Shipper malpractice?

Just shut it down. E logs will take care of the rest.

But to answer your question, I saw an article in the past related to this very subject. There was no mention of legal action though. But it did say something in regard to shippers being held to responsible standards. IE They can’t require or threaten retaliation because they can’t work around the log requirements.

Please note, that doesn’t mean they can’t require you to set up a series of relays to retain those loads. You may need to renegotiate your contract to pay for additional trucks and or drivers.

 

You need trucks and drivers. As in Teams now.

Teams is the ultimate workaround to the HOS problem. Shippers and Receivers don't want to hear about not getting there legally. I remember a major fleet folding because they timed a delivery contract with a car instead of a loaded 18 wheeler and came up late always. (Takes a little longer to get a 18 wheeler across the distance) So they ate that one. It would have been a smart contract to know exactly how long a ROUTINE trip requires at the speed limit, bad weather etc.

Even a team must stop two hours daily, Hopefully you dare have another team at the halfway point to swap trailers grab a good meal an nap for both before heading back with both trailers coming and going.

A half way point would be a relay as well. Trailer keeps moving.

Another workaround would be to have a day cab fleet boost your load out say 100 miles from a city center, meet your sleeper truck solo or team, drop, hook and return. It will be a certain amount of time for that solo or team to return. THAT would be the time your daycab fleet takes care of the shipper. Another advantage is you can have 4 day cabs go out on the cardinal points of compass away from loading city, meet your 4 trucks returning, drop hook and have them on their way with a minimum of fuss and wait loading live.

Ultimately your thinking of shipper words are a empty threat. If you are not the one loading them and moving out loaded and rolling, someone else will be receiving the same threats because the HOS is the same for them. A horrible workaround would be operations are moved towards Canada to take advantage of the longer driving time on their HOS.

I think you need to team your trucks. And add more as you go. If your shipper does not now shut up about the HOS problem and continues to bleat about time etc, then your 5,7,10 years mattered not. It never did.

 

First, in what way are they impossible?

Second, what have you tried so far in working with the customer to change the load parameters so they are possible?

 

The coercion rule is for the driver only. This is a business to business relationship. One business not able to provide the service another business wants. There is no way the second business taking their business elsewhere is coercion.
If the trucking company was willing to put teams on those runs, it sounds like the appointment times will be fine. It likely makes no sense to do so for the trucking company as I doubt that the shipper is willing to pay for that.

Also, read the contracts. I'm sure there is something in there about canceling the contract if appointment times are not met.

 

For scenario a, the driver's 34 is up at 0400, and assuming the load is preloaded and ready, he can drive the first 550-600 and be shutdown by 1600, start at 0200 and have 5 hours to do the rest. Easy? No, but possible, thus as I understand the coersion rule, the shipper is not in violation.

However you don't say WHEN the load was ready. If the load is ready by noon on Saturday, the shipper is reasonable in expectin a 0700 Monday appointment to be met. It is not the shipper, but the dispatcher that is causing the issue. If the dispatcher knows the driver won't be available to start the load on time, why book the freight?

As for B - the freight contract should have a clause about shipper related issues. If the load is illegal, the carrier refuses and enacts whatever clause is applicable for rework costs and new appointment times.

If the customer and the carrier can't come to an understanding, the carrier is free to say no. My company told Amazon "thanks but no thanks" when offered dedicated freight lanes at a very nice price because ghe logistics were not practical and the drivers would be getting screwed left, right, and center.

So if it's not worth it, find other freight.

 

Nothing in law that says driver A has to take a 34. Let him run on recap.