through life.
I guess I'm lucky only dealt with one newer night guy that tried to pull some crap. I told everyone what he tried to pull and he was gone quick. The only thing i get bullied for is my companys top speed. Ahem.......but everything else is great. Not a lease. No interest in owning my own truck. Making enough to live comfortably. Don't care about being rich.
My truck came from GP Trans Go.. It was kept up nice when I bought it..
I feel really blessed to have the dispatcher that we do he was a driver before he became dispatch
I'm shocked he didn't mention "EEOC" or "FMCSA" as ways to get rid of dispatches or poor management.
You showed up right on time to see that situation unfold.
-------- being bullied.... if it's from a distance ...the bully is a profound coward foremost the bully part is massaging his/her inflated ignorance and egotistical fueled certitude ----- be well Dave ✅
Very true Dave.
You have opened my eyes up with some tactics now.
They also use reverse physchology when you ring about problems.
I mite try the top and see how that plans out.
Great video Dave. When I first read the title, I thought that you were referring to the hazing that goes on between veteran and rookie drivers. It's also part of the culture, and is great fun, but needs to be reined in at times.
good video for truckers, there are many bully on truckers in fact. all of trucker industries are going down trending as time go on.
I thought this was gonna be about people who drive automatics
its important to learn to say no. we are the carriers most valuable asset so if they fire you no worries
absolutely.....you nailed it Dave....
Thanks for the content 👍
I thought this would be a video about the DOT and FMCSA
I almost got bullied once. Under a nursery stock load Oregon to Connecticut. Morning of delivery I was on time but dropped the drive line at the GW bridge at toll booth. Got repaired, allegedly and dropped it again on way to deliver 1st of 3 drops after sitting the weekend. 2 days later got it going and the whole time I was in contact with receiver, everything is good. Go to deliver and receiver jumped me. No doubt he was looking for a discount and he had to start with me. He ran me off. I call in from a travel plaza ( pre-cellphone ) and was told by dispatch that they were told I refused to open the doors. Crazy stuff there. After another night with the load I was told to go to last drop and I did. When I got there nursery told me that I was to call in. He told me he was afraid I’d have to go back to previous stop to give them their trees. I asked him did he want them and he said yes he would take them. I called in and just like he said they wanted me to go back to the original drop as it was just 20 miles away. I declined and did it my way. It’s crazy how they want to treat a driver and I miss it today but I never had a problem being fair or firm...
Another good, common sense vid... This is my 27th year and I certainly ran into my fair share of this over the years. It's a fact of life, of course, but keeping a clean record over all these years enabled me to escape the worst of it eventually, leading to lots of interesting experiences in driving in the North Dakota oilfield for a few years, then a dreaded return to OTR in 2016. I returned as a heavy-haul driver for a small three (now six) truck outfit, though, so it's far more personal than a big company. I doubt I could ever return to a big company with such issues, for I tend to be a little more vocal about such issues than I should at times (I've bitten enough chunks out of my own posterior over the years to know better lol).
I recall working for a company out of Vincennes back in the late 90s hauling auto seat parts mostly. There were two dispatchers and the one to whom I was assigned was the best ever, for she was always up-front and fair. Help her out with a not-so-hot run? Yep, because she would always take care to make it up to you later, unlike her replacement. I went from one end of the spectrum to the other with him and he was like dealing with a shady used car salesman. He was ultimately the reason I walked out one Friday evening when weeks of rational reasoning with him failed to solve the issues at hand. The truck was spotless when cleaned out at their Cadiz, Kentucky yard and he even got a call so he could cover the load. His most immediate worry? He was supposed to be going home in a half hour... He simply had no business managing people but, yes, they make it into such positions.
Man, idk what to think anymore.
On the one hand my company has been great. We got paid during the covid shut down whether we drove or not. Mine came to $140 a day. Then we got a bonus of $100 a week on top of that pay.
Now the mileage on my checks don't match what's on my elogs. By a couple hundred miles sometimes. I like this company. Then I notice these discrepancies.
This is especially true in the LTL industry. Great video and thank you!
Im a dispatch and lemme tell you why you shouldn't ALWAYS point your finger at dispatch
There is a saying in dispatch business "DISPATCH IS ALWAYS TO BLAME", it doesnt matter if you are a collage student or ex. driver...for ex.
-If you are late for delivery without calling dispatch to advise why are you late its dispatch fault i remember once being cut $500 on my paycheck cause the driver decided to take a nap without advising us and was late 5hrs for delivery on FORD load, while driver went home with just simple "Warning"...like can u imagine how stressful and unfair that is?
