Why do lumpers exist?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by UKJ, Mar 25, 2015.

  1. CargoWahgo

    CargoWahgo Road Train Member

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    Louisville, Kentucky
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    Why pay employees when you can hire a service take a cut of what they charge and save on taxes and insurance?

    If mom and pop ever found out about lumper boy would everyone be in trouble xD
     
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  3. GenericUserName

    GenericUserName Road Train Member

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    Santa Monica, CA
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    Those are ball-less men. Nothing more nothing less. If that happened to me i would go to the nearest truck stop and let my boss know im not moving until i get my money via comcheck.
     
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  4. xlsdraw

    xlsdraw Road Train Member

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    Winter Haven, Florida
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    Companies I have worked for usually required:

    Federal Tax ID #
    Company Name
    Company Address
    Telephone #

    on the lumper receipts.

    I have always been charged And reimbursed on my pay statements. At 1st, it felt like I was financing my employer. Since I've always been reimbursed, it doesn't bug me anymore.
     
  5. GOV'T_Trucker

    GOV'T_Trucker Heavy Load Member

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    I never had to deal with lumper fees and I see it as a scam...

    If a company wants the product they ordered they should be responsible for off-loading it... If the receiver wants THEIR shipment they THEY can pay employees or the lumper service to off-load it.
     
  6. CanadianDude

    CanadianDude Bobtail Member

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    I never have paid any lumper fees out of pocket, this is all taken care of by the companies offices.
     
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  7. Lucky12

    Lucky12 Medium Load Member

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    I always thought Lumpers came from the way contracts were written which the price was to have it delivered, not in the back of the truck but stacked on the dock. So way back in the day a lot of truckers would unload their truck as part of the contract. Then along came the Lumpers to offer it as a service as the contract required it to be unloaded. Which led to today's situation where the Lumpers are a bonafide part of the process.

    Roughly speaking isn't this kind of how it evolved?
     
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  8. wis bang

    wis bang Road Train Member

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    Levittown, PA
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    They have their place. Shortly after moving in, we were approached by the former tenant [this was an over flow facility] to handle a few loads of sugar, floor loaded in the boxcar in Mexico. We hired guys from a local lumper service

    Three guys with using one forklift transferred the bags of sugar to pallets and shrink wrapped them. Tidy and clean [final customer rejects any pallet with loose sugar inside the shrink warp. They got paid by the bag!

    Three guys and 2 boxcars in one day. Our staff was grateful they didn't have to do it!
     
  9. bentstrider83

    bentstrider83 Road Train Member

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    Makes me wonder if lumper services becomes another one of those "prison industry" things. A bunch of low-level, state or county inmates on good behavior being used to undercut the more higher paid lumper services.

    As much as we all like to complain about them, they're probably one of the few lucrative jobs one could probably get after serving time for whatever.
     
    alds Thanks this.
  10. Val_Caldera

    Val_Caldera Road Train Member

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    In my time of O.T.R. '99 to 2018, I discovered I wasn't able to perform the duties seemingly "required" of some Receivers unless utilizing Unloading Services.
    I learned through MANY Food Receivers that I was able to unload with their equipment HOWEVER not by using Motorized or Battery powered Pallet Jack AND that IF I chose to unload, I had to separate the product onto as many as 200 pallets AND within a 4 hour "allowed" window as well dodging all other traffic. The Transportation Company would "pay me maybe $100.00" but usually it was $40.00 - $80.00 where I commented "Not My Concern" (usually in just a bit less friendly tone).
    Sure, Unloading a 53' Dry Van with a standard warehouse pallet jack when the entire trailer was DOUBLE STACKED and it wasn't Ramen soup or paper towels and toilet paper.
    When the Shipper paperwork didn't specify PREPAID, the company PAID (Cash, Comcheck, Other) and worked it out with the BROKEr OR with I using Company provided Cash.

    Shippers wanting Drivers to "Check and Count Freight" during Loading. I usually refused because 1) I'm NOT Your Employee., 2) I've no idea how this has been stacked on pallet., 3) I'm only Responsible for securing Load (as or if possible), Sealing Trailer and Transporting to Receiver.
    I signed S.L.C./S.T.C. : Shipper Load Count/Said To Contain
    Of course there were some Shippers that complained "You're Not Allowed To Add That, Just Sign and Leave! You Can State That On YOUR Copies."
    I kept signing with SLC or STC. Just became a habit.

    The ONE THING I Don't miss about Trucking: Lumper Services.
    CHEERS!!
     
    alds and JoeyJunk Thank this.
  11. CanadianDude

    CanadianDude Bobtail Member

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    Mar 29, 2021
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