Question:
Are dispatchers all recent college graduates or are some of them drivers working their way into management?
Seems that a driver with numerous years of experience and wanting some home time with the right temperament would be an excellent choice for dispatcher.
Whistlepunk

Answer:
Some are fellow drivers, most are not..
There is a downside to having a DM that was a driver, they know every trick in the book there is to get an impossible load delivered on time
But on the other hand they understand what a driver goes thru on a day to day basis and they have a much better understanding of everything overall and are much more likely to appreciate what a driver does OTR.
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http://www.msnusers.com/PrincessPennie/shoebox.msnw


Answer:
and that pretty much sums it up when it comes to dispatchers.
You would think an experienced driver would be the ideal choice for a dispatcher but that is not really true.
Out of all the dispatchers I have had the best was an former driver, the second best (and it is a hair splitting second best at that) had no time behind the wheel at all.
The three worst I ever had were all former drivers and were fond of saying things like: "Well I would have had no problem getting that load in (680 mile loads with right at 10 hours to deliver in a 70 mph truck)" or "Well that is the way it has always been."
The bottom line when it comes to dispatchers is how deligent they are at doing a job, and the people skills they have and not how much time they have behind the wheel.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
I like UT's answer.
It doesn't matter if their an ex driver or not. It's their attitude a butt kissing ability that makes them good or bad.
"Caution: Door May Open"

Answer:
I had the misfortune of having a dispatcher/STL that would either forget to include DOT breaks or incorrectly calculate the number of DOT breaks necessary for a trip.
.
A dispatcher can make or break you at a company. Some break you through their own incompetence and never realise it.
.
Someone once said,"There is nothing so uncommon as common sense." How very true.

Answer:
The last two driver managers I`ve had have been by far the best I`ve seen.Both of them had been drivers for quite a few years, and both were sympathetic (sp) to my problems.As for dispatchers, well, there should be a bounty on ALL of them.
fishman

Answer:
What are DOT breaks?

Answer:
You are kidding right???Drive 10/sleep 8----or drive 4/sleep 4,drive another 4/sleep another 4 etc,etc.
Answer:
I had the misfortune of having a dispatcher/STL that would either forget to include DOT breaks or incorrectly calculate the number of DOT breaks necessary for a trip.
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That would be the load planners fault..
They usaul don't care about a driver either..
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http://www.hlatty.com/FSL5CS/Articles/articles4.asp