Every time when something bad happens bosses will always call dispatch because they dont have the balls to call the driver since loosing a driver is far greater loss to them then loosing 1 dispatch
This is just 1 example out of MANY, so when dispatch calls u to ask stupid question they are not doing it to annoy you but cause they HAVE TO as per the Bosses of the company to avoid any potential issues that can get them into trouble
Its sad reality that drivers dont understand, im not saying that all dispatches are good and that all drivers are bad
Both of us drivers and dispatch have common enemy and thats company owners/managers
EVERY COMPANY IS A MIRROR OF THEIR OWNERS doesnt matter if its trucking company or a car-wash company
Very well said
What is this strange thing you call "TRAINING " I have never heard of such a thing because all office staff works a 8 to 5 or 7 but are home every night on the other hand I know where they work and if I get to the office and chew them out because all they are are computer screen truck drivers planning you on a flat earth I give my boss the choice you rather have me as a driver who gets his job done or a dispatcher you get complaints about and with shippers and recievers if you friendly and ask nicely they load you before appointment sometimes I managed to get loaded or unloaded they day before if you nice and sometimes call ahead yourself and ask the shipper and recievers and 9 out of 10 they say yes if you can make it before they close
I've had to put up with more shit from the shippers and receivers then dispatch.
We Love ALL your stories!!!
Crime inc. In a nutshell. They do everything to prevent legal exposure, keep new blood in the revolving door, and kill the solo drivers to run them out or go team. Glad I made it a year and lost all the weight I gained with them. I don't miss my dispatcher yelling, "Well what's the problem man," when I arrive 2 minutes late to a receiver. Thanks for the CDL, no thanks on ever working for 'em again.
It's Story Time 😁👍 thank you
Yup!!!! I'm right in the middle getting emails by my carrier for foolish things select knuckleheads driver do like not being potty trained using office toilet which I never use. Drivers were warned that garage bathroom would be locked and drivers would have to go to convenience store.
@Smart Trucking ...not the kind of bullying i had thought you were going to mention...i have an story about Operator vs. Operator bullying...Our Linehaul Driver Vs. A Port Driver.
Same problems in callcenters, ups customer support units, where they take normal people and make them teamleads. They think they are finally on the top, without HR or Management training. First thing they do is fire dedicated, hardworking, members of their teams and only keeping the subservient ones who never open their mouths. I have observed this with several well known ! Fortune 500 companies.
K and B is a perfect example of a bullying company. Biggest mistake of my life was to go work for them. I was only there three weeks before I jumped ship. That company has such a high turnover rate of drivers because they don't want good, loyal drivers. They want easily manipulated drivers that they can pay less and overwork. It was only because I knew my rights and the law that I got out of there without any major issues with my paycheck and my DAC Report. They tried their darnedest to get me to abandon my truck so that I wouldn't be able to work anywhere else and would have to crawl back to them. I instead drove my truck 8 hours straight back to the terminal. Then I took pictures to prove that I left it on their property in good, working condition and just got a greyhound bus back to my home on my own dime.
If a company has to hire full time staff to only do damage control on all their negative press and reviews online, that's a huge red flag. Any company worth its salt doesn't have to worry about that and uses their money to keep their equipment running and paying their drivers better. Thankfully now I drive locally and get paid hourly rather than per mile. But for the first couple years I had my CDL I had to keep jumping around companies because the vast majority of them are so exploitative. Unfortunately this isn't just an issue with trucking: every industry seems to have worker exploitation built into their business models. Just look at Amazon and Walmart
Have you thought about dot and insurance being part of the bullying problem
there’s a reason mega carriers have dispatch teams surrounded with bullet proof glass
Happens in machining but once you beat the shit out of them, get fired yada yada... That company is toast.
Some odd reason they never fire lower management
I worked for a medium sized co. four 4 years or so and applied there because they ran west and south for the most part,which is what I wanted.I said I would do the odd short one when they were in a pinch but under no circumstances would I do New York city and if it were a prerequisite to being hired ,we should end the interview now.They told me they had lots of guys to go there and I wouldn't be dispatched there. Four years later the took me out of my newer unit and put me into an older unit that just barely passed a circle check and sent me east.On the way back from Philly and almost at the border,they tell me I have to turn around to Albany and pickup a load from a "sick" driver and deliver it to NYC.I said NO.When I got back to the yd,They hauled me into the office and told me things had changed.I said changed for you ,not for me.I cleaned the truck out and cleaned the truck up and left.
Detention of 5 to 6 hrs... Try 13 at turds like sobeys loblaws metro... 19 hrs at Milan, Missouri.
That was a good video Dave, like always.👍👍
I don't run unless im getting 3,000 miles per week not negotiable.
Thank you for your information
Don't put up with what you don't feel comfortable with,but also don't complain alllllll the time or you won't be taken seriously.I don't complain much so when I do it's taken seriously.
