dispatcher

[nolongerpurple]

I was reading a post from awhile back about dispatch positions....just as a fyi this is a interview position.......doesn't matter if you have 2 years or 32 years.....you have to go thru the interview process....I have been thru it several times and I was a dispatcher before.......still didn't matter....after losing out a couple of times...I finally got a dispatch job.....this is not a easy job to get....but the perks far outweigh being on the road.....if you get one don't let it go...they are getting harder and harder to come by.....

 

[Cactus]

Well just make sure it's a dispatch position where they keep the doors locked and the OPS managers out. Otherwise they'll try to dump all sorts of work on you that they should be doing themselves.

 

[ObbyMac8835]

While it's true that dispatch positions are hard to come by let me tell you the grass is not always greener on the other side, I was a courier who had been a Flight dispatcher for over 20 years so I was sure Dispatch was the job for me however not so much. First the pros. 1. Pay raise dispatch pays more than being a courier. 2. Weather, what weather it's always dry and comfortable temp in dispatch office and the coffee flows like water. 3. Set schedule you always know when your going to work and more importantly when you getting off of work at least a week in advance in most cases two. 4. Causal attire, in our dispatch office everyday was casual Friday heck you could wear shorts flip flops and t-shirts to work everyday if u like and many did myself included. I'm sure there are more things I missed but you get the picture. Now to the Cons. 1. No overtime like none. I like overtime (call me crazy I guess) 2. Management duties with out management pay or power to discipline bad couriers. 3. Lack of support from managers and Sr. Managers for bad couriers. 4. Bad couriers please don't get me wrong 90% of the couriers I dealt with were great and 70% of the managers I dealt with were great however that 5% and 30% were horrible. Just a few difficult, whiney, bitchy, lazy and or incompetent drivers and a few useless, spineless, clueless and chicken managers made this job joyless for me. Like I said don't get me wrong not trying to bash drivers or managers most of them were great it was just those few bad ones the drove me to serve out my contract then as soon as it was over go back on the road. Bottom line dispatch is great for some but not for everyone as for me I love being on the road most customers are great and always happy to see The FedEx guy I love just worrying about myself and making service and my numbers. I always tell people my company pays me to drive around in a new Mercedes and socialize with nice people how miserable could I be...

 

[Purplepackage]

While it's true that dispatch positions are hard to come by let me tell you the grass is not always greener on the other side, I was a courier who had been a Flight dispatcher for over 20 years so I was sure Dispatch was the job for me however not so much. First the pros. 1. Pay raise dispatch pays more than being a courier. 2. Weather, what weather it's always dry and comfortable temp in dispatch office and the coffee flows like water. 3. Set schedule you always know when your going to work and more importantly when you getting off of work at least a week in advance in most cases two. 4. Causal attire, in our dispatch office everyday was casual Friday heck you could wear shorts flip flops and t-shirts to work everyday if u like and many did myself included. I'm sure there are more things I missed but you get the picture. Now to the Cons. 1. No overtime like none. I like overtime (call me crazy I guess) 2. Management duties with out management pay or power to discipline bad couriers. 3. Lack of support from managers and Sr. Managers for bad couriers. 4. Bad couriers please don't get me wrong 90% of the couriers I dealt with were great and 70% of the managers I dealt with were great however that 5% and 30% were horrible. Just a few difficult, whiney, bitchy, lazy and or incompetent drivers and a few useless, spineless, clueless and chicken managers made this job joyless for me. Like I said don't get me wrong not trying to bash drivers or managers most of them were great it was just those few bad ones the drove me to serve out my contract then as soon as it was over go back on the road. Bottom line dispatch is great for some but not for everyone as for me I love being on the road most customers are great and always happy to see The FedEx guy I love just worrying about myself and making service and my numbers. I always tell people my company pays me to drive around in a new Mercedes and socialize with nice people how miserable could I be...

