Worst Dispatcher Ever?...probably (or...why I Quit)

[other dog]

I'm feeling really honest today,telling everything,but being honest,like one of my greatest friends Bill (a.k.a. the diesel gypsy) told me to always do.

I drove for H.H.Moore Jr. trucking Co. in Appomattox,Va. for over 25 years.I got along with everybody who ever worked there,except some driver called "6-pack",some little short guy that worked in the shop (but I wouldn't describe him as a mechanic-I don't know if Barry will let me describe him as what he actually was,and probably still is),and the last dispatcher they had before I quit. This dispatcher,we'll just call him ken,was a real piece of s..uh,work I mean. He once called me at home and asked me where I was at.

But he also told me on a Thursday to go to Sanford,N.C. and call him first thing Friday morning.We hauled a lot of brick out of Sanford,so I assumed he had a load down there and I needed to call to get the pick-up information.So I left home Thursday night,instead of spending the night at home with my wife,and called in early Friday morning.He said " well,uh,..I ain't got anything right now-call back in 15 minutes". WHAT?!! He never had a load in the first place,he just ASSumed he would get one. If I knew then what I know now,i'd have left then,brought the truck to the shop,beat him to a bloody pulp,and quit.But after calling back in 15 minutes 4 or 5 times I ended up deadheading over to somewhere on the otherside of Statesville,N.C. and loading green lumber at a sawmill going to Rhode Island.

Then one time I unloaded some guardrail in Clarksville,Va. Called in empty (we had Quaalcom at the time) and got all the way back up rt.15 and 47 to Pamplin,Va. when he sent me a message to go to Emporia,Va. and get a load of decking going to Salem.And how far was I from Emporia when I was in Clarksville? And I was all the way back to Pamplin when he sent the message!

Oh,then one time myself and two other drivers loaded some long loads in Lynchburg going to Blacksburg,home of the Hokies. We loaded early that morning,and as usual with oversize loads were late that evening getting unloaded in Blacksburg.We called in when we were unloaded,and ken told the other 2 drivers to be back in Lynchburg the next morning to do it again,and he told me to take my pole trailer to Lynchburg and drop it,bobtail to Appomattox and get a flatbed,go to Salem and get a load of joists and be in Baltimore at 7am the next morning.All the way from Blacksburg to Appomattox then back to Salem,then to Baltimore?!! How far was I from Salem when I was in Blacksburg? How come one of the other trucks couldn't drop their trailer in Lynchburg and go back to Salem and get my trailer,then I could've went straight to Baltimore?!! And I had more seniority than either of the other two drivers...I just don't get it.

I could go on and on-but what made me quit after 25 1/2 years was the time I stopped by the house one afternoon to tell my wife I had to go to the shop and fuel up and pick up a tree tarp and i'd be right back.She was already sick at this time,actually dying of cancer. She said "I'll go with you". I said "ok",and helped her get into the truck. When I got to the shop ken was standing in one of the shop doors with a couple of drivers.We weren't supposed to have passengers of course,but I lived 10 miles from the shop and when she said "I'll go with you" I wasn't about to tell her she couldn't. That Friday we got a notice with our check that said "...no matter how long you've been here you can't have any passengers,blah-blah blah...". Becky said "that must be because I was in the truck with you the other day". I told her "no,that's just one of those things they put out periodically". Later Mutt,one of the drivers who was standing out there with ken, said "yeah,that s.o.b. saw Becky in the truck and ran straight up in the office to tell". And she wasn't trying to hide in the first place .It was just that chicken $%&* way of his of doing things. I told Mutt right then "I don't know where i'm going-but i'm going somewhere". And the rest as they say is history. My only regret now is that the first day ken walked in,I should have been walking out.And tapped him right in his snout on the way.

[NoClueJoe66]

Back in the 90's when dad drove the blue kw that's in my avatar, him and another driver was gonna quit because of a smart a$$ dispatcher like that. Terry the company owner begged dad and ridgerunner to stay. They stayed until they had to leave clinton tenn. at 11:00 pm thursday nigh and had to be in florida the next morningfar a 7:00 am appointment. The dispatcher owns the company now and it's went straight to he!!, but what do you expect.

