Dispatching Tow Truck Drivers, Not A Job For The Weak Willed!

[@kreamnetwork9406]

i just got a job as a dispatcher, watching your video calmed my nerves a little, thanks for sharing!

[@erikarico8741]

Is it tough? I start this week

[@kreamnetwork9406]

@@erikarico8741 everything is tough at first, just learn what you can...it gets greater, Later lol good Luck!

[@chaii_latte]

Update? How is it? I start tomorrow..

[@chaii_latte]

@@erikarico8741 any update? How is it?

[@empoweredbymegan]

I dispatch for tow campanies (several!) and it's not easy but I like it.

[@collinsedward777]

+Megan Berger Good job!

[@denniswinn9412]

Thank you Megan I don't envy you. Once in awhile like on a Sunday morning when we had no traffic our dispatcher would read the Sunday comics to us on the radio. There were some dispatchers I would do anything they asked and there were some... Let's just say they didn't know the geography or understand how to send the right driver with the right experience and equipment. I have a map of SoCal in my head I could picture where everyone was and by listening to radio traffic I could tell the dispatcher was sending a truck near where another truck already was and almost clear.

[@omarseera9960]

If it possible to be in touch, I have some questions?

[@lalaroberts9670]

Do u still dispatch?

[@BoostedDeere]

I interview to for dispatcher at a tow company Friday. I've dispatched for a trucking firm for 12 years. my problem trucking dispatch is : 1. I'm tired of truckers. It's hard to fire them because getting new hires is tough 2. customers: the customer will have problems loaded or getting loaded(when we are in the dock either on time or ahead of time) turn around they take 8 hours to get loaded. Then they expect us to go 300 miles in 2 hours. Then they want us to pro-rate the bill.(UH NO) 3. Last but not least: DOT and regulations. I understand and respect the law. but with the new e-logs coming (i'd say in 6-9 months). It will ruin trucking. we run paper logs now. but with e-logs you NEVER know when you back into a dock if they will have you loaded/unloaded in an hour or it's going to be 8 hours in the dock. So how do you guess? To add into that. right now a lot of roads are under construction that being said do you expect myself or the driver to google every road that driver on to see if it's under construction to see if it will slow him down? when I'm over 50 drivers I don't have time to do that.

[@TheTowAcademy]

You are so right. Drivers must be out there on the front lines risking their lives to change a tire, deliver fuel, or hook one up. Thank you for commenting.

[@FnAgUiTaRiSt]

Awesome video, as a driver who was ripped out of my truck kicking and screaming into the office, I understand both sides as well. Believe me I would rather be driving any day =) Great channel and hello from a fellow Tower in California.

[@atlasg2402]

Nah driving sucks rather be dispatching

[@djclintonk]

he's right on everything. Dispatchers get shit on really bad. Information is everything! The more info you have the better the dispatch goes. I worked for a private security company that refused to upgrade their computers (just to save a few dollars). Needless to say I got in trouble a lot (and inevitably fired after 7 years) for shit that was not my fault. Especially when it came to actual commercial or residential 459's. Even though it was our failing software programs that were from 1990. Even their phone system was from the 1980's. I now work for a reputable tow truck company that keeps up with technology.

[@BoostedDeere]

you also forgot when you got an angry customer(after the tow) who the one they always hears it? Dispatcher. They come down to the yard. mad as hell. I dispatched for a trucking firm for 12 years. when the shipper either loaded us late(I always have our drivers call when they back into the dock, when they have paperwork and ready to roll out, arrived at destination and emptied out)(so a total of 4 times) this receiver came to our office MAD AS HELL because we were 5 hours late on a 300 mile shipment. I said "Okay sir we would of made the time you requested but we sat in the dock of who had the product for 10 hours. I suggest you talk with who had the product before you. Ask them to load a little faster. I said furthermore since you are paying the shipping bill sir. you have a detention charge at their place of 400 dollars ON TOP of the shipping fees.

