Detention pay after 5hrs

You'd be lucky to get anything from CHR. Truth be known they bill them and cabbage on half if not all of the detention. My last load with them it took like 18 hours to get loaded and about 6 hours to get unloaded. I didn't see a dime of detention even after they promised me verbally I would get it. If it ain't in writing you won't see it. D if you do, D if you don't situation.

 

You ''should'' of went over all of this and had it in writing before you booked the load...Simple Fix...CH are the worst of the worst getting that detention money..It may take months to get that detention..I have waited 8 months for 25.00 detention on a CH Load...

I will never haul a load without going over ''my contract'' and all i need in that load...I am armed with 20 questions on any load i haul..

Why are you not looking out for #1..Are you just grabbing loads because of neediness and not knowing whats involved.??...What can you do better for your business and to cover yourself.??..Why are you taking loads without any ''written'' proof of what you will recieve for pulling that load??

These are the ''right'' questions..Not ''when is CH going to pay me.''

 

Wow..... solid advice from a businessman. Nicely done too. This is a huge problem in our industry and no one seems to know there's an elephant in the room.

Here's an idea......this has been discussed in many forums and it's all bits and pieces........LS said he has a list of 20 questions to qualify a load......can you post a generic version LS? A guide ?

Point: trucking is all about CYA. My carrier got me for a grand in misc. "chargebacks" and other "we don't pay for that" in 2011. Ok fine, my mistake.......I found the how and why and didn't let that happen again even if that meant refusing a particular load / shipper / delivery and it worked. They got me for less than $200 in 2012 and YTD '13 is currently zero.......but it's a constant battle.

I had to create a mini dbase in excell on my tablet of every shipper / loss situation from the past. When i get a load I punch in the shipper and either get a flag or a new entry. ( Gotta watch the chameleon customers tho )

Whatcha think ? Strength in numbers through education?

JMO

 

My chat with this load i have..

1- Where is load p/u and del location

2- Ask what the ''miles'' are..Then run your own program to see if it is close to there program..

3- weight-better be when i arrive or i charge more

4- detention per hour-

5-product

6- need straps,blankets etc etc

7-load time and have you loaded here before

8- Is it a broker load

9- who is the broker.?

10- Hazmat,explosives etc etc

11- Are times of P/U and Del set in stone?

This is a start so know others can add to the list....

 

This thread should be a great education for myself and other O/O's...Hopefully this thread will take off and everyone can learn some new tricks to help there business out....

 

If it's not on the confirmation sheet you will not get paid.

 

The questions should be a given as to what to ask.......... But, you need to also be able to identify the delay tactics brokers use, OP said that CHR said "he wont know how mch detention until the morning until manager comes in,,,blah blah blah.....he knows you wont have a leg to stand on by the morning time because you will be unloaded(hopefully) by then........Or at least be a little less upset about it by that time

 

Probably not the advice you want to hear. While it still sucks, the story you tell isn't all that outrageous.

What you got is one of many lessons you will be getting in the reefer school of hard knocks. If you knew anything about the shipper, product, and consignee, you would have expected that delay and hedged your bet with a higher rate. Knowledge is power, and you're still learning.

Go ahead and be proactive about detention terms. Reality is that a broker is only going to pay you what they have in their contract. Most times they will tell you straight away what they have on it. If it isn't there, then it isn't there. No matter what kind of terms you try to throw out there. Going back to that lesson: this is where you see a location known to be sketchy on loading time and you ask first. If they don't give you the answer you want to hear DON'T TAKE THE LOAD. If they want it to move, they will offer you the terms you want in writing.

Consider the product you're loading. If your product is turkeys the week before Thanksgiving, it's probably a low detention risk. If it's frozen chicken nuggets, maybe they won't be in a big hurry to get to your load. Think beyond the temp setting and weight when you ask about the product you are loading.

Think about that cold storage threat a minute. You need to be into at least a half day of detention with no possible hope of unloading, or a major add-on (return to shipper, dispose of refused product, etc), before that even makes sense for you. Choose your battles. Cold storage drop off is a weapon of last resort and will certainly consume a day of your time to make it happen, not to mention additional miles and whatnot.

You already mentioned this but it bears repeating. When you make an issue over something like this, you are setting the price on your relationship with that customer. If they are a one time load, a $100 detention payment they don't make may be a bridge that gets burned to the ground. If you do periodic business with CH, why can't you stuff that $100 on another load some other time. Don't get wrapped around the axle of nickel and diming each load to death. Get it up front baked into your line haul and you'll have happier customers. They will see you as not difficult to do business with and worth the higher rates you ask for at the right times.

Last but not least: this case you described will eventually be such a heap of nothing in the grand scheme of things you'll wonder why you even got worked up over it. Get the F over it, spend a little time working with CH to get anything you can, while expecting nothing. Your mental health will thank you.