Over the Summer, I interned for a trucking company named Right Rate Freight in Eustis, Florida, my hometown. The owners of this trucking company are my best friend’s parents, so working never felt like a chore. We knew each other very well, and when I assisted, I always felt comfortable asking questions when I wasn’t sure about a task. Although I wasn’t doing hands-on work like loading the truck with the products, I was in the office, working as the dispatcher with my boss, Tierra Sheffield. As the dispatcher, you’re checking the database with loads that need to be fulfilled, calling the company to see if the load is still available, and then accepting the load if the requirements match the measurements for your truck. The first thing Ms. Tierra told me about dispatching was, “These companies don’t want to hear small talk. They want to know if you can fulfill their loads.” That surprised me because I thought building relationships with someone you’re in business with was good. However, Ms. Sheffield taught me that they have strict timeframes to get these loads gone, and learning about someone’s day isn’t going to get the load done. So, once they pick up the phone, you ask them if the load is still available, then you say you’re interested in accepting, and then you go from there. The process is as simple as that.
When dispatching, the ball is In your court. You’re in control of how busy the driver is in fulfilling loads. For example, if the driver is comfortable working all day, you can call and accept connecting loads that require him/her to work until night. However, if the driver wants to be home by the evening, you only schedule connecting loads until then, and it is important to ensure that the last destination where the driver drops the last load off is near their residence to keep the profit margins higher by saving gas.
All in all, I learned that the trucking business has some downtime and some very busy seasons. Also, some regions don’t have the best market in rural areas. On the contrary, states like Texas and Miami are a couple of trucking hotspots
This internship allowed me to speak professionally and helped me see the secretary side of the popular trucking business that few people know.