[@g0d77]

I have drove for years, now in office dispatching unless a agency call comes in and all drivers are busy so I get to leave the office. Dispatching is not as simple as I thought when was just a driver, and not always safe like I see drivers saying. As a police impound, customers come in mad at the world, and the office does not have the safety of a police officer present, I've had customers slamming doors, trying to kick open the door which has a magnetic lock, and so on

[@shnrbtlle18]

I disagree, I don't believe that it should be on the weight of the shoulders of the dispatcher to acquire all that information when the dispatcher can simply get the location of the vehicle customers information and then the tow truck driver can get the customer's name and phone number call them verify the vehicle description and find out exactly where they're at and then when they get close they can stay on the phone with them until they locate them. That takes a lot of weight off the dispatchers. I also have been on both ends. I've been Towing for 25 years I dispatched for 3. And it works very well that way

[@shareselashay93]

This is definitely not a job for the weak minded!!! However, I absolutely LOVE dispatching for tow truck drivers!!! It takes lots of patience, great multitasking skills, and lots of coffee!!! Lol.Its very important that you learn different tasks of the tow trucks your company use as well as the functions of everything. Luckily for me, my manager literally takes us outside and do walk arounds as well as hands on training with dispatch on what everything does on the tow trucks. I love learning, but it's definitely important that you know when a customer needs specifics, so that you can price accordingly and give the proper etas for the customers

[@TheTowAcademy]

Shay that's a very good point. And the drivers like it too, it makes their job a lot easier when they have an idea of what they're getting into. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[@denniswinn9412]

Shay...Coffee is everything.

[@eugenepearson666]

My dispatchers can't even get the telephone numbers, adresses, make, model, or color. We run by telephone, fax and email club dispatch and drivers get text their calls and text updates. I have had to call 95% of all my customers, even police and motor clubs to get basic information... ask the dispatcher to explain what they tride to send and they say call the customer. I'd rather just self dispatch. Then get anther 45min eta 10min after anther 45min eta 20 miles apart.

[@TheOficialShortKing]

I work for a carrier. Kinda in the opposite side of this. But i take care of roadside. This is a fleet of 110 trucks and dispatch loads to 20 trucks during the day. Its only me. Im a 24/7 employee. Wondering what kind of pay i should be asking for.

[@johnhubbard1991]

ok this goes both ways iv done both and yes there job is mind blowing at times but a dispatcher should ride with a tow op for a day to know what to ask and what to look out for

[@g0d77]

You never know if they possess a weapon when they are allowed to go retrieve property from their vehicle, they are look at us as the bad guy because they broke the law, it's dangerous on both ends. Towing is not for the weak. But I learned over years, when towing watch the traffic, don't think they see you or care, and sometimes you might need to finish the hook up after you move to a safe place.

[@leeshaver7825]

I call bullshit I drove for 20 years and I dispatched before computers and I'm looking for a dispatch job now yes dispatchers have a hard job but you obviously haven't had to deal with vindictive dispatchers or dispatchers who are just rude and disrespectful I understand the nature of towing but when a dispatcher purposely give you crap calls all day long and then 10 minutes before you get off shift gives you that 200 mile call and does it every night for months on end and then laughs about it in your face the next morning you haven't had to deal with that there are good and there are bad dispatchers a dispatcher can be the best dispatcher out there but if they play favorites play with your paycheck by giving you crap calls when you're working on commission and giving all the best calls to their favorite driver instead of equally doing it they maybe the best dispatcher in the world but if their attitude sucks it doesn't matter how good they are they just made a driver's day worse all it does is cause hostility there is good and bad dispatchers

[@lynngib]

Although I haven't previously been in the towing industry, I can say that people are who/what they are no matter what the activity. Physical demands vs. mental demands, I've been on both sides of that fence & have seen the same thing: LACK of appreciation for the other. Sure, there are those that no matter what are just plain miserable to work "with" as they just don't work "with". Those types should be shown the door. No teamwork on their part. However, doing either has it's good & bad, just like everything in life, a trade-off. On the street, when your day is done, your day is DONE. In the office, there is no such word that applies. Admin duties only pile up higher & DONE doesn't apply. Maybe in some offices it does (slow business), but overall, caught up is rare. It's "human" to think the "grass is greener" on the other side of the fence, but think again when you've never walked in those shoes. Not everything is for everybody & both have their good & bad sides. I think the complaining of either has more to do with the individual than not. Lack of consideration/appreciation for any team member doesn't make for a good work environment (team). Instead of viewing a fellow employee (their position) as easier or harder, which does no one any good, rather consider each other as members of a team aiming to get a complete job done. We all have good & bad days, no matter what our position (on the team) is.

