reefer claim

Solid advice.

Also, if unsure of the temps and industry-best practices when hauling a perishable commodity you've never hauled before, consult this guide: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3021003

 

It could be legitimate , but they could be trying to pull one over on you & the broker trying to get a break in prices. I've had that pulled on me back in the 70's & 80's.

I recall right before Christmas one year I had a load of grapes, had a drop in Nashville, TN., them some drops in Knocksville, them one drop in NC.

In Nashville the produce house talked about how good the grapes were & wanted to buy some extra pallets. I told him they're all sold, but I will call my man & see what he says. I was hoping to keep from going all the way to NC with 4 pallets.

At Knoxville the 1st produce house also complimented these grapes asking to buy extra pallets, of course I knew the broker would not allow that. When I backed up to my last drop at Knoxville the owner of the place came out to look at the grapes before unloading, them said, "These grape are not very good, I'm going to have to make a phone call, I'm not going to pay full price for them."

I said, "That's OK, I'll just go back over to the other produce house, they said these were very good grape & wanted all of them, & I don't have time for you to make a phone call," I turned & jumped off the dock heading to my truck. "he calls out to me you can't do that."

I stopped and said, "That's exactly what I'm going to do, those are very good grape, & there's nothing wrong with them, your just trying to get them cheaper, now if you want to accept them, your welcome to, but if your going to call the broker I going back over to the other produce house, your choice."

He unloaded his grapes quickly & I was on my way to NC. In the produce hauling back in those days there was lots of that taking place on the east coast.

 

Some stuff is trickier than other. Grapes and strawberries are pretty tricky. They bruise and/or darken easily. Some guys in my office move them... I try to stay away from covering them whenever possible. The pay does not justify the risk in my opinion... just don't let the boss know about it!

 

We just had a similar issue but with ice cream. The reciever rejected load said to soft. All this day before new years and we werw stuck the weekend after we sat there for 3 days holding onto load for them after they wouldn't receive us after being a hour late meanwhile broker was to be calling them to tell them we would be a hour late. Broker said it is fine head over so we did.
They said ice cream was at 16 degrees when our reefer was set -10 we know our reefer isn't that off. The thing with these frozen loads is they make you open Your doors and back up to dock and this can be anywhere from 5-30 minutes so did they check reefer temp after doors were open.
And it is to old of a reefer to print a report on so now a claim has been filled and we kept the ice cream so now what do we do with 26,000 lbs of ice cream???

 

Find somebody with a rejected load of root beer.

 

Ice cream loads require the reefer be set at -20 degrees. If your unit won't pull down to that, don't haul ice cream. Ice cream will start to soften at -5 degrees and ice crystals start to form at +5 degrees. Ice crystals will affect the flavor and texture of the product.
The receiver should not have had you open your doors until they were ready to unload.
You will not find anyone to buy the rejects. You might find a food bank to accept it as a donation. Otherwise, find a land fill and pay the driver to chunk the cartons out the back door.

 

In retrospect you should've also recorded them not letting you see the product. My question is did you run continuos or normal

 

Once, close to Christmas I carried a load of grapes, had 1 stop in Nashville, TN, 2 stops in Knoxville, TN, and one in South Carolina.

When I unloaded in Nashville they asked me could they take more than they ordered, the grapes were very good. I said no.

Them I wen to Knoxville, the first place I unloaded they said, “These grapes are very good, can we unload some more.” I said no, that the others who ordered them should get them.

The next place I went to they said the grapes are not very good, we are going to call the broker getting a discount. I stated, “Well I’m leaving, the other one here at Knoxville said the grapes were very good, and they wanted more of them, I’m going back over there and they will take your grapes.”

They said, “You can’t leave.” I said bye turned around walking out to my truck, after I walked out the door of the warehouse, a man came running out, saying, “Come back in, we’ll take the grapes, and they did, without no complaints and no phone calls.”
All some want is a discount, and they will do anything to get them discount, saying they are not good or that they’re frozen and call the broker to complain.

That was in about 1979, after getting unloaded in South Carolina I got loaded in Kentucky, got home the day before Christmas, them about 6 of our drivers left out Christmas afternoon for California.
I never will forget that trip, coming from California east of El Paso, Texas it started freezing rain, the roads froze over. And because of that I did not get home until after midnight of New Years Eve. It was a very long drive at 25 to 40 MPH.

 

First you don't leave the place without a note of nothing is wrong with the product. If they said a certain amount of product is ok, but the other is not and the lady says it's ok, ask her to write on the BOL that any rejections or damages or whatever are not driver/carrier fault, therefore no one can claim your insurance, or have you at fault. Second if you can't see the product
Or whatever, have them write
Down is not your fault, and if it is have them reload everything back. Whatever you do, do not
Leave the place without a written agreement that secures you.