Before they put the rev limiter in those new Mercedes had some nice power

 

[ObbyMac8835]

They did and it was nice when I had a rte that required hwy driving, however my rte is in the hill country and the highest speed limit anywhere is 45 and driving much faster than that is dangerous due to the deer and winding roads and hills plus I never see a highway so the governor is not an issue for me.

 

[MrFedEx]

They did and it was nice when I had a rte that required hwy driving, however my rte is in the hill country and the highest speed limit anywhere is 45 and driving much faster than that is dangerous due to the deer and winding roads and hills plus I never see a highway so the governor is not an issue for me.

Today's dispatchers are de facto managers because the vast majority of our management "team" is incompetent and lazy. This can make Dispatch a not so fun place to be when all the managers are A. In hiding, B. Have their phones turned off, C. Are already at home, D. At some hotel banging the help. E. On the road as a fill-in courier, or friend. In a "critical" meeting, where they cannot be reached.

Guess who gets to make-up for the excuses.

 

[Route 66]

please don't get me wrong 90% of the couriers I dealt with were great and 70% of the managers I dealt with were great however that 5% and 30% were horrible.

I think we're missin' 5% of the couriers..Were they the ones that were neither great nor horrible? - just middle of the road somewheres?

 

[Cactus]

Before they put the rev limiter in those new Mercedes had some nice power

True and therefore they lose power when you have to drive thru more and a couple of inches of snow. Wow, that was so well thought out.

 

[Operational needs]

True and therefore they lose power when you have to drive thru more and a couple of inches of snow. Wow, that was so well thought out.

I got stuck in the snow the other day and the tow truck guy thought he could show me how to drive it out. He said it has no power! No Sherlock! Love that rev limiter. Lol.

 

[ObbyMac8835]

No snow in south Texas however I have been stuck in 2 inches of mud before 2 inches of mud with solid rock underneath it took me an hour to move my sprinter 6 feet onto the solid mud free rock road so yes I agree

 

[dezguy]

I have never even been close to stuck with my Sprinter. We got a nice 30cm snowfall a few weeks ago and she powered through everything. Even the old Dodge Sprinters were impossible to get stuck, imo.

 

[Operational needs]

I have never even been close to stuck with my Sprinter. We got a nice 30cm snowfall a few weeks ago and she powered through everything. Even the old Dodge Sprinters were impossible to get stuck, imo.

Mine is an old one and it slips and slides all over unless I'm lucky enough to have heavy furniture or a full set of tires in the back. I have a rural route and generally not a lot of weight in back. I got the mechanic to put new tires on it before the first snow.

 

[Express Courier]

I've had a sprinter that couldn't make it up a steep hill once. Dry conditions. {Not in. Closed}

Oh and I'm not a fan of our dispatchers. One is ok but the rest come off like s. I think I just associate that beepbeep of the ppad as bad news though so I look at the texts negatively.

 

[overflowed]

I've had a sprinter that couldn't make it up a steep hill once. Dry conditions. {Not in. Closed}

Oh and I'm not a fan of our dispatchers. One is ok but the rest come off like s. I think I just associate that beepbeep of the ppad as bad news though so I look at the texts negatively.

If you lip off ever to disp. you will have a hard time with them. If you try to be cordial to them it goes a long way. I treat these guys and gals like I would like to be treated. I rarely ask for help. When I do there is no question about why or what. Pups start getting reassigned. They know I'm not bulltin. Yes, the beep beep is never good.

 

[ObbyMac8835]

I had an old Dodge sprinter before and she was a beast! She launched like a rocket ((up to 62 mph) and never got stuck she was the real deal kinda miss her, the Mercedes is much nicer but ol' Myrtle was the real deal.

 

[Mr. 7]

I walked into the auto parts store near our sta. during lunch to buy some parts for my car. I was driving my Grumman and in uniform. First thing the guys asks me is do I wanna buy some def fluid? Nope, I'm driving a real truck.