Advice when staying over night at shippers or recievers

Customer decides who is first, so Mr. Tighty whities can go stuff it, lol! I once jumped the line after having just arrived because I wasn't being a dick to the receiving clerk, pissed a Werner driver off bad!

 

Yeah, your attitude can dictate how you get treated at a shipper or reciever. I picked up a load out of Detroit last week from a shipper that usually doesn't allow overnight parking, but they allowed me to park there after I asked. My DM is still dumbfounded as to how I pulled that off.

 

I was delivering candy to a warehouse in Modesto, CA. The clerk was short two forklift drivers and was way behind. I was with Stevens at the time and there was another Stevens truck there getting unloaded. We were both talking to the clerk who was pretty peeved that two of his guys were playing hooky. I told him it was cool and that I'd wait since I didn't have a reload that day anyways, I was just going to park in Ripon up the road. In the background was a Werner driver on the phone who was obviously pissed at having to wait. He angrily asked if the clerk planned to unload him anytime today. The clerk glared at him, then pointed to me and said "Door 3!" The Werner drivers jaw dropped and he immediately called his dispatcher, screaming about the "############# stevens driver getting unloaded who just got there!"

 

Yep, it pays to be nice most of the time. Even if they're being a pita to you just be polite and it usually works out.

 

If the place is open and you are sitting there sleeping I am going around you and there is a couples places if I get there and there is a open dock and 10 trucks parked out on the road well I am gonna open my doors lay my bills in the trailer and they will wake me when the come in and start unloading because if I dont someone else will. I pays to go to the same places often

 

well atleast the werner driver got some experiance in backing by getting to watch someone doing it first!

 

also helps not to toss out ur walmart sh#t bags in the lot...so ive been told.

 

I pulled up to a flooring place and the receiver said just pop your door and I'll unload you here (which was in the parking lot. I carry a pallet jack 'cause I'm LTL). He went to great lengths to take care of me even though an OTR driver was actually docked. He told me that the guy was a d-bag so he was trying to ignore him. Being nice does pay sometimes.

 

Man, I'm the same way - shippers / receivers almost praise us truckers with pallets jacks. The whole reason why I bought one! Get's the freight on and off the truck faster resulting me getting the hell out of there and onto the next stop!