Lumpers - are they needed

You make good points...Yes, the system is corrupt from lumpers to the trucking company. But that doesn't mean I want to be corrupt as well.

 

Depending on the facility and carrier, if you refuse to pay for a lumper you might be:
A. Unloaded
B. Turned Away
C. Fired

If you make a deal with the lumper to charge and keep extra (ie stealing), you will get fired if caught.

 

I agree with you that there is entirely too much made of the lumper deal, the drivers do not pay this charge, and the drivers really do not want to unload the trailer, So why would you care. If you have a problem its with the company you work for not the lumper. If your a O/O ask before you take the load.

As far as being a scam, nope it is clearly stated in the bid package, every company agent down to the driver know about it, and I fact your company agrees to it before the broker gives them the load.

 

I think you have to look at the Lumper Industry in general as a uncapped cash flow....I seen lumper fees from $50 to $400. Gordon Trucking policy is simple, just pay it. It all get billed back to the customer and eventually dumped on the consumer in price hikes at the checkout counter. I say this cause most lumpers are based on the food/grocery business. They tacked it on as shipping cost as if the trucking industry is is charging them.

One time at a Save-A-Lot distribution center, myself and 6 other drivers all teamed up and unloaded each others truck. We went right down the line with pallet jacks and unloaded 7 trucks in 45 minutes. This was a better choice than all of Us waiting 3-4 hours to get unloaded. After we were done, we were told that we could not do that anymore because the lumper service was not making money and thier non-english speaking employees were getting upset.

Once in Omaha, NE I watched a old timer trucker take the choice to unload his truck after refusing to pay $250 lumper fee for a load of toilet paper. 15 minutes into unloading his truck, he slips and falls on the ramp going into his truck. He starts screaming and demands to sue for unsafe working area. The warehouse manager comes over and calms him down and says he will get his truck unloaded for him if he does not file lawsuit. After I finished checking in I went out to check on the old driver to see if he was alright.

He looked at me and chuckled, "Works everytime" !!!!!!
SALUTE TO YOU SUNSET JACK!!

 

hahahahahahahaha

 

I usually don't carry much cash at all. I throw things on the debit card.

What the heck do you do when you don't have the cash?

It is just preposterous to me. The trucking company goes there all the time. Why can't it be prearranged?

Coming off a $100 week and paying lumper fees of more than that makes no sense.

Or

"Sorry boss man I don't have any money for the lumpers! I was frivolous and paid my mortgage! "

 

SOP is to carry blank comcheks (get them for free at truck stops so you don't need to carry extra cash). After lumper determines cost, you call your dispatcher for an authorization #, which makes check valid (amount is immediately deducted from your pay). You must later obtain an authorization # from your dispatcher (different than the comchek auth #) and send that along with the lumper receipt by either trippak or transflo scanning. In a week or two or three, you will be reimbursed on your paycheck. You need to keep copies in case your company loses your paperwork.

 

I don't know why Grandiego's money is involved either. I also don't know why my B/L paperwork never gets lost, but sometimes my lumper and scale reimbursement paperwork does...and has to be resubmitted.

 

I have never had any problem with them losing paperwork at the companies I have worked for. I never save it up. I always get it off as soon as I can after completing the load. I always attach a cover copy to the top detailing the load packet. Along with a total of the expenses I expect them to reimburse me for. While this may take an extra 10 minutes to prepare the trip packet being sent in it seems to keep the cash flowing. If your company is systematicly losing your receipts I would talk to them regarding this once, ask them the best way to prevent this in the future, if they continue to retain my money then I would look for a new company, as they are obviously thieves. f the CEO has an open door policy I would start right there at the top. As far as using your money for free well, they do not use my money for free, and I do not ever pay a lumper with a comchek.