Trucking is a customer service industry..

Don't forget about the drivers that don't take showers, comb their hair, brush their teeth, put a clean shirt on or pull up their britches before walking into a customers location. It's a shame.

 

I get the whole "customer service" bit......but if a customer says have their stuff there at a certain time and you do as they ask. Then they should do their part by unloading it at the agreed upon time. The old sayin "customer is always right" is asinine in my opinion.....again EVERYONE needs to do their part. And for the saying that "the customer pays our bills" you can run that both ways....we pay theirs as well. Nobody gets payed if freight doesn't move.

 

+1 on the thought they better do their job or face penalty(detention charges, trailer rental.......). Yeah you need to represent your company in the best light possible, work to make sure their needs are met safely, efficiently, legally, and timely.

They need to be a business partner and do their part in insuring those results by unloading when they schedule an appointment, treat drivers with the same courtesy they extend their own employee's, and pay in a timely manner. Sadly a lot of companies fail miserably at all of the above and end up with companies they deserve.

 

We're getting paid to move their freight, correct? So why do I sit in their door for 10 hours to get loaded which makes me late doing the job they paid me to do? After I do get loaded my 14 will probably be up and as usual they'll kick me off the property with the "not my problem" spiel. Then when I am late, just like I told them I was going to be if I didn't get loaded, they'll suddenly get mad and wonder why I'm late.

On top of that, half of the people in the shipping/receiving offices are plain rude. Once I thought I was going to get shot for asking, "How's it going?" Another one went off the hook on me because I told them everyone outside could hear them on the CB but they weren't hearing any of us. I didn't say it in any crappy sort of way, merely was trying to tell them why no one was answering back out there.

Personally, I never am that guy going in and yelling about stuff. I just do my job. If it's late because of a shipper or receiver I really don't care. I hustle either way and get it there as fast as I can as that's all I can do since I don't drive a time machine. I learned a long time ago that it doesn't matter what you're doing or working in, flying off the handle and letting everything get to you doesn't change anything. It's not hard for me to understand why some of these drivers flip out though.

That's not to say plenty of drivers go over and beyond in being ***holes. I'm not saying let them off the hook. But honestly I see it as being pretty even out there between the angry drivers and angry customers so they deserve each other.

All of that being said, I've been places that have great people working behind the window and on the dock. Some of them aren't even the best at doing the actual job of unloading/loading but the people are so nice you still leave with a smile on your face. You don't see many angry drivers there. Maybe they're on to something.

Both drivers and customers need to treat each other better in the end. They're both to blame.

 

I deal with high end cars and their owners, stressful enough but glad I don't have to deal with this shipper/receiver junk.

 

The main reason shippers and receivers are the way they are is this.....they have been conditioned to believe that as a customer they the right to do and act as they please. If the industry would adopt some simple blanket policies and hold the customer responsible for their silly employees and as tazz stated then I can assure you that they would shape up and FAST! One way to start is by a industry wide standard of $100 per hour detention no excuses period.....but the problem is no unity in the trucking industry so it will never happen.

 

Being rude don't work to well. Your the "Pro" act like one. Be polite, and go call Dispatch. If you need hold pay tell them! When that Truck is sitting Your Companys money and yours stop. The Dispatcher keeps us moving. He or She will be on the phone finding out why your being held up. It's their job to handle things! Don't make US look bad over something the Office deals with everyday. Your job is get it there safely. Not to complain about someones company or employees.

 

Out of 3 years working unload, I've only had a couple of drivers give me problems. Most were always nice and cool to talk to while I unloaded. Now that I'll begin my driving career next week I'll see what it's like on the other side of the fence.

 

Never did I say be rude.....what I did say was these shippers and receivers need to be held accountable for their often times silly ways. Just a few examples such as not giving due respect to drivers as well as not unloading their product at the time they say they want it. That "pro" stuff kills me if a driver is "pro" enough to do as he is asked to do then the CUSTOMER should be he held to the same standard. What happens if a driver is late?.....he often gets a stiff penalty. What happens if a shipper or receiver does not do as they should?.....NOTHING. And that's what is wrong with this industry.....no accountability for the customer.