[fuzzy buzzard]

David,

Interesting story, guess every job has got some type of a dispatcher in it. After 30 years of underground coal mining, I could go on for weeks about the crazy stuff we were told to do. A lot of that crap I have tried to forget. Since the mine sold out and sent us home, I've been part timing in the wrecker business and it is just as silly as coal mining. My son works for school bus dealership and he is constantly fighting with factory over assembly screw ups, designs that don't work, electrical messes that were design problems.

Lord help us if we woud ever have to all pull together like the folks during WWII!!!!!!!!!!

Over & out from Ignorant Ridge

Tom

[other dog]

Back in the 90's when dad drove the blue kw that's in my avatar, him and another driver was gonna quit because of a smart a$$ dispatcher like that. Terry the company owner begged dad and ridgerunner to stay. They stayed until they had to leave clinton tenn. at 11:00 pm thursday nigh and had to be in florida the next morningfar a 7:00 am appointment. The dispatcher owns the company now and it's went straight to he!!, but what do you expect.

yeah,his attitude was the worst part. As you can see in some of my pictures it says "H.H.Moore Trucking" on the front of the building,but like I told Bonnie and Larry (H.H.'s son and daughter,who ran the company after H.H. passed away) ken seemed to think it said "ken".He was just a dispatcher,I looked at him as a fellow employee with way less seniority than I had,but he thought he was the ruler there and what he says goes,no questions. And I never expected any special treatment or anything,get along with almost anybody,but he was just an a-hole,there's no other way to put it. He's no longer there either.

[Rob]

Well, the only job I had that I quit from because of a "horses ass" attitude kinda goes like this:

Back in the fall/spring of 1980&1981, I worked at a lumber yard that was wholesale only. One particular owner/operator that delivered most, (if not all) our materials from Willamette Industries drove a very nice 1962 B-61 Mack pulling a then new curtainside flat. I used to really enjoy "yakking" with the driver every time he came to deliver. We became quite good friends; more on this later. This was a small "family owned" business that had many local contractors as the stockholders.

The president of the company had this college educated, "shit for brains", son that couldn't hold a job working for anyone else, so he wound up as the yard foreman; He really couldn't do anything right there either. One day in January, while raining, (and cold) I was unloading the aforementioned trailer and when about 50% completed, and I, 100% soaked, decided to go inside to warm up. Well low and behold, just as soon as I got my clothes changed, and hair towel dried, Mr. Jackoff, (owners son) walks in and demands that I get the damn truck unloaded! This is of course in front of several persons whom where employees, and not. Not a single one had the gut, or balls, to say anything except the driver whom preceeded to jump right down both the owners' and sons throats! Well, I jumped back onto my forklift and unloaded the rest of the trailer feeling quite smug. Nothing was ever said to me about that incident or what happened when I was outside.

Back in those days we were so poor that if it cost a nickel to shit, I'd had to vomit. My wife would bring me lunch a couple times a week on her bicycle with my infant son strapped to her back so to not spend money on gas, (I worked a second job in the evening, as did she) and we would get to see each other if only for an hour. One day, Mr. Jackoff, (son) reaches over and pinches my wife on the ass and says, "Aint nothin better than watching you ride that bike". This of course gets me looking for blood when I'm informed. The very next time the Willamette truck came for a delivery, the bosses son was directing me and waiting for me to screw up as he always said; I waited until he was beside the "bunk" of CDX plywood I was lifting, turned sharp knocking him off of his feet and let the load down onto his legs just below the knees. He pulled his left leg free, but broke his right ankle in the process.

Of course there was a big "Hoopla" over the accident and the owner wanted to fire me, but that truck driver stood right beside me and stated plain and simple, "It was an accident because your son was in the way", and should not have been anywhere near the position he was.

I did tell the owner a couple months later when I quit that I considered his son and I, "Even" without explanation. Don't really know if he ever knew what provoked the action, or not, and an employee told me the son never returned.

