R&L | Electronic Dispatch Fiasco??? What the ???

Ratrod

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Alot of us Drivers out here in Denver have some questions about the "new" electronic dispatch.

It just started here in Denver this last week. We were told we were the last terminal to switch over to it.

Main problem were having is the Reject button, Several drivers have used it when they were sent pickups that there was no way in reality they could make due to close times or location! These drivers stated this over the 2 way and by phone. Each driver was told "they must accept and make the pickup".

These few drivers who used the reject button have now suffered the wrath of the reginal mgr's furry! All were told that under NO cirumstance were they ever to push the reject button! And if dispatch tells you to drive off a cliff you are to do so as long as it is legal and safe, per the reginal of course!

Is this the way it is working through out the whole system?

If were not allowed to use the reject buttn, then why the hell is it even an option on the screen???

Or is it this the reginal mgr and our TM's way of making bad numbers look good or just another way for them to blame the drivers for their shortcommings? Probably our second guess.

Before this system came in, if you were given a pickup that you could not make, you told dispatch why you would not be able to make it, and most of the time dispatch would understand and either pull it or contact the customer to see if they would stick around longer, but now thats all out the window!

Do it or get threatened, wrote up or fired! Is this really the way this new system is working nationwide???

Input please!!!
 
Or is it this the reginal mgr and our TM's way of making bad numbers look good or just another way for them to blame the drivers for their shortcommings? Probably our second guess.

Blaming drivers for their short comings is a major problem at my old terminal, one reason why I left. In my experience MJ causes a lot of problems and he wants to brush everything under the rug. He is one of the reasons I left because he does not care about drivers. In talking to people in my old terminal they do not have the same experience as you, but I did come from a very small terminal. They will move pickups around to drivers that will be able to get them. But there are a few drivers that they have it out for, they just sock them full with pickups and let others go home early in hopes that they fail.
 
Well, you cant be the last terminal to get it since we haven't switched over yet here in HTF. They tell us its coming but so are our new tractors and Christmas is coming too. LOL
 
Well, you cant be the last terminal to get it since we haven't switched over yet here in HTF. They tell us its coming but so are our new tractors and Christmas is coming too. LOL

Well I had a feeling they were blowin smoke about Denver being the last ones on the list! Today was a bit better considering several mdt's went down! They had to do it the "old fashioned" way. Sure was nice to actualy get some pickups onboard without punching a computer screen!

You can have our automatics :) and the Pete's we got in a while ago, Both are kind of finicky!
 
You can reject pick up and dispatcher will see it ,maybe call you and find out why? Then they can cover it. It's not a problem at our terminal. Electric dispatch tells them which tractor is closest to the pick up address. Probably just a severe bad case of stupid dispatcher disease,who takes easiest way out and can't handle new situations being thrown at him.
 
We aren't switched over yet but our dispatch seems to be understanding when given god missions. We can usually get the needed help
 
Before this system came in, if you were given a pickup that you could not make, you told dispatch why you would not be able to make it, and most of the time dispatch would understand and either pull it or contact the customer to see if they would stick around longer, but now thats all out the window!

Do it or get threatened, wrote up or fired! Is this really the way this new system is working nationwide???

I have never heard of a dispatcher to be understanding. They all lie, manipulate and use intimidation on drivers. I guess it makes them feel like tough guys. This is just another way to use it against a driver to fire them. If the system is used properly it is a good system. GPS on MDT is not accurate, but they will lie and use it to fire drivers. Make the MDT work for you. Dispatch will send you a pickup over MDT and tell you to accept it and go there but in reality they are already closed. You accept it and dispatch blames the driver for missed pickups because the driver can't reject it they have to accept it. It is drivers responsibility now since it was accepted. Just another way for the bullies they call dispatchers, to lie on drivers and fire them. Any problems with it, call WIL and ask for MDT department. Log into it before you leave the yard, if your employee number is not on screen, dont leave the yard and call WIL. I'm just assuming it is same set up we have been using for a couple of yrs. If not abused by dispatchers, and used properly by them, electronic pickups (MDT) is a good system
 
Definitely a good system. Don't forget dispatch can cancel pickups from your screen if they need you to drop everything to go outta your way to get one they are goin to miss,and they can send the cancelled pick up to another driver. Dont be afraid to decline a pick up if you cant make it. Just dont accept one you know you will not make because then it will be your fault if ya miss it. This is a great system for weeding out worthless dispatchers...
 
The electronic dispatch system is a good idea. It keeps the drivers on the road and off the phone.

Only problem is, like the newfangled routing engine they're using, it doesn't see bodies of water. This tends to cause problems when your dispatcher is a geographic illiterate, which most of them are.

Also, when it showed up, the voice communication feature in the MDT's went away. So now, for those of us who refuse to divulge our cell phone numbers, the only way the have to get ahold of us is to send a message as a P/U saying to call dispatch.

This really is pathetic for this company to have to operate like that. It's leading to serious conflicts in the office between drivers and management because the ones who won't give their numbers up are now under orders to call in every third stop, and some of these guys are simply NOT going to do that.

Frankly, they shouldn't HAVE to do that either. Why should the company's failure to get their crap together be the driver's problem?
 
The electronic dispatch system is a good idea. It keeps the drivers on the road and off the phone.

Only problem is, like the newfangled routing engine they're using, it doesn't see bodies of water. This tends to cause problems when your dispatcher is a geographic illiterate, which most of them are.

Also, when it showed up, the voice communication feature in the MDT's went away. So now, for those of us who refuse to divulge our cell phone numbers, the only way the have to get ahold of us is to send a message as a P/U saying to call dispatch.

This really is pathetic for this company to have to operate like that. It's leading to serious conflicts in the office between drivers and management because the ones who won't give their numbers up are now under orders to call in every third stop, and some of these guys are simply NOT going to do that.

Frankly, they shouldn't HAVE to do that either. Why should the company's failure to get their crap together be the driver's problem?

My answer to that would be, I was never required to have a cell phone when I hired on, and I pay the bill therefor you cannot tell me what to do with it. If a customer will let me call from their phone then ok, but my cell phone is mine and mine alone! Unless you want to pay the bill then don't tell me what to do with it.
 
The problem I see with that is the slippery slope it creates.

I can see it now, at about 8:00 pm when you're 45 mins from the yard. "Oh, that residential that had the fake appointment? They're home now. Go back" (2 hours in the other direction).
 
The problem I see with that is the slippery slope it creates.

I can see it now, at about 8:00 pm when you're 45 mins from the yard. "Oh, that residential that had the fake appointment? They're home now. Go back" (2 hours in the other direction).
Yeah, those calls, I don't answer. LOL
 
The problem I see with that is the slippery slope it creates.

I can see it now, at about 8:00 pm when you're 45 mins from the yard. "Oh, that residential that had the fake appointment? They're home now. Go back" (2 hours in the other direction).

If your paid by the hour, what's the problem? I go to work to make money. More hours=more money.
 
If your paid by the hour, what's the problem? I go to work to make money. More hours=more money.

My problem is people don't their job, and we have to deal with the consequences.

You must be one that this sort of thing never happens to.
 
Definitely a good system. Don't forget dispatch can cancel pickups from your screen if they need you to drop everything to go outta your way to get one they are goin to miss,and they can send the cancelled pick up to another driver. Dont be afraid to decline a pick up if you cant make it. Just dont accept one you know you will not make because then it will be your fault if ya miss it. This is a great system for weeding out worthless dispatchers...
one of the problems is drivers who don't do their jobs correctly and scan bills after every stop will have a pickup on the screen for a couple hours before realizing he/she won't make it in time.
 
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