Tips?

[jimlookup]

Delivering freight is a service. Tips are common in the service industry. Carriers would love it if drivers made a lot in tips. They would have a justifacation for lowering rates.

 

[pjjjjj]

....HOWEVER, if you are there to deliver or pickup and the customer has an unrelated problem - computer problem - then there is no ethical issue if you decide to fix that problem for them without a company being involved. The company you contract with is not in the computer repair business, hence no conflict of interest.

NOPE not everything.

See once you cross that line into getting permission to go beyond driving for every little thing, it seems to be a question of are you an employee or not.

What would happen if a customer asked you to fix a computer problem which you felt you were qualified to do, and you ended up crashing their system, breaking their chair, or spilling their coffee that was on the desk all over their papers and equipment, or whatever other thing that could possibly happen...

People can tend to get *funny* when you damage their stuff, even if done accidentally and with good intent.

It's kind of like how the good samaritan ends up getting sued for trying to help. Sad but true. So what then? They call your carrier and perhaps expect them to foot the bill for something the carrier had no idea you were doing in the first place, and wouldn't have allowed it if they'd known?

Just because one is self employed doesn't mean he doesn't have a responsibility to his customer (his carrier). Nothing to do with being an employee vs a contractor.

Might be different if you're on a really personal, casual, friendly basis with the consignee, or you perhaps agree to come back another time on your own time, while you're not in service.

I understand where you're coming from and your desire to be helpful, I'm just having a difficult time understanding the seeming disregard for potential liability. Sometimes being nice can turn around to bite you in the rear.

 

[ATeam]

Delivering freight is a service. Tips are common in the service industry. Carriers would love it if drivers made a lot in tips. They would have a justifacation for lowering rates.

Tips may be common in some service industries, but from what you read above, it is very clear that tips are rare to non-existent in the expediting industry.

That suits me just fine. Diane and I get paid a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, so to speak. We do not need or want tips to augment our income for the exact reason you state. Carriers "would have a justification for lowering rates."

 

[RoadKing06]

I view this the same way I do my Real Estate Business. If I take a tip for performing my services as a Realtor, I can be prosecuted and lose my license to be a Realtor. I am an independent contractor who works for a Broker. As a Realtor any work I preform is looked at legally as the Broker did the work. I can ONLY receive any type of funds through the Broker. I represent my clients in the transaction and I am their agent only with as a resprentative of the Broker.

So in my oppinion, it is the same here, the customer belongs to the carrier not me. I personally think any tips should be rendered to me, the Realtor, or the Driver, since I am the one doing he services, but, I am leased to a carrier as if the carrier is doing the work. This is not an employee mentality it is a contractor mentality.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Turtle]

When a Realtor accepts a tip it's called a bribe. That's not the case with independent trucking contractors.

 

[purgoose10]

When a Realtor accepts a tip it's called a bribe. That's not the case with independent trucking contractors.

Good response.!!!!!

 

[RoadKing06]

Ok, like I said that is just what I have as experience to view the concept of tips.

And as I said I would appreciate the offer of a tip, but I am sure I would feel that I was just doing my job and pleased that I performed the job in a way that the customer was appreciative enough to want to offer a tip, but I fee I would decline it. Hopefully they will remember how pleased he were and call the carrier again with more loads, netting me more loads.
In anything always offering you best performance not expecting any more than what was contracted. Service with a smile....
Just me, so whether ethical or not, I personally don't believe I would take the tip.
Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

 

[Turtle]

People who tip like to tip. I've accepted tips five times in my expediting career, every one of them were not in lieu of bookable services, but were either for above and beyond the call, or for something else entirely that was outside the scope of representing my carrier. And every time they were unexpected and unsolicited, and cheerfully accepted with gratitude. Made me feel good, made them feel good, all is good.

 

[14Wheeler]

Dosn't happen often, but any tip for servive above
and beyond the call of duty is always greatly appreciated

Unexpected manual labor has always been the reason they
tipped in the first place

 

[AMonger]

Closest thing to a tip was when I delivered at a customer, and all their in-house trucks were gone, but they needed a trailer pulled to a customer just a couple miles away. He gave me $20 to do it, and then I also got loaded out of there when I don't think I would have otherwise.

 

[clcooper]

i would look at it this way. when you go out too eat and you get a average server . you leave a average tip . but if the sever was the best you ever had . you would leave a bigger tip. .

i have done that . we went to a place every weekend she would see us take us to her area . when she could she would talk with us . one weekend she had a large group with kids . they left a mess and no tips . i ****ed the others off LOL i left a bigger tip that day . because she was a real nice person and i believed she desevered it that day .

 

[Deville]

I've been tipped often in my time. I ahve refused more than one tip as well. There is nothing worse than watching soemone fumble around for a few singles. It's so arkward. It's just easier to polietly decline. I think I have been tipped once or twice since I've been an expediter, while doing a FDCC job....But I can't remember.

 

[ATeam]

Ethics has nothing to do with it. We are independent truck drivers, not priests.

Among priests and truck drivers, there are, in both groups, those who are ethical and those who are unethical. Being an ethical truck driver makes you no more a priest than being an unethical priest makes you a truck driver. It does not matter which group you belong to. There is no such thing as a free pass on ethics.

 

[Pirate2X]

I have been tipped once. I do not think it a question of ethics, nor do I consider it a matter for the carrier. The carrier pays for a job to be done and I do it, to the best of my ability. If the consignee wishes to tip me for doing said job, better than normal, then so be it. Naturally, I try not to take it, but that is just me. On the other hand, I am not going to argue either. Life is hard enough out here with the price of fuel, lack of loads, and inflated truck stop pricing.

