Pre-loaded trailers always overweight on tandems. Shipper doesn't care. Any advice?

Highway Hypnosis · Sep 8, 2014

All it takes is for you to stand up one time and refuse to take a load.

Chinatown · Sep 8, 2014

Tennessee has found another cash cow to exploit. They nailed a driver the other day for 42 1/2".

snowwy · Sep 8, 2014

pattyj said: ↑

I reread your post and see u have talked to dispatch.So what's the drivers doing with the lds u can't get legal?I understand your concern but u can only do so much.I wouldn't be stressing too much over it.Youre doing your part and that's the main thing .Nothing u can do if the shipper isn't willing to meet u halfway.
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you have to do more then only so much.

it's the drivers reponsibility to make sure the loads they haul are legal. otherwise, the company DON'T pay the fine.

Tai · Sep 8, 2014

Triad said: ↑

I've asked a few trucking friends and coworkers about this situation, but it's getting to be nearly hopeless and I'm just not sure how to get these people to listen to reason. So, here's the deal...

I drive a daycab and do shuttle runs, out and back twice a night. Drop a loaded trailer at a warehouse, grab an empty. Drop the empty at the shipper, pick up a pre-loaded trailer. The problem is that these particular trailers have to go through Tennessee, and as we all well know, there's a wonderful law there having something to do with bridges and kingpins that nobody seems to fully understand until some jerk with some measuring tape is writing them a big, fat ticket. Now, even though I don't go through TN with the loads myself, and I don't even cross an open scalehouse, it is 100% my responsibility to make sure that the loads I take out of there are legal for the entire trip that the trailer is going to make. Seeing as that trailer is going through TN, it's my duty to slide the tandems up to 41' (the shipper loads with them all the way back) before I take it over the scale on the way out, and to ensure that I'm not over gross or over axle. I do this religiously. It is my duty and my job.

The problem? From week one, the weight on the tandems has been an issue. I can see it coming when I look at the bills before I even hook up to the trailer. If the trailer has anything more than about 45,000 pounds on it and 30 skids loaded from nose to door, that trailer will absolutely be overweight on the tandems when set at 41'. It's so predictable that when I see those numbers, I smile and wave at whoever's in the shipping office and let them know I'll see them in a few minutes for the inevitable reload, which I literally have to fight for 90% of the time. When I scale, I'll gross at about, oh, 74,000-76,000... with 9-10k on the steers, 28-30k on the drives, and 34500-35500k on the tandems. It's pretty consistent. Then, I have to get a scale print-out and bring it back. I've had them tell me at 800 pounds over that they can't do anything about it. I have to stand there at the window and stare at them until they change their minds, at which point they say it'll be a few hours before I can get a door. Probably trying to get me to give up. Then they magically get a door open 10-15 minutes later. Then they complain about how long it's going to take them to redo the bills to take one single skid off. I don't relent. I get those trailers reloaded. It is my responsibility. It is my duty and my job.

I have exhausted every point of contact I have to get this problem taken care of. From my dispatchers, to the people in the shipping office, anyone I can get on the phone or face to face has heard about it. My dispatcher and the crew in the office have been in full-blown meetings about this one single issue with the shipper. I wouldn't be surprised if the CEO has had it come across his desk once or twice because I'm so relentless and persistent in getting this problem fixed. And yet, here we are, weeks later and I'm still getting the same loads. Same weights. Same skid counts. Same turn around and get reloaded routine. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. The pay is great, the rest of the job is really comfortable and laid back, and the closest person in any kind of supervisory position to me is 800 miles away. But I'm always trying to streamline things and be more efficient, reliable and consistent. I can do in 9 hours what the guy before me could barely do in 12. I'm 100% on-time, where the guy before me was (and still is, believe me... I have to wait for him for my second outbound trailer) 0%. This reloading business does not mesh well with my style and I want to squash it like a dirty little ####roach. I'll try just about anything, so long as it's legal and won't get me fired, so if any of you have advice or tips on dealing with shippers like this, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!
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Can't give any advice but you are the type of driver I want to be like when I finally hit the road. One that cares about your load and other drivers instead of just yourself.

‘Olhand · Sep 8, 2014

In all honesty---you have done ALL you can....the problem is quite simply....Above your&your dispatchers pay grades....Document everything&take it up the chain of command...starting w/safety....let them make the call....&of course depending on What they decide you make the decision about YOUR future...good luck

NavigatorWife · Sep 8, 2014

The problem lies in also with a lot of companies, once you hook to it and leave the property, it is yours. Beer loads and paper loads come to mind also.

