Tree Nursery in Smithville, TN, and Lowes

I got a load to get home for the weekend and if I had known what it involved I would have just stayed out. I show up a this nursery and they lead me over to the trees where as 8 or so Spanish speakers started loading trees loose in the refer. After the trailer was half loaded the TN native foreman tells me "You know you are going to have to "Tailgate" these trees don't you.". Well I didn't but by that time it was too late to refuse it. TQL had failed to say anything about that little detail, which to me is just as bad as lie. Well I tailgated all 1000 or so trees, a few of which weighed in at 100lbs. Each Lowes did provide a pallet jack and pallets, and one place even had a guy help me at risk of his own job. The point is I will never haul nursery trees again, ever. It was hot, and a risk to my health that I was never told about.

The guys at the last Lowes said that every driver that brings a load of trees says the same thing I did, That they were lied to to get them to unload these trees. If you get a load at a nursery just keep rolling to the next truck stop, there are too many no touch loads to even consider these. Make them have to pay what this load is truly worth

 

TQL called me and they maintain they told my dispatcher. Well they may have and it slipped by her being this is so out of the norm. We are a small 4 truck company and if they did tell her I think she would have let me know. She seemed to not even know what tailgate meant when I first texted what the foreman had said. The owner of my company has said he will pay me something for my labor.

 

They wanted the refer to run at 70 for the trees, seems like a good load for a live floor trailer.
I just want to give the next guy a heads up that he better be ready for an extreme workout if he picks there, most drivers I see are in no shape to do this load. And I know none of them want to do for their standard drop/pick fee.