Lumpers, and the new driver... - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

Snowman&Fred · **^ Top** #1 07.12.2008

Okay, having a driver making $250-300 a week starting out with a trainer, and you arrive at some dock that uses 'lumpers', what are you going to do?? How often does this actually happen?? Please fill me in, because I am not going to get into this industry, make $500-600/week, only to pay a third of that out of my pocket to have my truck unloaded.

honor roll · **^ Top** #2 07.12.2008

Usually the company pays for the lumper

Snowman&Fred · **^ Top** #3 07.12.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by honor roll

Usually the company pays for the lumper

"Usually"....one of the few words i hate hearing. Usually means sometimes, and that means i'll get stuck with paying someone to unload. One of the biggest things I would worry about, is you pay, then get stuck with a bunch of guys who take their time unloading. Give me one of those 'roller belts' and ill fire down boxes and get that truck unloaded in 30-40 min. I dont want to be sitting at a dock, when i NEED hours/miles. Like they say, "If the wheels aren't turnin', you aren't earnin' "

Lurchgs · **^ Top** #4 07.13.2008

Ask the company you hire (or are looking to hire) on to. My company pays for lumpers. Period. Even have a dedicated message on the Qualcomm for it. Send in request, a few minutes later you get approval back. Done deal

No approval, truck just sits. *I* ain't paying for jack

im6under · **^ Top** #5 07.13.2008

instead of usually substitute "always".

they "your company" can't make you use a lumper and make you pay for it.

most of the places I've been to had lumpers and the company paid for them. "usually" it was our option to unload ourselves instead of paying the lumpers. hitch, they paid us $100, but would pay lumpers upto $200.

lumpers are generally pretty fast, they get paid by the lb. or truck, not by the hour.

Its in your fmca manual somewhere, you can't be coersed by receivers.

pay us to unload or we'll let you sit and rot for 2 days.

yes, I've heard the horror stories... but in general, people are just out doing their jobs and looking forward to the weekend like we are. Per capita there aren't that many hitler's out there... my 2 cents anyways.

danc694u · **^ Top** #6 07.13.2008

As the others stated, you won't be out of pocket for any lumper fees. Unless you lose the receipt.

However, you will sit a long as it takes. The more you #####, the slower some of them get. It has gotten much better over the past couple of years...detention and all

But it's still not worth my time to pull a reefer load of frozen anything into a grocery warehouse.

Snowman&Fred · **^ Top** #7 07.13.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by danc694u

As the others stated, you won't be out of pocket for any lumper fees. Unless you lose the receipt.

However, you will sit a long as it takes. The more you #####, the slower some of them get. It has gotten much better over the past couple of years...detention and all

But it's still not worth my time to pull a reefer load of frozen anything into a grocery warehouse.

Well, if i have a load of lose boxes, if they dont get done in 30-40 min, ill go in, and start firing down the boxes on that roller conveyor. I am a nice guy to a point. But start doing things like going slower just to get under my skin, and you'll be picking up boxes off the floor.

ragtopjr · **^ Top** #8 07.13.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowman&Fred

Well, if i have a load of lose boxes, if they dont get done in 30-40 min, ill go in, and start firing down the boxes on that roller conveyor. I am a nice guy to a point. But start doing things like going slower just to get under my skin, and you'll be picking up boxes off the floor.

If you think a load of loose boxes will take between 30-40 minutes then you may not want to pull any loads that are not palletized.

Even pallets I expect to be sitting there for at least 45 mins, there are certainly exceptions where the forklift driver is a true PRO and he does not have to go far with the product and can be done in 15 to 20 minutes, however I have found that to be the exception not the rule.

Good luck

BullGoose · **^ Top** #9 07.13.2008

Thirty or forty minutes? Heck, it'll take 30 or 40 minutes at some places to find out it's gonna take 3 or 4 hours.

The company will pay the lumper, you may have to jump through a hoop or two if your dealing with a broker who is a bit sticky, but they have to pay. Like others have said, I don't work for free. I also don't lump for a discount. My boss offers a lumper $200, he is offering me $200, the only difference is I will minimize the chance of getting a case rejected by strategic stacking and such.

The only good thing about off-the-street lumpers of days gone bye is that at least they knew who was paying the bill and had the drivers interest closer to his heart than the warehouses.

Snowman&Fred · **^ Top** #10 07.13.2008

well the 30-40 min. benchmark was just an example. I worked for a lumber/hardware store, and we used Crete to receive goods. Think it took us like 90 min. to unload it. Somethings required a forklift. Just saying, I dont want to go somewhere, look at the possibility of paying a lumper out of pocket, or end up with a bunch of guys who like to dilly dally. I see they are just slackin' off, ill get up in the trailer, and ill be done much much faster.

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