You all seem to be having a lively debate
Just please keep it civil!!!!
As far as lumping your own truck
Many companies want the driver fresh and ready to drive
One of the reasons they offer such low pay to the driver I believe is to discourage the driver from taking on a second job and crashing the truck later from fatigue

__________________

i like lively. Pretty much from the sound of it, you can drive 11 hours, but your 14 hours gets killed because of waiting at the shipper/receiver. You still must remain 'on duty' while you wait, while the business is open, because you always have to be ready to move the truck up in line, right? how would you log this?? maybe this is not the proper thread to post this question, but it has to go along with 'lumping'

Snowman & Fred,

"Moron" is a word that describes a person with a substandard intellect. It may be insulting to morons, but it is the accurate word to use to describe a "professional" OTR driver who loads or unloads trailers.

There is nothing "common" in the trucking business hence my comment that you appear to need far more training than I'm willing to freely provide.

EVERYTHING depends entirely on who you work for and which loads they assign to you.

There can be vast differences within the same company, hence the contradictory comments you may see posted by different people about the same company (good/bad).

I have spent DAYS waiting to pickup and deliver loads. "Why" is irrelevant. But, then again, I've p/u'd and delivered thousands of loads all over the US & Canada.

The majority of loads do not require days to p/u or deliver but you asked the question, I gave the answer as to what you may expect. The majority of grocery warehouses require hours to deliver regardless how small or large the load.

Thank you for that keen insight into professional drivers given your vast knowledge of the subject matter.

Drivers are subjected to all manner of stresses that most normal people, including you, do not encounter in your daily working life. Until you've actually been out there, perhaps you should withhold your opinions as to how drivers should conduct themselves.

"Should" is a word that looks real nice in a manual or heard in a lecture, but can be real hard to follow when you are actually on the road and have been nearly killed by some moron who was so tired he nearly ran you off the road after he unloaded his truck to make a little extra money. . . (you've apparently never spent two hours in the back of a trailer that is over 120 degrees inside).

Good luck with your new career and I expect you're going to be real disappointed given your (apparently) high & unrealistic expectations . . .

BTW, there are very few OTR drivers who log "legally" and anyone who does so will soon be looking for a new line of work. But, once again, you'll have to figure that one out for yourself since no one, including me, can "legally" tell someone else to do something "illegal." So, I won't.

Since you made such a big deal of it with your whining, 8/9, etc. refers to how boxes are stacked on pallets and is usually called a "tie." As in an 8/9 tie. The first nunber is the number of boxes per layer, the second is the number of layers.

And each product has its own tie, so if you have 50 different products, it will require 50 different pallets regardless how many boxes or how many pallets are on the trailer. And, YOU have to go get the pallets on which you will place all those little boxes. . . Sometimes they are real handy, sometimes not.

(I love lively debates, it allows me to "vent" after spending all that time being "professional" (i.e., not running over morons who unload their own trucks and then try to run me off the road and kill me)).

pretty observent, not willing to train me? gald you arent my trainer, i couldn't put up with you long enough to get out of the terminal yard. Whining? hardly. Come back with some good quality information, or dont post here on my thread. I am here for information, not to get an additude from a washed up truck driver who is so full of hate, it is a waste of time to even read what you say.

seek anger management, dad.

as far as how a driver should conduct themselves....if you need help in this area, i feel sorry for you. Regardless of anyones profession, it does not give you the right to be rude, crude and disrespectful. act like a human being. act like you actually care about seeing the next day, and not stress yourself out so much. will cause you to have a heart attack. there is nothing different being a 'professional driver' and being a living person, being nice to people. I dont expect everyone to say 'hi' to me walking down a supermarket isle, but i dont expect everyone to look down on each other, and down right rude...either....do u? You get all upset when someone cuts you off in said supermarket?? Cannot be nice and respectful, then just stay in your truck...


heck...it isnt even about being nice....just be plesant for the two minutes you have to deal with that clerk at the truck stop. just be plesant when dealing with anybody. imagine you are having a great day, and run across yourself on the other side yelling and getting all upset. You just ruined someones day because you just had to vent on that person, who did NOTHING wrong to you. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

To anyone who has never actually unloaded trailers:

Shippers who floor load product quite often do not segregate product types.

