Load Planners to Dispatchers to Drivers (Is that what it really means?)

[jo57]

Load Planner Stories: This is mine.
The other day I received a job over the Qualcomm. Being the good driver that I am (in my own mind), I asked my dispatcher to find me an empty trailer. She pointed me in the direction of one, and of course, it wasn't there. Someone else had already picked it up. I sent her the message, she sent one back. To paraphrase it:
"Go to company find trailer tell customer it's ok to load".

Naturally I thought this was my empty and that it was ok for me to get it and take it to the shipper. They had requested certain series not to be loaded and it wasn't in that series. Guess What?

After getting loaded I'm driving down the road and I get a call from the load planner. "You are not supposed to have that trailer. You were supposed to dock it at the customer and tell them it was ok to load. Did you not understand the message?"

What could I say? "Ah, NO!"

I told the load planner that if they had wanted me to dock the trailer, they should have said in the message- dock the trailer.

Wow, were they ever upset. Of course they didn't want me to take it back and have the shipper unload it, thankfully.

Do most load planners feel that the driver is clairvoyant?

That's my story. Sorry about the length. But it is good for a laugh. I know I did.

[pro1driver]

yessiree..........we are SUPPOSED to be mind readers..

what part of "this" don't you understand.........

[Cerberus_Kelpie]

At some companies, Load Planners used to be in Customer Service and vice-versa.
Some Dispatchers are now Load Planners or in Customer Service.
Some former (and current) Drivers are also Dispatchers at smaller companies.

Clearness in messages isn't a strong point with most L.P.s and Dispatchers regardless of their former positions and it is NOT for the Driver to add or omit words from messages in order to comprehend.
When one doesn't understand what is being conveyed, simply ask (repeatedly if necessary) for clarification.
I have irritated MANY Dispatchers because of asking them repeatedly "what exactly are you saying?". I have sent MANY Macros seeking resolution and have called on Land Lines probably excessively yet DID acquire the info I was seeking. Enough irritation and they'll provide the info requested.

Personally I do not want to be a Dispatcher or Driver Manager nor a Load Planner or in Customer Service, however since I'm a Driver: I am Dispatched, I Manage myself, I am a Load (route) Planner, and I deal with the Customer in the Service I help provide.

[bigk300]

or try this one i set my projected time available to 1500 hrs

and they send me a load that picks up at 1530 110 miles away and gets mad when i tell them cant make it

[delta5]

Originally Posted by bigk300

or try this one i set my projected time available to 1500 hrs

and they send me a load that picks up at 1530 110 miles away and gets mad when i tell them cant make it

Dont you have warp drive on that truck? You know your company has an exemption from the HOS rules, right?

[Comftblynumb]

Originally Posted by delta5

Dont you have warp drive on that truck? You know your company has an exemption from the HOS rules, right?

Why can't you make it?? It's only an inch on the map??? Takes you that long to go an inch??????