It seems like companies just think they can get away with it, if DOT started hitting them up with the fines instead of truckers, then maybe they would get the message to load the truck the right way the first time.

pattyj · Sep 8, 2014

ok so tell me what would you be doing in this case?

snowwy said: ↑

you have to do more then only so much.

it's the drivers reponsibility to make sure the loads they haul are legal. otherwise, the company DON'T pay the fine.
Click to expand...

Triad · Sep 8, 2014

The drama continues. Both loads tonight were heavy on the tandems. 740 over for the first, 440 over for load 2. Both went back. A guy who I can only assume was in some kind of supervisory position came outside and started looking at my trailer. He had measuring tape, so I can only assume that he was going to make sure it was at 41 feet, but I noticed that he decided not to measure when he noticed that the 41' point is very clearly marked and labeled with instructions, and that the mark was dead center between the wheels. Someone in the shipping office (I can only assume Mr. Measuring Tape) called the company, bypassing me, and told them that I'm not scaling the loads correctly. Practiced a lot of self-restraint to just take my second reload for the night and head home rather than go get Mr. Measuring Tape and have him show me how to weigh a truck. Maybe it's just a bit of paranoia talking (conspiracy theories have been big on Coast to Coast lately...) but by calling the company and accusing me of scaling incorrectly, it almost seems like someone is trying to threaten my job security. Well, at least that means I'm getting to them.

Highway Hypnosis said: ↑

All it takes is for you to stand up one time and refuse to take a load.
Click to expand...

I haven't had to refuse one yet, they reload it every time I bring one back. But the day they outright refuse to reload it, which I'm sure is going to come soon, is the day I leave the trailer in the lot. No question. But the problem I may wind up having is that I have to sign the bills to get the load before I go grab the trailer and weigh it. Can they come back on me and make some kind of claim that since I've already accepted and signed for the load, it's my responsibility now, and that I'd be basically abandoning it if I left it on the lot? I want to cover my rear in case it comes to that.

pattyj · Sep 8, 2014

Good for you for refusing those loads.If the shipper did it right then you wouldn't have to keep having to make this an issue.They need to learn that its the drivers job on the line and start loading correctly.Makes me wonder how many others they do this to.Then far as mr.measuring tape who obviously knows nothing about the industry doubts the word of a true professional would make me have words with him and his superior.All this stink they're raising could be better use of that time by reworking the load.

Triad said: ↑

The drama continues. Both loads tonight were heavy on the tandems. 740 over for the first, 440 over for load 2. Both went back. A guy who I can only assume was in some kind of supervisory position came outside and started looking at my trailer. He had measuring tape, so I can only assume that he was going to make sure it was at 41 feet, but I noticed that he decided not to measure when he noticed that the 41' point is very clearly marked and labeled with instructions, and that the mark was dead center between the wheels. Someone in the shipping office (I can only assume Mr. Measuring Tape) called the company, bypassing me, and told them that I'm not scaling the loads correctly. Practiced a lot of self-restraint to just take my second reload for the night and head home rather than go get Mr. Measuring Tape and have him show me how to weigh a truck. Maybe it's just a bit of paranoia talking (conspiracy theories have been big on Coast to Coast lately...) but by calling the company and accusing me of scaling incorrectly, it almost seems like someone is trying to threaten my job security. Well, at least that means I'm getting to them.

I haven't had to refuse one yet, they reload it every time I bring one back. But the day they outright refuse to reload it, which I'm sure is going to come soon, is the day I leave the trailer in the lot. No question. But the problem I may wind up having is that I have to sign the bills to get the load before I go grab the trailer and weigh it. Can they come back on me and make some kind of claim that since I've already accepted and signed for the load, it's my responsibility now, and that I'd be basically abandoning it if I left it on the lot? I want to cover my rear in case it comes to that.
Click to expand...

Stew209 · Sep 8, 2014

Tyson Meats is fantastic at over loading trailers. I pick up loads at Tyson in Halcolm, Kansas and deliver to Tyson in Emporia, Kansas and the trailer is always preloaded and the tandems are all the way back and still over-weight on the tandems. They just don't care and they have a scale on site which they don't use.
I will generally just leave since there are no scales on US-50 and I will drive at night to avoid any pop up scales.

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