Im new here and wish to offer some advice to all the new drivers out there.

I have seen plenty of drivers walk into a warehouse and instantly show the attitude that the whole world should stop and revolve around their needs.

even if they dont mean it that way,if it even looks that way,you'll make your first biggest mistake in getting loaded or unloaded promptly.

The last thing you want to do is add more time onto the time it takes to get loaded/unloaded by asking or telling them your in a hurry.

I have found that if your calm and helpful to them and are very polite with them,it goes along way in getting you out fast.

Ive seen plenty of drivers add hours onto their unload/load time by simply asking "how long will it take to load me?" in the wrong manor.

Even though it is their job to load/unload you,there is no real rule to how long they can take,and getting detention pay,is very hard to do.

If you work for a smaller company,you most likely will be back to the same shipper/receiver sometime and they will remember you and how to treated them the last time.

Mainly,treat them as you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes and if they don't give you the same respect back,then bite your tongue and if all else let your company handle them if they are failing to do their job.
This keeps you in the right and also goes along way in your future loads.

VERY TRUE gypsy. i have had a walmart load that was supposed to be refused for being a "floor load" dropped on the yd for later unloading by using these practices.

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tip for new truckers: to err is human, to forgive is not D.O.T. policy.

One of the owner ops at a previous company I worked for,went to pick up a load,that was already supposed to be ready for a drop/hook,sat there for 6 hrs for nothing.

His story is that he walked into the building and gave the info for the load and the drama started when he said that he was happy he got that load because he was headed home (9 hrs away) for the weekend off and it was a holiday weekend.

The loader told him that he wasnt even supposed to work and his weekend should have already started and he just got there and the freight wasn't even ready yet.

6 hrs later,he finally got the paperwork for the trailer he was to pick up and it was sitting in the yard the whole time.

Not only did that guy not loose his job,but the owner op got only 2 hrs detention pay,which amounted to $50,all because he was happy he was going home,and the loader was jealous of him.

AINT THAT SOME S***!

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tip for new truckers: to err is human, to forgive is not D.O.T. policy.

what a jerk. at least he lost his job over it

While I think this is a GREAT tip for unloading/loading purposes you'd be AMAZED at how well a good personable friendly attitude can take you with people.
Especially people having a bad day, I know it sounds corny but sometimes workers that are about to yank out their hair with pain in the ### people really do appreciate a friendly understanding person.

I have seen driver's walk in to a Wal-mart DC at 4:00am and start asking "how long" or "Can you ask the unloader to hurry I have another delivery".......I have heard some driver's walk in LATE and say....."I know I'm late but can you guys hurry up so I can make my next delivery on time.".....Now I will admit to being late from time to time and that would the last thing I would ever say to the reciever....

I keep some cans of Arizona iced tea and green tea in my fridge. It costs 99 cents a can. If it looks like the loader is running pretty hard I'll give him a can and you won't beleive the treatment I get. haha. I have a big box of granola bars and hand out a couple sometimes too.

If it costs me a dollar to get in and out that much quicker I really don't have a problem with that!!!!

I picked this up from my dad. He drives truck in Europe and will actually hand out a sixpack of beer to the loader guys at some of the big warehouses. Usually bumps him upto the number 1 spot and he's in and out in no time.

I am on a "dedicated run" and deal with the same people on the receiving end. Everytime that I go into this plant, I always have "goodies" for the men, drinks, cheese, salami, cookies. I have given them hats and t-shirts from the company that I drive for. All this has paid very high dividends. My appointment might be 6pm and I might arrive @3am, some 15 ahead of appointment, you know what I hear, "hey back it in" Even went in one trip some 40 hours ahead of my appointment time, "back it in".

I hear you there I ran team with my dad and there was one plant we went to in the late 90's if that man needed anything shagged there WE did it no questions asked. It got to the point were he asked for us to make the deliveries to the plant and no one else. He knew 2 things we would be there on time and move anything that needed it without complaints.