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Since I used to be a dispatcher, the temptation to wade in on this thread is large ... It almost suffices to say that in any system or set of choices there are trade-offs, and sometimes the consequences of a decision aren't fully understood. Three choices are iterated above: graduated pay, centralization of offices, and method of qualifying new-hires. Graduated pay. I have seen no evidence either scientific nor first-hand to validate the inefficiency of a newly marked-up dispatcher versus an old head. I've seen dispatchers with only four months on the job run their desk brilliantly, and old heads with ten years on the job run their desk into the dirt every night. The risk is that the new-hire knows they are making less than the old head, and if they perceive themselves as better at the task, they may become embittered or look for a better job. Employees are usually very good at knowing exactly what they're worth. Centralization. Some railroads have done it, some haven't. I've been in both types of offices and can see advantages and disadvantages. The distance from the railroad that is being dispatched means that familiarization trips are increased by the air fare and travel time. There are advantages in knowing your crews first-hand, but against that must be balanced the difficulty in promulgating best practices to local offices, and the advantage of centralization in hiring and promotion. I don't think there's evidence to clearly point to either system as best. Qualification of new-hires. I have seen very little evidence that allows one to sort out which path to follow: experienced or novice. Off-the-street hires have everything to learn and nothing to unlearn. Some of the very best dispatchers I've seen are former operating craft and maintenance-of-way employees -- conductors, engineers, machine operators. Railfans are rampant in dispatchers' ranks, and most -- but not all -- are respected as excellent. There are plenty of new hires with no prior railroad experience who I have watched quickly become outstanding dispatchers, as well as the opposites. Dispatchers are like any employee: you get what you pay for. The big difference is that your bad shopping habits are punished severely with excess operating costs. If you ask a dispatcher what his problems are, most will point to a workload they consider too high to do the job efficiently and safely. They consider their territories too large, their familiarization too small, and their supervisors having too little experience and too little authority to handle problems. Ask the railroad, however, and you'll likely get a very different story. I don't see any way to bring this thread to any conclusion or any greater truth or understanding. The problems with dispatchers are endemic railroad-wide and business-wide throughout America. I'm not sure they're unusual or different.
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