Rob

[theakerstwo]

Well guys let me tell you some things i found out years ago. I have been a truck mechanic for 41 years and i have worked for some sorry little wantabes and it took me a long time to understand why we work for some times a real winner. I started out wandering why do they have crap running the shop but then i said to my self it is simple because first place the management needs some one that wants the job in the first place and he may not be any good any were else. So it would not make good sense to take me and put me up there when i dont want it begine with. Then some times it is good to have some one there that can lie his way out of a beating and he may be good at talking and not doing any thing and who knows want all. Some time i know upper management does not know what is going on and they look at the bottom line. We are there and see and hear and most of us dont run and tell on him so no body knows any thing about the dumb stuff. A lot of times the forman or dispacher may know more about the story than we do so in the latter years i let them do there thing and i find in the end they are only hurting there self. I have been out in the lot with them serval times and it dont do any good. It may help for a while but i feel that those rascels will stab you in the back to get even with you when you ant looking. I remember years ago a dispacker had a steel cage around his office so driver could noy get ahold of him. I remember when drivers would tell about buying a good load from the dispacher.

[other dog]

Good stories, I'm certainly not the only one that worked with such a tool I see. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with any of that crap anymore. Rob,

[heavyhauler]

Good stories, I'm certainly not the only one that worked with such a tool I see. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with any of that crap anymore. Rob,

David:

I took a few pictures of a Brockway Mixer over the weekend-hope they cheer you up. They're in the Gallery under "Visit to A&A Parts"

Best regards,

John

[other dog]

David:

I took a few pictures of a Brockway Mixer over the weekend-hope they cheer you up. They're in the Gallery under "Visit to A&A Parts"

Best regards,

John

Thanks,I'll check it out. I'm cheered up and happy as a monkey on a banana boat now,I quit that job over 3 years ago. Only reason I didn't leave sooner was because I just didn't want to quit when i'd been there over 25 years, highly unusual for a truck driver,and I like Larry and Bonnie a lot,they're good people and good to work for,but 'ya gotta do what 'ya gotta do they say. I just couldn't seem to get on the same page with ken- I told Bonnie and Larry he hated me for some reason,but they didn't believe me. later,Tom

[other dog]

Just a little side note-I'd been hearing rumors for a week or two now that PGT had bought H.H.Moore Jr. Trucking Co.,and it must be true,or they wouldn't be taking H.H.Moore off the truck doors and putting PGT on them.

[other dog]

Back in the 90's when dad drove the blue kw that's in my avatar, him and another driver was gonna quit because of a smart a$$ dispatcher like that. Terry the company owner begged dad and ridgerunner to stay. They stayed until they had to leave clinton tenn. at 11:00 pm thursday nigh and had to be in florida the next morningfar a 7:00 am appointment. The dispatcher owns the company now and it's went straight to he!!, but what do you expect.

I know the feeling.I loaded some of those big air conditioner units that go on the roof of a building in Amherst,Va. one Friday that didn't deliver in Norristown,Pa. until Tuesday.I said great,I won't have to leave until Monday evening. ken said "no,I've got plans for you for Monday". So Woodstock and myself had to go load two long loads in Lynchburg Monday morning and deliver them in Harrisonburg that evening.They were actually the columns that held up the new scoreboard at James Madison University.Then of course we had to take the trailers back to Lynchburg,then go to Appomattox and pick up the AC units and be in Norristown first thing the next morning. We didn't get empty in Harrisonburg until late that evening,well after 5 o'clock.

[1958 F.W.D.]

This is for theakerstwo:

-When I was 20, I got hired as a mechanic apprentice/shop sphincter boy, at a big, blue trucking company that is currently headquartered out of Delanco, NJ. I worked out of the Willingboro Fleet Maintenance Shop, which contained the trailer shop, tire shop, body shop, and component rebuilding shop (on top of general repairs and maintenance.)

There was this one kid who worked in the tire shop, I am guessing he was about 22 or 23 at the time. He was a tiny little thing, about 5', he couldnt have weighed more than a buck-oh-five soaking wet. But to hear him talk, he was the biggest, baddest, meanest and toughest thing that the nudie bars of South Jersey ever knew. Monday mornings he came in and flapped his jaw about how he "kicked this ass, and kicked that ass, and kicked the asses of these three buddies who ganged up on him" and then how he went home with two of the strippers. Each and every weekend. Yet, he never, ever came in with one scratch on him. Not a black eye, no bruised or sore or bloody knuckles, no cuts on his face....Nothing, nadda, zip.

