Women in Logistics: Rhonda Hall
Rhonda has been in transportation for most of her life. I worked with her in 2023 and she stood out with her cool-headed professionalism. As is often the case in transportation, we connected over a problem. Holiday hours and an unavailable insurance agent complicated a load to get her carrier into a first REPOWR trailer. While we were on the phone, she added the agency’s after hours, turned on the charm, and got the certs. Her carrier hooked the interchange trailer from REPOWR and even grabbed freight through the supplier.
There are lots of opinions about dispatchers in the industry. Brokers and small fleets have been especially outspoken. In my experience, it depends on the quality of the individuals. A great dispatcher will elevate their carrier's business and help a small fleet grow.
Working with Rhonda and her U.S.-based team has been an exceptional experience. She was generous enough to tell me her story and a bit about Phoenix Dispatching Service.
How did you get your start in the logistics industry?
My dad was a truck driver from 18 years old to 73 years old so its kind of in the blood. I got into dispatching for owner-operators through my son’s company. He needed a dispatcher, so I started dispatching with him. When things took a turn personally he sold his company. The factoring company we worked with asked me if I had ever thought of running my own dispatch company. They thought I would be good at it and that’s how I got started in the industry.
Can you tell us about Phoenix Dispatching Service (PDS) and your role there?
PDS is a dispatch/load planner for owner-operators seeking help - mostly new authorities. We help guide them in building their business: finding and booking loads, taking care of all paperwork, invoicing, and pretty much everything to run a business. Owner-operators drive to build their legacy and because we are not a forced dispatch, we keep them included in the daily process. We educate new carriers so that they know what is going on day-to-day as well as what goes on in the industry.
What is the biggest challenge you face at PDS?
The biggest challenge we face in today’s market is the rates. We work hard to help our carriers build and maintain their company.
How has REPOWR helped you with those challenges?
REPOWR is a great resource in today’s market and allows us to interchange different trailer types. For example, if the market is running higher in dry vans, then we can reserve a dry van. If it is flatbed or reefer, we can interchange to keep the funds coming in instead of having to shut down or take less. I have recommended REPOWR to a lot of carriers. They interchange trailers which makes it so much easier to help the owner-operator with their company.
How do you explain your job to people with no industry knowledge?
We are a logistics load planner that helps owner-operators build their legacy. In turn, they are helping build ours as one whole family. We take the load of making calls, filling out packets, requesting cert holders, and submitting invoices for billing. We also work alongside either brokers or direct ships to help secure lanes to build relationships for the carriers so that they have the opportunity to build more to their fleet. We want our carriers to prioritize safety as they are driving and not have to worry about making time to look for and book loads. We all know if the trucks are sitting, the bills are not getting paid. We take the frustrations of check calls off of the driver so they can focus on the road and others around them. Safety is the number one thing we have to focus on and then the build. We are a no forced dispatch which means we work for you. We keep you in the loop for every load, we discuss the market conditions, we keep you informed of all the industry updates. We are not here to run your business for you. We are here to help you build your business and create relationships that will last.
Connect with Rhonda on her Website, Linkedin and Facebook.
- Miller Brown, Marketing at REPOWR -