[@michaelkoretzka]

Well God bless ya I'll pass , my stress level wont handle it.

[@salmanzia5377]

Very helping video.

[@ClubCrew]

Dispatchers are safe in the office? I dunno... that coffee can get pretty darn hot sometimes. XD

[@southjerseysound7340]

+ClubCrew Try dealing with tons of impound tows and the things people will do and say to get their cars back.Keep in mind that most of the private property tows where from the city projects and such and then tell me our dispatcher had it safe.Granted it was safer then the street but they had some irate gang banging thugs in their faces more often then I'd like.

[@medic37931]

emts don't like dispatch either lol

[@JMoore4020]

Lol the commercial breaks

[@3dgar29]

I dispatch for a PPI company, let's just say not everyone can handle it. I also drive for transportation and I prefer That over dispatch. Hahaha dispatching is hard, even worst with PPI!!

[@denniswinn9412]

Edgar, 15 years in a truck 1000s of PPIs I also released many vehicles from PPIs as we had three yards and only 1 24hr dispatcher. The drivers would actually also have to do the PPI release . No way is a dispatchers job as dangerous but it is hard. I did PPIs right under open windows it's scary sometimes because we are alone out there.

[@njoysuccessnow]

Some truck drivers love complaining about how dispatchers have it too easy compared to them. It's about choices. Every American has the right to choose what they want to do in life. That's like a mortician complaining about the disgust of preparing dead bodies while the medical workers just work on living people. Choose wisely and be the best you can be.

[@Commissar0617]

be so much simpler if it was digital dispatch. text is usually clearer than voice. the digital age is here!

[@badcompany9174]

Dispatch will make or break a company, I have driven for 20+ years and have been dispatched by one of the best and dozens of the worst... your company can have all the talent in the world behind the wheel, but a unskilled dispatcher will make your company look incompetent time and time again. Think of the dispatcher as being the quarterback and the driver's as the receiver , the decisions of the dispatcher (E.T.A.'S, PROPER EQUIPMENT FOR JOB, ROUTING, ECT.) dictate the drivers possibility for success... ... So, Dispatchers... log off Facebook, put down the smartphone, get me the proper info I need..... and stop crying every time I chew you out for being incompetent.... There's no crying allowed in towing....

[@denniswinn9412]

Did you say drivers who are directionaly challenged? I can't imagine tolerating that. I think it's part of the skill set required to be good at the job. I guess I was only interested in the cream of the cream. I may be an exception but I have never thought the dispatchers have it easy. I will tell you this from my experience, A good well trained dispatcher can make all the difference in the world. As a veteran driver of 15 years let me tip my hat to the dispatchers who not only have to deal with us they have to deal with customers ALL DAY AND NIGHT.

[@TheTowAcademy]

Thank you, you just made my day.

[@Bluedog5581]

Needed to go into the radio usage part better

[@AlwaysSoldierOn]

Damn 4 phones I use 1 and find this shit draining

[@mics67]

One thing dispatchers dont do that drivers do is RISK their lives on the road while the dispatcher is in a SAFE office!

[@420choky]

lol slightly chilled lol

[@MarioMartinez-os5ch]

The job pays $500 a Day

[@xmodriver]

great vid

[@chris537a]

I dont miss these days. Those tablets make it alot easier. I can handle my weight. but yeah it happens.

[@GordyMariFilms]

I like you and what you are doing Don! Expect a plug in my next video

[@jeffrreydm40]

stay thirsty my friend.

[@sasquashini]

I have sat in dispatch as a punishment end result made me have less respect for them their job is easy compared to a tow truck driver