Good advice to fledgling newbies.

theoldprof · Nov 13, 2005

Here are some situations a newbie needs to be aware of: This was told to me by another driver. This didn't, I repeat, didn't happen to me. Driver picks up a load of two skids. Shipper loads one skid, produces the paperwork, has it signed and driver is on his way, not realizing load count is incorrect. When driver delivers load, it is one skid short. Dispatch calls me, errrr, I mean calls the other driver, and driver has to go back and get other skid on his own time and own dime. Remember, make sure the load count is correct. It is 0800. Load offer on QC. Pick up at 1500. Good miles, end up in good location. Accept. Oops, didn't notice, pick up was the NEXT day. No big deal, I dead headed home. I also accepted a load to Colorado. Knew not to because I couldn't get back home. Just wanted to try out a 1400 mile trip. Hell, might as well admit to this one. Delivered to large auto assm plant. Dropped load off at wrong door. It was also the wrong plant. Had to go back and get it. It was only about 100 feet away. Just remember, when you go to pick up or deliver, ask the dock guy, "Is this the the XXXXX company?"
Thanks.

:+ :+

terryandrene · Nov 13, 2005

You, errr.. your friend were lucky in that the company didn't hire someone else to redeliver. This seems to be a fairly common practice, delivering a load to the right building but the wrong companies dock door. Think about how many times the receiving clerk never looks at the BOL before signing.

cheri1122 · Nov 13, 2005

Perfesser - that was classic! Of course, I've never done anything like that, (snort), but my advice to newbies would be: if you decide to listen to an audiobook to make those all night drives go by faster, don't get so involved in the story that you forget to keep an eye on the mile markers, 'cause you could go 75 miles past your exit....if it's a REALLY good story,...well, that's something I heard, anyway - I forget where...lol

RichM · Nov 13, 2005

Good advice Prof,we have all been there. Best to take your time and never let the shipper push you out the door..
My other half is certainly guilty of the audio book situation that Cherri described,more then once.

bryan · Nov 15, 2005

HI
I once tried to deliver GM freight to a Ford plant.Just couldn't understand why the guard wouldn't let me through the gate.Also tried to clear power window motors for the Honda motorcycle plant, customs officer got a good laugh out of that one.But I have never left the freight sitting on top of a public phone booth like a buddy of mine did.But hey what do you expect from a guy who drove off and left his wife at a rest area.He thought she was still in the bunk sleeping.She was a little upset but dispatch got a good laugh when she called in to tell them to call him and send him back.

geo · Nov 15, 2005

a few year's ago when i was with fedexcc and they said you may have a rider in truck , ask my wife if she wanted to come for 2 weeks and she did told her to lay out on bed all the things she though she would need. came back a while later and she had alot of cloth's lay out and said what is all this , if we do this i need this , and if we good there i'll need that and so on\
than gave her a suit case and said if it will fit in here you will be able to take, so she came out to check the sleeper in truck and wantn't to know where she was sleeping i said in bottom bunk and i would be in top one

than she check to see how much stuff i had in sleeper etc
and saw i had double up and was off the hook
she only went out once in 11 year's didn't like how the truck bounce around when she was trying to sleep, and on a run how fast you had grab and run she wanted to take hour to eat when you had to go
and stop, can't make any time when you keep opening door to stop

Tennesseahawk · Nov 15, 2005

Took an exit for a truckstop in KY. But I confused the signs with the exit, and ended up on a Parkway. 30 miles later, there was finally an exit I could turn around at. That's probably the worst I've done, but one of my co-drivers took the wrong expressways in Canada on our way to Buffalo, TWICE in the same trip!

When another co-driver and I dropped in Sacramento, they offered us a load from OKCity to Jersey. He turned it down cause he wanted to go home. I didn't see the ice while I was going 70mph until I was on top of it. Flipped the truck. I think the owner was more pissed at my co-driver.

When I was in the military, I drove home on leave and ended up missing the Toledo exit on the turnpike. Didn't notice till I saw the sign for Indiana.

RobA · Nov 15, 2005

Driver picks up a load of two
>skids. Shipper loads one skid, produces the paperwork, has
>it signed and driver is on his way, not realizing load count
>is incorrect.

Now; if that newbie driver was heading to the border and going to Canada what happens if the piece count is wrong?
If it's under; the papers say you have 10 but you only picked up 9; you should be able to do an ENTER TO ARRIVE.
You have to prove that there is one piece short and that they all belong to the one shipment.

If it's OVER...now you got troubles.
First of all; your Carrier will likely get an AMPS penalty.
Also; the carrier could be liable for all the duty, tax, penalties and interest on the overage.
Hmmmmmm; there goes any profit on that load.

ALWAYS COUNT YOUR FREIGHT
when crossing the border.

LDB · Nov 15, 2005

It's a good idea to have one of those small freebie stick on calendars stuck on something handy so you don't look at the load offer and get confused what day it's for. It's better to have your day off when you planned it ahead not when you thought tomorrow was today.

Leo Bricker
OOIDA 677319
truck 4958
73's K5LDB
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Broompilot · Nov 20, 2005

What day of the week is it????????

davekc · Nov 20, 2005

"RE: Good advice to fledgling newbies."

Don't listen to one that claims he is averaging over $3.00 per loaded mile for all runs.
Or, $30,000 in a month on less than 10,000 miles.
It is far from reality
It is amazing the information some throw out there.

Davekc