He and I never saw eye-to-eye. I was 5'11" and weighed about 215, maybe he saw me as a big ox who would have made an easy target, I really dont know. We would exchange verbal gunfire back and forth on occasion, and he would tell me about how I had better watch out "or he would kick my ass, too." It was always in front of other mechanics and drivers, and I would always hold my hand out, palm down, which was as still as rock, and I would say "Know what THIS is? It's controlled fear!" One time at lunch, in front of about 15 other mechanics and drivers, he started spouting off at me.....I shot him one famous movie line "There are only 2 things keeping you from kicking my ass- FEAR and COMMON SENSE."

All the other drivers and mechanics just started laughing as I stood there, expecting him to leap up from the picnic table. He stayed put, and you could see his face turn 4 dark shades of red. He was so flabbergasted he absolutely did not know what to do. One mechanic who was his buddy says "Well, you gonna go handle him or what?" So he says "No I am feeling generous today, I'll allow him to live." I just went "pshhhhh" and tossed my trash in the can and walked out.

Later that afternoon, which was a cold day, I had to get the forklift and a skid so I could drive around the lot and empty the trashcans. I went in the shop, and got the forklift, and went about my trash can duties. When finished, I drove up to the tire shop's door, and honked.....The door (they were chain-by-hand powered) went up, with guess who at the chain. I pulled in, parked the forklift, and walked out the still-open door. The doors were all quite worn, and if you yanked the chain hard enough and spun the sprocket hard enough, the door would come flying down with amazing speed. Well Moron brings that door down right on top of my head- hard. I hit the ground, and was stunned for a few minutes. Some of the other guys came running over, and were helping me out while idiot blabbers away "it just dropped! I dont know what happened!" Well, since he was up the tire shop foreman's ass, he got off with one day without pay, the reason being was no one could prove it was malicious, but it was a preventable time-loss injury. I went to the hospital for x-rays and a real bad headache, which I had for about 2 days (with no work!)

So on my first day back from that little incident, we were all at lunch, and idiot had just received the letter advising him he was off the next day, not by his choice. He starts spouting off at the mouth how he's gonna kick my ass, and do this to me, and do that to me.....and this and this and this......I couldnt take it anymore. Remember, he was all about having an audience to perform for. So in front of his audience of about 10 mechanics and drivers, I threw down my sandwich, got up, and said "Ok tough guy, lets go! Right now!" He gets visibly nervous, and says "After work out on the street, you can bet I'll be waiting!"

"No. Here. Now. Right here, right now. C'mon there king kong, kick my ass!"

He just continues to cry about after work out on the street.

Now I screamed at him. "NO! NOW CHICKEN SHIT! RIGHT F*CKING NOW YOU P*SSY! C'MON! SHOW EVERYONE HOW TOUGH YOU ARE! NOW ASSHOLE! RIGHT F*CKING NOW!

He knew I had him by his ball sack. By this time the shop foreman had come running into the lunchroom, along with some of the office staff, and other mechanics and drivers who heard me screaming. Idiot was led away by tire shop foreman, and I was led to my supervisor's office. He was actually compassionate with me, he even said "I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did. I figured after what he did to you the other day that you would blow this week." Well, nevertheless I received 1 day off without pay.

Idiot on the other hand was so embarassed in front of his audience, that he left early, when no one was looking. Later I heard that his daddy, the tire shop foreman had made up a story about how idiot had an emergency at home. Idiot came in that night, at around 7pm, during second shift's lunch (when convienently, no one was in the shop) and took his tool boxes home. He ran out his sick time and was never heard from again.

That was the best day off I ever had!

Edited May 4, 2008 by 1958 F.W.D.

[vanscottbuilders]

Excellent stories - All really good.

But, remind me NEVER, EVER to fool with Rob's wife!!

Wow.

Paul Van Scott

[theakerstwo]

Excellent stories - All really good.

But, remind me NEVER, EVER to fool with Rob's wife!!

Wow.

Paul Van Scott

I ant going to fool with any ones wife, too dangerous. glenn

[other dog]

1958F.W.D.,ken used to drive for Jevic,but I don't know when.They're also out of Delanco,N.J.They also have blue trucks.What a coincedence!

[other dog]

Excellent stories - All really good.

But, remind me NEVER, EVER to fool with Rob's wife!!

Wow.

Paul Van Scott

...especially if he's got a forklift in his hands