Brundidge, AL parking (or lack of it)

The smart aleck answer is to make a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express and send your company the bill. Since when is it your responsibility to find a "storage" spot for a multi thousand $ load going to the largest corporation in the world?
I feel for ya, since the Walmart DC's don't let you on until 60 minutes before this same problem occurs literally thousands of time a day ( how many loads does Walmart get everday?)
Bring it up to your company, there are cases of drivers being hijacked and or killed for lack of a safe legal parking spot.

 

shoot it's only about 20-30 miles.

I would just for peace of mind in knowing something is there.

 

The point is, Walmart has the cash to at the very least gravel large lots adjacent to their DC's to stage early arrival trucks. In most cases, walmart only utilizes about 50% of the acreage they buy for building and lot use, the rest is grassed and otherwise undeveloped. They could put in a "gate" to keep out other truckers from using the lot for their own use who aren't even delivering to Walmart. You could pull up and enter in a valid appt number to raise the gate and be allowed in. Then the driver should be able to call the guard shack to let them know they are there on-site in the event they can take the product in early, they can call.

I will write Walmart corporate with the idea, and I suggest others do the same. Walmart goes to great lengths to secure property in small-town USA, and in many cases the truck stop industry just can not justify the cost to build a truck stop nearby given they would probably sell little fuel and would only be used for staging use. And Hardees should not be expected to handle early arrival staging for Walmart.

 

I would bet money they won't due to ins. liability and clean up cost and the fact Walmart couldn't care less about our problems.

it's all bottom line.

like a Pilot never has enough parking.

they bought a nice big T/S in Canton Oh and only used about half the parking that was there before.

 

What kind of interesting is that the Monroe, GA DC has a staging lot between the main entrance and the little truck stop next door. The few times I've used it, it's not really been that busy in there. Maybe a lot of drivers just don't know about it? Since that one's close to home, the only time I use it if I'm on a tight enough schedule to go there early instead of parking at the home terminal to wait. I don't recall seeing anything like that at any other Walmart DCs.

 

I parked at the Walmart store up in Troy last time I was there, but at the rate we're going with Walmart store parking, who knows if they're still allowing it.

Walmart isn't going to do #### until the FMCSA steps in and tells them they (along with all other shippers/receivers) will face severe penalties for getting caught kicking out drivers that are out of hours. And that will probably never happen, but it should. If we're not legally allowed to drive, they shouldn't legally be allowed to make us.

 

Maybe but if enough drivers complain, and enough carriers complain or enough carriers demand higher rates to off-set the loss of time required to stage 30 miles away and maybe 30 miles in the wrong direction (60 miles wasted), Walmart will have to respond in some way. One thing is for sure. If divers and carriers do nothing and say nothing, Walmart will do nothing.

Some DC's are not a huge problem, but many are. All they need is space to maybe accommodate 20 trucks for early arrival and OOH scenarios where driver needs to complete a break would help a lot, more would be better. If the lot is full, it's full. They would use video surveillance to the guard shack. They see activity that is not appropriate in the lot, the carrier or driver is flagged.

Even if you had to pay $5.00 for entry into the lot and to help pay to maintain the port-a-johns, that would be Ok so long as it would print a receipt. There lot's of ways it could be done and managed.

 

Wake up.
The majority of Walmart DC's could care less about the outside driver. Get there on time, run out of hrs while on the dock, you still have to leave.
Do you really think they are going let you stay on their property for your break.
They don't want to clean up after the PIGS In the this industry. Throwing trash out side the window, when there is a trash can 5 feet away, shiiting and pissing in the lot. cause they are to lazy to get dressed and walk to the store to use the restroom