The real truth about lumper fees.

When I got my CDL so many years ago, I was required to have an "X" ENDORSEMENT . The company never said anything about LUMPER ENDORSEMENT or a MECHANIC ENDORSEMENT on my CDL. If my company can afford to pay a $300.00 lumper fee for someone else to unload the load, then they can pay that amount to me as well. Or pay a mechanic shop $75/hr. to change light bulbs,headlights, air filters,oil/fuel filters then why can't they pay me the same rate. Any of you drivers ever notice on a lot of those docks there is a big sign saying DUE TO INSURANCE PURPOSES DRIVERS NOT ALLOWED ON DOCK...Yet the dock is saying you (the driver) has to load/unload trailer. If you are unloading your trailer and you get hurt....who is responsible? Dock says you are not covered by their insurance(see big sign) and your company says they are also not liable because you got hurt on the shipper/receiver dock and not on the truck.

 

Mack thats MPOV too they pay you to haul it so any time you unlaad it saves them lots of money.Kind of funny everyone complains about fuel price but will do work thats not their job.Heck if they want to do that why not go all the way and put it on the store shelves for them.I used to work with a man that told a Broker on a lad of watermelons if I have to unload I dont want it.It has to pour on and pour off for me and he was not lazy.He just felt that after driving he needed the rest.He also said thats why they are lumpers and driver unloads because they will pay lumpers and they will unload someone elses product.

 

from lyion/i to have seen many a sign at places .they are a scare tactic .ever heard of the mail man getting bit in your yard and mail man sues you for damages . well that the truth . under no reason ever unload the trailer .you weren't hired for that reason .you were hired to deliver the loads and that's it .the law says you are responsible to tail gate it and that's as far as you take it . I've never seen a company out here pay the same as a limper get for unloading . they just don't think you deserve the same amount of money so never do it. i was at a wal-mart a few years ago and the guy there said you can start unloading now .i looked at him and said sure i don't take checks cash only he said what i said yes that's right it will be $300.00 for unloading the trailer .then the guy say well your sub pose to unload it for free ,i said oh no i was hired as a driver to deliver loads for my company and i don't unload then he says are you going to unload the trailer i said for $300:00 then he says well get the hell off my dock. i said sure, ill be in the truck.

 

Sorry, newb here,
just to clarify............... do we unload or not????
There are SO many variations to that answer I am thoroughly confused.
I don't wanna show up at a drop and get ripped cause the wolves sense a newb and wanna go in for the kill, on the flip side, I don't wanna shirk my responsibilities and not do what is expected or is "normal" to do.

again, i be a newb, so let me know what to expect

 

Newb

It's up to the company you hire on with - and you should make sure of your ducks before you agree to work for them.

*Typically* a load is just tailgaited (moved to the back of the trailer). But there are outfits that require you to unload (I forget who delivers to Dollar Genaral - but that's an account that needs shaking up, from all tales)

And, of course, there are all kinds of companies that do NOT require the driver to touch the load at all. Open the doors, bump the dock, go to sleep. (ok, that may be stretching it a bit. Point is, no loading/unloading)

 

some companys still want the driver to unload the truck coz the company dont want to pay the lumper bill

 

Lurchgs has the right of it, I believe.

 

I will lump sometimes, but when I do I get paid what the lumper was going to charge.

 

Rarly Does the company pay "Per Hour" to lump it's a straight fee lets say $60.00 for the "ENTIRE" Load and the longer it takes you to unload the less you make. 19/$60.00 = 0.31666666666666666666666666666667

I drove a thousand years ago and remeber,to get to a Food Warehouse on time (they still have those food lions down south?) and after driving 16 hours (yes cooking the books)had to unload from the floor 80k worth of birdseye products that had to be sorted and repalletized.!

I would think since I am getting back into the trucking industy this will be the one load that will keep me looking for a company that dosent require or forbids it's "DRIVERS" to touch frieght.

Thats just one example I am sure those that have driven back in the late 70s early 80's can tell story after story about how the driver was taken advatage of not only by dispatch (pushing to get the frieght there)

The brokers that beleived they could start negotations after you bumped the dock (crab, lobster)

The warehouses that didnt belive it was their freight untill it hit the flat of their recieving dock on their pallets in the sorted order they wanted it

Red-Fang

 

I always wondered can I start my own lumping company. Since my outfit will not pay me close to what they will pay a lumper I figured I need a lumping company. When I started lumpers were only fetching 50 to 60 bucks for a load. Now they are pulling two to three hundred per. I realize I have to log the time spent but 300 for three hours? I'll take that. Any rules about this that I don't know of? F this lumping inc. I'm liking it.