Quote:
Originally Posted by Orangetxguy
Hawk...Just one point here.
Last friday I picked up a cheapy ***** load up in Hammond IN. The shipper there is notorious for loading well over the max order amount...(cheap and heavy them folks). Because of the trailer I was pulling and the fuel I had on board, when I arrived to load, I told the loader exactly how much product to put in the tank(bulk chemical tank).
When said load replied "I will see what I can do", I informed him that he would only put in the specified 44,000 pounds, that I would be stopping out at the TA, and if I was 200 pounds or more over weight on my drive axles, I would be returning and he would be removing the excess weight.
It is the Shipper's AND the Driver's responsibility to make sure the truck and load are road legal. If you returned to the shipper, unbidden or not, with a certified scale ticket, which indicated that your trailer axles were illegal, then it was the shipper's responsibility to correct the problem. Their so called "Policy" does not circumvent federal, state, county or city regulation.
A while back, i had a load of pallets to pick up in Jackson, MO. First time i was ever there. The place was noisy, and most 'factory' type shippers provide earplugs. I saw a box of earplugs, so i grabbed a pair. There were two windows to the S&H office, i only saw the one next to the box of earplugs. The gal inside asked me to slide the window open, i said i had a load, then she said "well you need to come over to the drivers window". Are you kidding?? like a little kid in pretend-land and you have to walk thru the 'pretend' door to enter the castle. Then she gets on my case for 'stealing' a pair of earplugs !!! I can take alot of crap before i lose my cool, but accusing me of theft? that will get my blood to boil. I went back to my truck and thought the best way i'd deal with her was not to utter a word next time i went back in to pick up my paperwork. I thought about buying her a Coke, but didnt want to waste the $. HAHAHA.
what i DIDN'T do was peal out, whip my truck around and take off the corner of the building.
But Orange, i've never driven a tank before (and never will), but i know your load is much more weight sensitive. But there is a thing called 'tact'. If i were to go in and start saying, "hey look, i topped off my fuel the night before i got this load, so i can only take 41,000lbs of bottled water. Oh, and i dont want any pallets loaded 5ft from the head of the trailer or 5 ft from the trailer doors. all pallets will be side by side with no singles, and all the labels will be facing out." ..... how do you think they are going to respond to you?? Now if a driver goes in and says, "hey look, i topped my tanks the night before i got this load, i know i can only haul 44,000lbs legally, can you only load that please? Otherwise i'll have to come back, and it will end up making both our jobs harder.....
i'm not trying to teach manners.....haahahaha...i'm sure i'm near the bottom of the list of posters on here who would be qualified, i'm just saying. I get a little irked when someone who has never driven a truck tries to tell me how to operate my truck. Same goes for loading. Almost anybody can drive a forklift and load a trailer, but i've never done it. I am sure they have a little pride in their work too, and some super "i am god" trucker comes in and tells THEM how to do their job, i couldn't get upset if they shot attitude right back at me.