Best planner I met was me in my last job - small firm (only me driving a truck, everyone else on vans) - the boss basically left it up to me to plan my work in line with the factory we hauled for, his thinking being that he trusted me to do the job, that I would do the run if possible, and that I had the sense to tell the customer if it was’nt going to happen the way the 19 yr old girl who hadnt even driven a car had asked for it to be done, and that it wouldnt be a screaming match in the office but for a good reason i.e wellingborough is not on the way to Edinburgh from Cannock but I can do it in 2 days when I get back down and head off to Erith.
Vaseline and the ability to take a marrow side ways
seems to be a qualification
And the ability to sound clever on the phone but squirm like a slug,
when confronted face to face.
And a glass jaw helps 
OK! So you try planning half a billion drops to private houses all on one night in the middle of winter with only one sleigh. You can be sure that the fairies will all be drunk, the dwarves on strike and the reindeer sick. The first drop will have no chimney and a security system wired into the national grid. After the first half dozen, your trousers will be in shreds from the ■■■■■■■ dogs.
What with all the cheap sherry and Tesco Value mince pies you will be crippled by indigestion and there is a high risk that your breath will be ignited by some fool’s candle. Kids will assume you are some perv come to get them, and husbands will think you are the wife’s boyfriend. Worst of all are the horrible things you are likely to see when you drop down peoples chimneys in the middle of the night.
Macka Packa:
Vaseline and the ability to take a marrow side ways
seems to be a qualificationAnd the ability to sound clever on the phone but squirm like a slug,
when confronted face to face.And a glass jaw helps
Ah yes - the ability to act the hard man from 80 miles away - module 11 on the CPC 
My very first job when I left college was planning in a now defunct hire and reward fridge haulier; had the interview with a director who gave me the job, and took in to see the TM, who asked “can you play chess”, yes I said slightly bemused, “well if you can play chess you can do this. You know where you are now, you know where you need to get to, you have to plan the way through leaving yourself as many escape routes from the unexpected as possible.” I came to realise he was spot on.
A planner needs a level head, common sense, a very thick skin, endless patience and an understanding of chess.
He also had a last rule which worked well for all, never shout at a driver in anger and never ever swear at one, they are doing what is sometimes a difficult job like you and deserve your respect. But if a driver ever swears at you when you give him a job, just sack him, on the spot. It never happened in three years.
the one thing they got to have now is to speak several eastern lingos
Darby Flyer:
I have never met a planner that has a brain! Has anyone else??
Yes, I have.
Mr Ron Moore. when he first arrived at the company I was working for I started off not really liking him, but due to the fact that he was exellent at his job, got me home, and out of a few tight spots when ever he could, I have nothing but respect for the guy.
I have never met a planner that has a brain! Has anyone else??
[/quote]
i have also
He lasted 5 mins , then had the sense to walk of into
the sunset
Remember we have to deal with planners who cant plan.
but
they have to deal with a lot
of drivers who cant drive
whats a KPI
hitch:
whats a KPI
key preformance indicator
its basically number crunching to maximise efficientcey
stuff like % of empty running, back loads, utilisation of fleet & man hours etc can make or break a haulage company
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_performance_indicators
ibisassoc.co.uk/key-performa … cators.htm
AFAIK running above 22% empty, even loaded with empty pallets is unacceptable
The ability to be very economical 
Especially with the truth
Tramper:
Darby Flyer:
I have never met a planner that has a brain! Has anyone else??Yes, I have.
Mr Ron Moore. when he first arrived at the company I was working for I started off not really liking him, but due to the fact that he was exellent at his job, got me home, and out of a few tight spots when ever he could, I have nothing but respect for the guy.
Sounds similar to how I felt at first and now feel about my TM. She takes a bit of getting used to (especially if, like me, you come from somewhere run by likeable [zb]wits), but once you know what she’s like I defy anyone to find someone better at the job. The things that woman can do in her head are simply awe-inspiring at times, and that’s before you factor in 60 of the arsiest drivers on the face of the planet. 
had a great planner when on the car transporters back in the early 90’s, phone rings, Tone, where are you, just going over spaghetti on M6, can you spin around and do a quick bunny hop Preston to Manchester airport, then head back to Brum airport for the load your on your way for now.
Hold on Mathew, do you realise how far back up the M6 that is, you must have a wagon closer… he replies, Its only an inch on my map, brrrrrrrrrrr cuts phonecall off, ■■■■■■■
acd1202:
He also had a last rule which worked well for all, never shout at a driver in anger and never ever swear at one, they are doing what is sometimes a difficult job like you and deserve your respect.
… and if a planner (traffic clerk) ever did that to me they’d be looking for another driver pronto.