I'm fortunate to have always worked for a small company with a true open door policy. I've had a few small problems over the years but they've always been resolved quickly. From what I've seen over the years, the biggest issue is that management and ESPECIALLY dispatch sometimes needs to be reminded that THEY work for US, not the other way around! It's likely to be a bigger problem for new drivers than experienced ones. That's why us old timers need to kinda watch out for the kids until they get their feet under them. There's been many times I've walked into the office to turn in paperwork and said "hey (dispatcher name that's standing there), how much of your mortgage (new car, motorcycle, boat or whatever I can come up with) did I pay for this week? If there's a new driver standing there, I tell them not to forget who actually works for who.
I was working for a small company I waited ten hours at a shipper before I even got a dock to back into. I got no pay for that .
Sounds like Highlight in Ontario.... Soooooo glad I don't work there anymore! Worst place to work at.
There is no way to get the shipment to the place on time. It is a stupid game they play with you when you get on the road.(How can you trust these people❓❗)
Messing with a mans money is a great way of getting an ass whooping.
Always have another company in mind, and don't let dispatch broker customer bully you - I'm on lease and If I don't like the way dispatch talk to I cancel the load and he knows it stoped pushing bad loads to me in order to please his bodies brokers ---- one time I canceled already booked load because broker couldnt understand my ETA for PU, I told them 1:30 they how come it's this and that I'm said, ok I'm doing it, after 2 min broker calls me and almost begging to take it and he doesn't know anything about ETA issue ---- I took that load because I needed it but they learned their lesson how not to talk to driver. I can do this because I always have another option in my mind
The last Mega carrier I was at for a few years I watched a janitor move 2 become a dispatcher..
I am not the person to say she was or was not qualified personally I thought it was kind of nice to see some growth in the individual also it's kind of nice to work at a company that will provide you that opportunity to grow
But at the same time I guess I would say dispatchers may have a little bit too much Authority but that kind of falls back onto the truck driver for putting up with the crap.. I've had to point blank hang up the phone on a dispatcher numerous times and steer the truck how I saw fit not how they wanted never had any serious repercussions for doing that either matter of fact that dispatcher will call you in the next day or two and act like it never happened
I just won’t put up with that shit. Money ain’t that important to be disrespected.
Great video 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
I was bullied @ CDL school by a Instructor!, I could not double clutch fast enough and kept stalling out, The Instructor started yelling and told me to put the truck in park and get in the seat in the sleeper then he who taught truck for years I am guessing got in the drivers seat and double clutched and shifted gears like a madman(Sound like a Instructor or someone who just wanted a cheque every week), ,back at the school I pretended I was having a bad day and asked how I did, he said not good so I said well, if I did not have a asshole for a Instructor I might have did better. I then went in the principals office and demanded my money back or I was going to put the truck in the ditch and kill the Instructor, he told me everything was full and there was nothing he could do, I said ok, you got a choice get me the money or a third piece of heavy equipment, the truck component does not even have a book ! I now have Front End Loader, Excavator, and Bulldozer The school had a Dorm but the cooks went home weekends so when the coffee machine was locked in the kitchen Friday evenings. I went home too. This has to be the worst school I went to. One day in the cafeteria this Instructor was bragging to the other Instructors how he planned to fail me anyway so I had to come back in 6 week refresher course! I reported him to main office and did not see him since. That was in 2010,
If they yank your chain the term "pound sand" will stop it.
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Your videos about how to deal with dispatchers and customers show me how fortunate I am to drive for a company where respect is reciprocated between drivers and all levels of management. They have great equipment and run only W900s. They have their own full service wash bay and shop and they are not shy about keeping their equipment maintained and the drivers comfortable. Most driver pay rates are fixed per load and they tell you upfront what they are. I sympathize for the drivers stuck at companies that treat them like a whore. Trucking is a bitch these days.
This is why I became an owner operator. I work when I want cause I dispatch myself. Get your experience with the company you're with and find a good company that appreciates your work. DRIVE SAFE AND DONT BE RECKLESS!
I consider myself lucky, I work in the transportation department for an international manufacturing company. Yes it's more of a corporate atmosphere, but there's no bullshit.
I found the best company.
A small farmer good luck people.
Thank you for the valuable information
I have been trucking, long haul since 1982, i knew even back then to avoid BIG COMPANIES, i drive new extended hood Petes with all the Bells and Balls, i do what i want pretty much when i want, try that with a big company in you turned down beginer truck,
To anyone running a trucking company it is vitally important to hire dispatchers with driving experience. The more the better. Don't get me started as to why this is important. 23 years experience and driven for many different companies so I've seen a lot of incompetent dispatchers and at an almost 100 percent level the dispatchers without driving experience were incompetent.
I've been on both sides of this issue in some cases I've had people try to bully me I've taken a little bit of it because I like and need my job in other cases I've had to push some people to get to the level I need them to be to get the job done safely and efficiently. I always try to be fair though.