How's Everyone Doing in LTL Right Now?

God I hated doing school deliveries. You always had someone in the front office that didn't know who to call or how to handle it. Even if you tell them to call the maintenance or custodian department they wouldn't know what to do.

I got into it with some lady at the Aiken County School district about three or four years ago. I had a pallet of printing paper (the big Costco size boxes) but no liftgate of course. It was only 24 cases so my thoughts were to grab one in each hand by the flimsy plastic banding they had and run them inside before the blood circulation was cut off in my hands.

Well that lady wasn't having any of it. She said she paid for a liftgate and inside delivery and that is the service she now expected. I told her I would break things down and bring it INSIDE for her and I would have to deal with the empty pallet for them.

,"No no no no! You do NOT understand what I am telling you. I PAID for a liftgate delivery and I expect the pallet to be brought off of your truck on a liftgate".

Look ma'am, my terminal only has 7 liftgate trailers assigned. Three of those are always broke down and in maintenance. That means we only have four trailers that rotate out between 57 other drivers. This means on any given day there is a 93% chance that I am running a regular trailer without a liftgate. I only have 14 more cases to go. Mind if I get them into your office so I can be on my way?

"Oh this is completely unacceptable. I am calling your company to get my money back".

As she stomps off to her office the custodian finally makes a special appearance and helps me with the rest remaining boxes.

"My man, sorry I'm late. Need anything else?".

Urgh.... Yeah. Please call the cafeteria and see if they can get me a to-go box. The lunch calendar on your door says it's pizza day.

No such luck.

 

Not your fault, but they should get the difference back.

 

And she probably did. I just don't understand why she cared. Her stuff got into the exact office corner that she needed it.

 

That thought crossed my mind. But please hear me out.

This is one of those schools that is usually difficult to get into with parents and school buses parked on all sides. I just happened to roll in on a day where the LTL gods smiled upon me and granted me a clear lot to pull into right by the door. This almost never happens.

Had I refused it they would have sent me right back out the next day with a liftgate but a less favourable parking setup and it would have been a worse ordeal for me.

 

I swear we all go through the same situations if you do this long enough. Had a similar scenario play out. Both the #####ing about no liftgate when I was unloading for them. And not wanting to roll it to the next day because I knew parking would be a nightmare.

 

Yea only been on city less than a year and already know if you refuse a delivery because of whatever situation you better be off the next day. Or you’ll have the same crap on your trailer the next day.

 

But we get trucks in Here ALL the time!!