What’s the point of a seal?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Lennythedriver, Jul 1, 2022.

  1. Lennythedriver

    Lennythedriver Road Train Member

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    I’m sure it’s different at different places, but the places we run literally nobody ever checks the seal. Nobody cares, nobody looks at it, most will say just throw it in the back, a few places will have me bring it in to the receiving window and hand it to them. What’s the point of that? If nobody make sure it’s still intact on the close doors, why even have one?

    The company I’m at, another driver told me about a driver that would move stuff for people privately from SC to TX, in the left over space and had it set up just to deliver to specific truckstops where people would show up with the truck and offload their crap. Apparently he was making more money than he was doing the OTR work until he got caught. And get this they only suspended the guy for a week with a warning next time he would be fired. Lol

    my point is, there’s no way he would’ve been able to have pulled this off for apparently over a year making thousands and thousands of dollars on the side, if shippers and receivers actually check those seals.
     
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  3. Turbodriven

    Turbodriven Bobtail Member

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    Subtle I don’t haul beer or groceries brag.
     
  4. Warrior Pump

    Warrior Pump Light Load Member

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    I work for a recycling company. A few of our customers put a seal on the trailer. It doesn’t make much sense to me as it is scrap. I guess they do it because they have a policy of sealing all loads. When I get back to the yard I throw the seal in the trailer. I could just as easily throw it on the ground, but I don’t want to litter.
     
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  5. Wasted Thyme

    Wasted Thyme Road Train Member

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    Honestly it depends on the receiver. I've had ones that would check it like the product was gold. But others that didn't care. I think the shipper does it to put the responsibility on the truck. Since it was all there when they loaded it.
     
  6. mustang190

    mustang190 Road Train Member

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    If you are pulling a box or a refer that seal might keep you out of prison.
    And if that BOL is properly annotated.
     
  7. Lennythedriver

    Lennythedriver Road Train Member

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    Good point!
     
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  8. sirhwy

    sirhwy Medium Load Member

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    On raw meat loads that seal must be intact or the load might possibly be rejected. Usually the seal is only broken by the receiver unless he/she indicates to the driver to break it. It’s about food safety, food chain integrity.
    There are some loads where we’re actually working on behalf of the receiver, in that case very often the shipper does not supply a seal, but then we provide a seal and note the number on the bills. For one thing, if that seal is intact, it is known that those doors haven’t been opened since the seal was applied.
     
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  9. gentleroger

    gentleroger Road Train Member

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    A big part of it is the food safety modernization act of 2010. It requires food grade companies to control access to the production and distribution process. Some companies pay more attention to the regulations/policies than others.

    We haul roll stock from the mill to the plant where it's transformed into flat stock, then we haul the flat stock to a plant where it's made into boxes, and then onto the final customer. According to the law and company policy, at each step the trailer must be sealed to ensure no unauthorized person(s) had access to the material, but It really doesn't matter until the final customer. Even then it's not important, but it does matter for the ingredient loads, so the final customer has a policy that ALL loads be sealed upon arrival so there's no confusion about which loads require and which don't.

    Putting a 10 cent seal on every load beats the heck out of buying a truckload of kosher cheese.

    Oshkosh Storage Co. v. Kraze Trucking LLC, 65 F. Supp. 3d 634 | Casetext Search + Citator.
     
  10. Warrior Pump

    Warrior Pump Light Load Member

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    Now that you mention it, the customers that seal the recycling trailers are in the food/beverage industry.
     
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  11. Redtwin

    Redtwin Road Train Member

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    Or food grade tanker. Try showing up with a load that doesn't have correct seals. Even when the receiver won't climb on top of the tank, they want me to save and show them any seals I cut off on top.
     
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