Dispatchers have the same pay as a swing. What every ur step is now... it will transfer into the equivalent level. If ur a swing now ur pay will not change unless u change market levels (lower or higher cost location). The rumors that Dispatchers automatically go to "top pay" or u are "set for life" is not true. U simply move from a physical labor-intensive job to a mentally intensive job. If u can handle the job, then u likely can handle being an ops manager
Selections start with workday and then a Packet that’s given to u about ur job history and "what would u do, how would u handle" type questions. U fill out the packet, return it and then the dispatch manager selects who to interview. The interview would be a panel of managers/ senior dispatchers or managers or some other variation. They will "score" your responses and set up an offer letter.
The offer will detail work hours and days off and of course put in an open-ended clause of "operational needs". U will get some wacky hours, Saturdays and split days off or u might get a set schedule with weekends off- all depends. U will be a "floater" with no set station or sch or u will have a set station.
The day will consist of:
- Answering passive aggressive emails from managers about some indices ("the numbers") or work place issue. Because they are not in operations, Dispatch managers have more time to "nitpick" things that an ops manager probably would not bother with. So, outside the dispatch job function, expect the be bothered with other issues as well-which will be mildly irritating dep on ur personality type.
- Answering passive aggressive emails and phone calls from sale/customer service reps about some stop that was not picked up and to address the issue. Answering for drivers for whom u have no control of and probably have never seen, is where the mental stress starts.
- Not Answering Emails because u will not read it and its most likely irrelevant nonsense.
- Assigning daily on call stops to routes according to a spreadsheet, memory, or a Route Map
- Getting Fat from more calorie consumption from boredom and mental stress and less physical activity.
- Taking a mandatory unpaid 1hr lunch trying not to spend all ur money on local vendors. And u better take lunch when they want and on time... because lunch is big deal in dispatch and ppl have more time to nitpick ur lunch time too.
- Having dispatch managers trying to be friendly but they are just spying on u and checking on Ur productivity.
- Hearing office Gossip or Participating in it or both.
- Taking "unscheduled breaks" or watching others do so or both.
- Updating stops with very unrealistic closing times.
- Trying not to update stops with very realistic closing times.
- Calling Mangers because some driver is not cooperating or decided not to sign in.
- Filling in ur time with Holiday Calls so the station can save hours by canceling pickups …. Even though the dispatcher will have to answer the flurry of angry missed pickup phone calls after the holiday. Repeat the process.
- Calling tow truck companies… and then the driver magically gets the truck started.
- Calling Customers because the driver doesn’t feel nor are they required to do so -even if it’s more efficient for the driver to call themselves.
- Counseling drivers that call in with various complaints.
- PM managers will come in and call the dispatcher and start moving pickups around because X ppl called out or they don’t fell like paying the hours, or some driver has to leave early, or they are doing some driver a favor etc etc. They will often stick stops on the driver, not warn them and then use dispatch as a buffer- because the driver will think dispatch magically and maliciously gave them extra work. The driver will be pissed off and u will have to diffuse it with the manager and let the driver know that their own management team gave them extra work out their area.
- The AM managers will try to shift stops to the PM, so they can go home and not have to worry about am driver getting too many hours or hitting HOS. They will screw over of the PM managers and vice versa, and hopefully come to a happy medium.
- Drivers will ask for "more time" or just pretend to go to the stops and not go at all or just go at a different time frame than listed on LEO- which will lead to more angry calls from sales, customers and the call center.
- Drivers will state a stop is "not mine" cause u dont know what ur doing or the drivers have made deals amongst themselves to swap stops outide the scope of the route.
- Dispatch Mangers will attempt to hold u accountable for driver lates and missed pickups. Station manager will try to blame u assigning the wrong stops at the wrong time. Give them the answers they wanna hear..or blame shift… don’t worry they do it too
- Don’t go over your hours...because they treat u like some hourly/management hybrid despite it being likely unethical for them to do so.
- And a lot more nonsense….