Are company drivers financially liable for loads?

consignee can do an insurance claim which is almost as bad for you but youre not directly responsible at least in the out of pocket sense.

 

As a company driver, your company takes the loss...
do not expect the company to be happy...you might be forced to prove you did everything you could to protect and care for the load....and if you messed up...it is likely your butt...

 

I've had one entire load refused before because I was late (problems with dispatch and shipper). The load was dropped at a drop yard and I am assuming it was rescheduled for another date. I was the first or two loads that were late, the other driver got stuck at the Banning scale.

On a food load I had about 3 pallets refused because of the expiration date. My company decided to donate it, I called a local food drive place and they couldn't have been happier . All I needed was a receipt from them and I was set.

Thats the only time I had a load refused, don't believe I had any loads damaged.

 

yup. grocery type stuff might have different scenarios completely however. like reefer breaking down, etc.

 

At my last company we did alot of soda loads and one driver almost every time damaged the load ,I spose from turning too sharp and nothing ever happen to him.They just took him off that account.Also the load could have been damaged while getting loaded.It's always good to inspect the load and how it is loaded before you close the doors.I use to deliver rolls of paper for JPMORGAN and one load almost every one of those rolls were ruined because the shipper used black hollow tubes on the pallets and some of that black ink got on the paper.Also inspect the trailer inside real good.I had a trl which my company knew there was holes on the floor but they didnt think it would rain.I get to the receiver and and every roll was soaked and I said to the boss,see I told ya so but you just wouldnt listen.That was 10k down the toilet.

 

A driver at my old company froze a a load of lobsters by not keeping a eye on his reefer temp. The owner told him he had to pay the deductible or give up his job..He learned a valuable lesson...always check your ref when you get out of your truck!