When you order a pizza, do you tip the driver? His company pays him an hourly wage to do a job, and he does it. Same principal in my opinion. And yes, I tip, very well.

Bottom line is: If you are offered a tip, you decide. Morals and ethics have nothing to do with it. Every circumstance is different, and every person handles said circumstance differently.

 

[usafk9]

Tipping a real estate agent is not illegal, so long as it's reported on the HUD-1.

I've often given larger commission incentives to move a home, that were much higher than the area norm. Everything was legal, as it was properly reflected on the settlement statement.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

2006 a load from VA to Bangor Main started out as a dry load but because the freight said keep from freezing I called the company and told the dispatcher. I got loaded and before I got outa the Yard I got a message on the Com stating turn the reefer on and set point along with the new pay. The load was a company shut down load. with out it they had to shut down. We arrive the next day and the Ceo was there first words were is that reefer running if its not you can turn around and go back. I said yes then he asked who discovered the temps I said I did. He said Thanks for doing your job then offered money to buy our breakfeast I declined for me and Charles. Told the man if we did good please let the company know and if we didnt then do the same
On the way out a dispatcher gave us Bravo Zule Coodooos on the qual com. Reaching NJ Bordentown a heck of Dh
upon arrival I called to find out if chance they had anything What I got told was Truck got paid more than the company did for the load, and did we realy think we deserved another load. What a kick in the teeth.
after that we sat in Bordentown a week with no load. then off to the wonderful Memphis TN. Then we sat there for 3 days then got a load to Atlanta GA where I met Greg Hemline and not knowing who I was or the company I worked for explained to me plain and simple He who has the most Trucks Gets the Steak & mashed potatoes and Gravy.

Another load that was done just last year was for a Makeup company, we picked up in NY and Del in MN.
the ceo of the Company was there and I had Summers with me. The CEO of the Company was there and we had just finished setting up the sets for them as we were told we had to do.
THe CEO was so estatic that he got our names took Pics of us and Truck and Trailer Number and called the company and Demanded that we do the break down and repack of his Wares.
Well we got the Return to our surprise.
back in NY the man met us there and he sent his messagner with Two bags for me and Chis I thanked the person then told them I had to decline as I couldnt take anything other than a hand shake and thanks if we did good..


Recently I did a Load with my Co Driver in MA where the Person that was in charge of loading the truck was so pleased of how we worked as a team and how we strapped and barred the Freight for them they took our names and Driver Numbers and the Truck and Trailer Number and said to us that if they could they would only have us move there freight. We both know that is impossible however words of inspiration welcome.

Tips no Unlike the many popular teams on here I dont take them. Nor will I ever.

The best tip for me is keep me moving and making money not sitting like I am now.

 

[chefdennis]

I have had 2 loads that ended in me getting tips...one i delivered and hand unloaded a CV full of hard candy to a candy / ice cream store on July 3rd in a tourist town, he gave me a box of the "runts" i unloaded and a soda...

The other was the best tip i have ever recieved in any business venture that had me involved with clients...I made a delivery to a Lexington KY horse farm that had several race horses. My delivery was to the head trainer of the race horses...his tip..."don't bet on horses...its a fools game"....

 

[ATeam]

I just remembered another "tip" we once received. On an overnight trip with an art courier on board, I had a wonderful visit with this college art professor and got a nice, though brief, education about art.

When we delivered the next day, he gave us permission to park on campus and sleep in the truck. When we woke several hours later, we found a brand new art history textbook sitting on the hood of our truck, up against the windshield. It would have cost over $100 in a bookstore.

It tuned out that our courier was the head of the art department at this college. He put a nice note in the book telling us how appreciative he was of the good job we did.

However appreciative he may have been, we were more appreciative of his gift. It is unlikely that we would pay that much for an art book but we now have this fine addition to our library because of this "tip."

Long after we retire from the business, we will continue to use and enjoy this book and remember the great time we had on the road with this courier.

 

[chefdennis]

Phil wrote:

Long after we retire from the business, we will continue to use and enjoy this book and remember the great time we had on the road with this courier.

That sentence is sooo true about this business for me...no I won't enjoy A-Teams book, but the memories we make out here, the place we go, the things we see and the people we meet will forever be the topic of discussions and conversations...

 

[AMonger]

I had a load that required me to hand unload the freight, 1800 lbs to the 12th floor, then stack this freight in a store room...... Tip was- Thank You......

I ran a warehouse for a courier company. One of our straight truck drivers had such a delivery of heavy books. He was supposed to take them all upstairs and stack them, but pulled them off onto the dock and drove away. They were busy enough that we couldn't pull him off the streets to go fix his mistake, so I had to drive over there, tote all those boxes upstairs and stack them. I was on salary, so I got nothing for it except the opportunity to use my gasoline to go there and do it and fall behind on my own work in the warehouse.

Then, hand unloaded, crub side 3 90 lbs boxes of dresses "Oh you have made a lot of folks happy for Easter"... I didn't see any place I could throw away the skid and other trash, so I didn't even ask or tell her I needed to get this off my van, no need to ask, there was nowhere to throw it away. I gave her the paper work to sign and when she gave it back to me there was 15.00 on my clip board. I handed it back to her and said "that is not nessersary" No I want you to have it, most times others give me such a hard time about the empty skid and we have no place to throw it away.

If you didn't want to go that extra mile, the way to avoid it would be to push the boxes off the skid, put the skid on the sidewalk, and then put the boxes on the skid.