What's the best thing so far you have recieved from a shipper or receiver?

My first driving job was as a second seat driver (Lumper) for a meat packing plant. We left about 22:00 nightly and drops started a couple of hundred miles away between 06:00 and 07:00. Trips that needed lumpers usually had a lot of drops, some trips had more than 45 stops.



The packing plant sold beef quarters 90% of the time, and dealt with a lot of small meat markets. Some of the Mom & Pop owners would "negotiate" for days, bickering about the price of the product. Sometimes, the owners would be in a rage- because they spent so much time getting a bargain that they missed the delivery and had to wait a week.

We delivered to El Reno, Oklahoma once and the driver warned me that the Cajun meat shop owner was red faced, butt kick'in ANGRY because his market had been out of beef for three days. Last time he ran out, he chased the driver with a meat clever around the shop.

We got there and he was a helluva nice guy! Helped us unload (that didn't happen often) and offered us some Venison Jerky. That was the best perk of the job, once in awhile we got a paper bag full of Deer Jerky.

After a couple of more stops it was lunch time so we whipped out some jerky and started chewing. It took about 30 seconds for our mouths to start burning. In less than a minute our FACES were ON FIRE. We raced to the next C-store- skidded off the road and into the dirt shoulder. The driver popped the brake valve and jumped out the door of the old cabover long before we stopped moving. Then he comes running out with two gallons of milk and a box of saltine crackers. The milk was to put out the fire, crackers got the stinging, burning sensation out of our throats.

With tears running down our cheeks, unable to speak and our faces bright red we finished the few last deliveries. A few years earlier I got gassed with tear gas. "CN" gas with arsenic in it, the experience was brutal. Just like this jerky.

After the last delivery (when we could try to talk) the driver told me "I got a surprise for that ########, watch this".

We went into Oklahoma City to another Cajun meat market. This one wasn't on the route. The bag of jerky had the name and logo on it from the shop that gave it to us in El Reno. The driver went in for about five minutes and returned with a big grin on his face. Well, the owner was out but his wife was in. So he told her that the other meat market owner (a competitor) asked us to hand deliver a "Gift". With a few interesting compliments.

I always wondered how that turned out..

 

Thank you for thinking of the food pantry!

 

One time at the TA in Roanoke Va,,,it was late and parking was non existent. Driver had been selling GS scout cookies for his daughter and said he promised her he would sell them all...I asked how long he was going to be there,,,he says till they are gone. Only has 3 boxes left ! Bingo,,if I buy them can I have your parking spot? Deal,,,drivers both happy, daughter was happy,,and the cookies were good too...
PS ,,,I always save a few cookies or treats to grease guard shacks, shag drivers that find an mt for ya or the shipping office..it helps.

 

Recently had a shipper give me three ratchet straps for my E-track system. They have come in VERY handy. Though I do have to keep a close eye on them or my co workers will help them grow legs and walk away.

 

A can of pork and beans.