Which means the unloader (whomever it may be) has to sort through all those boxes (as many as 10,000) and stack them on pallets according to product type. Which can take all day (and half the night) due to having fifty (or more) different pallets with boxes that look the same, the only difference being a number stamped on the side of the box.

Anyone who thinks he is going to crawl into a trailer and simply sling boxes off onto a dock is in for a very rude awakening if he ever actually attempts it . . .

And, for you trainees, most companies will not require you to unload such loads while you are with a trainer. They'll surprise you once you are on your own and have no choice in the matter (other than to quit and be in debt to them for whatever they charged to train you). But, you will have been trained, so I suppose that's fair.

Sure glad I'm not a trainee. . .

Snowman & Fred,

It appears you are the one with the attitude problem.

You asked for and I gave you friendly, professional advice to which you responded with little more than personal attacks and insults.

Which is okay with me since your words speak far more about you than they do me.

I'm not sure what your continual references to truck stop clerks is supposed to mean or how they are relevant to the topic at hand. With your (apparent) attitude problem, it is little wonder that you are treated with contempt.

Perhaps you should forget about becoming a professional driver. You appear to lack the requisite self-discipline required.

Let's keep this thread as Friendly advice please!

IF you don't have anything nice to say then move on!

__________________



The Truckers Report Merchandise

Okay, okay, I'm moving on. . .

let me chime in...

I have no problem at all if some driver wants to unload. In fact, I applied at a company where they do just that. I'd know Dance694U a lot better, I bet, if I'd not screwed up and ended up elsewhere. If you want the money, or even just the exercise, more power to you.

I think what truckerndfw is failing to consider is that - yes, unloading USED to be "part of the job".. but now, it's PAID for. Whether the lumper does it or the driver, somebody gets money. I don't see it ever going back to "part of the driver's job" and getting lumped in to his "regular" pay.

Snowman- trust me, working in a lumber yard is waaaaaay different from offloading at a warehouse.

They do it one of two basic ways at a warehouse:

1: Off load it a pallet at a time, and break down onto other pallets before pulling another one

2: Offload all pallets and break down later (or as the pallets are coming off - from the point of view of the driver, there's no difference)

option one - in my experience, which I admit, is limited - takes about 2-4 hours
option two - again, in my experience, takes about 1-3 hours

floor loaded... I don't do those often. Usually for me, floor loaded is a drop/hook. The few times I've been involved with a live-unload floor-load, it's taken about 3 hours.

that's just the manual labor portion. Getting your bills, or getting them signed... that can add a lot of time to it.

For me,I don't have the option. This company is - with one exception - a 'hands off' company. Bump the dock, grab a book. Or take a nap.

Some shippers/receivers are also hard nosed about it. Either their own staff does the loading/unloading, or they make it very hard for the driver to meet all the "requirements". And they charge for the use of their equipment, as well. A fair number of places won't even let you keep your tractor attached to the trailer

So- when you can, it's your call. Generally, it's just not worth the bother.

__________________
----------------------------------------------------
Keep the big doors at the back!

My attitude towards loading/unloading trailers was developed long ago when it was considered by some companies to be part of a driver's pay and was not paid. I've quit more than one job when confronted with that situation (load/unload for free).

My opinion is that if drivers all suddenly decided to load/unload their own trailers, lumpers would disappear and then companies would once again claim it was part of the driver's pay.

I'm looking at the big picture based on my experience.

I'm well aware of drivers who willingly load/unload their own trailers, but to do so will only lead to a time when OTR drivers will be required to do it as part of their mileage pay.

I consider that a very short-sighted attitude. Presumably based on ignorance of how it used to be in the "good old days."

But, to each his own. My opinion will not change regardless how many drivers want to be lumpers or how much lumpers are paid. I'll (the company will) pay whatever they want if the company requires me to negotiate on their behalf.

I will not load or unload a trailer under any circumstances. It's their freight and they can do whatever they want with it so long as it does not involve me putting it on the trailer or taking it off the trailer. I don't hire on to be a discount, interstate lumper.

Been there, done that; but never again.