Lumper scam

Once upon many moons ago, drivers unloaded their own trailers. Their own laziness beget the advent of lumpers. Only drivers would hire lumpers from the street corner outside the receiver and the receiver didn't have much control over who was on their property.

By contracting it out, they control who is on their property, worker injuries are covered (less lawsuits) and drivers have something else to b**** about.

 

The whole idea of lumper fees harkens back to union bulls-h-i-t. If a gangster does it its called extortion, if the government or a union does it its a fee

 

Maybe I misinterpreted your first post....I took it as if you claimed all lumper fees you paid the service to render...even if the carrier authorized the payment with their funds, or reimbursed you from a written receipt from the lumper service.

 

Ok I understand in cases of bulk items like the popcorn. For items that could easily be stacked on a pallet the extra row of two stacking to the roof I don't see the advantage. Plus time is money in pretty much every industry and having a driver sitting at a dock for 8 hours while the truck is unloaded is a waste of time. Pallets are cheap compared to paying people to unload a truck full of inventory. Plus yes pallets cost but they are reusable many times over usually.

I see very few cases where it would make business sense for the shipper or the receiver to floor stack items. Maybe I'm wrong.

#### what were they doing jacking off on the light bulbs for 6 hours before they decided to actually get the hand truck and unload them? Seven and a half hours to unload a truck full of pallets is just crazy.

 

I paid $375 the other day in CA. Granted, it broke down into 100 pallets exactly. One guy did it in 3 1/2 hours though. He's definitely paid better than me. When I got the bills from the shipper I instantly knew it was going to cost a pretty chunk to get that one unloaded.

 

Thing is, the lumpers themselves often get just a pittance. The contract lumper companies are who make all that money.

 

Some of the lumpers are union members, all of the non-union companies have an exclusive contract with the shipper/receiver and act like their a, I'll get to it when I get around to it attitude, union shop.

 

Still a few piecework lumpers around. My opinion, it's the only really fair way to pay any production job. You get paid for what you do. Hourly wages on a production line begets laziness and an entitlement attitude.

 

$250 paid via comcheck to unload paper towels in PA once. Lumper took it off the trailer and set down then a fork truck driver grabbed it and put it on the rack. 25 miniutes.

 

Lumper? I know ive only been driving for about 9 months now but whats a lumper? Ive meet a few forklift and crane ops but not a lumper. Ohhh wait, i pull a flatbed, we dont have lumpers

(Sorry guys, couldnt help myself)