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Super-sized order of blame pie: who gets the biggest slice?

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by mathematrucker, Mar 2, 2018.

Page 1 of 5
  1. Mar 2, 2018 #1
    mathematrucker

    mathematrucker Medium Load Member

    566
    322
    Sep 14, 2006
    Laughlin, NV
    0
    The Court of Public Opinion is now in session.

    It's right before Christmas. You are backed into the dock delivering your last load before going home. It's late at night, you've just had a long day and you're tired. The receiver walks out, says they're done, signs your bills, wishes you Happy Holidays or whatever and sends you on your way. You pull forward, close/padlock your trailer doors, drive to the nearest truck stop and park for the night. You drive home the next day and drop the empty at the yard.

    A few weeks later you receive a nastygram from your boss about a pallet of freight discovered by another driver in the nose of the "empty" trailer you dropped. To make matters worse it happens to be time-sensitive LTL freight.

    The very next day after you dropped it a driver happened to look inside and see the freight in the nose. He immediately sent his fleet manager a message describing the situation to a tee: freight in nose, no bol, no seal.

    The fleet manager receives the message and responds with a "10-4," but inexplicably, somehow fails to comprehend what the driver has just told him. So nothing happens.

    A week later the messaging driver sees the same trailer sitting in the same place. Seems odd, but he's busy with his tasks so he just goes about his business without looking in the trailer or saying anything.

    Another ten days pass and he sees it there again. This time he looks in, sees the freight again, then messages his fleet manager a second time about it---also offering this time to haul the freight himself if the company needs someone to. Having finally understood, the fleet manager jumps into action.

    Who gets what slice?
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
    Reason for edit: style improvement
    mathematrucker, Mar 2, 2018
    mathematrucker, Mar 2, 2018
    #1
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  3. Mar 2, 2018 #2
    brsims

    brsims Road Train Member

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    Aug 8, 2009
    Meadville, PA
    0
    Why didn't the receiver take the last pallet before releasing the driver?

    Why didn't the driver check to make sure the trailer was empty before leaving?

    About that last question: I was trained to ALWAYS be sure the trailer was empty before leaving the customer's lot. Too many customers like to leave empty pallets in the nose of the trailer.

    Finally, why didn't dispatch pay attention when the situation was initially brought to their attention?
     
    brsims, Mar 2, 2018
    brsims, Mar 2, 2018
    #2
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  4. Mar 2, 2018 #3
    magoo68

    magoo68 Road Train Member

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    5,385
    Jun 11, 2011
    st malo mb canada
    0
    Couldn’t of been too time sensitive if it took weeks to be found
     
    magoo68, Mar 2, 2018
    magoo68, Mar 2, 2018
    #3
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  5. Mar 2, 2018 #4
    Colt6920

    Colt6920 Light Load Member

    177
    260
    Apr 28, 2017
    0
    Were you supposed to know about that piece of freight? ie were you told to make a drop, pass freight or trlr to another driver, given a BOL, anything?
    If so, it's on you. If not, you still get a little blame, but not anymore than mgmt.
     
    Colt6920, Mar 2, 2018
    Colt6920, Mar 2, 2018
    #4
  7. Mar 2, 2018 #5
    Mattflat362

    Mattflat362 Road Train Member

    2,696
    5,723
    Feb 18, 2015
    Avon Lake, Ohio
    0
    I 100% blame whoever decided that your truck is not a flatbed. :)
     
    Mattflat362, Mar 2, 2018
    Mattflat362, Mar 2, 2018
    #5
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  8. Mar 2, 2018 #6
    ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    Sep 10, 2010
    Flint, MI
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    The original driver gets the most blame. He should have verified the trailer he said was empty, was in fact empty.
    Long day, fatigue, etc is no excuse. If you are too tired to shine a flashlight in the trailer when closing doors, you are too tired to drive to the yard.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
    ZVar, Mar 2, 2018
    ZVar, Mar 2, 2018
    #6
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  9. Mar 2, 2018 #7
    pmdriver

    pmdriver Road Train Member

    2,338
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    Nov 14, 2017
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    The original driver is to blame, they are to clean the trailer of all trash and objects plus do a post trip before dropping so problems are not the next drivers fault.
     
    pmdriver, Mar 2, 2018
    pmdriver, Mar 2, 2018
    #7
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  10. Mar 2, 2018 #8
    rearview

    rearview Medium Load Member

    325
    9,532
    Nov 8, 2014
    Tenakee Springs
    0
    BOL signed.

    No liability on the driver.

    Shoulda looked,

    Never know what they are going to put in an empty trailer
     
    rearview, Mar 2, 2018
    rearview, Mar 2, 2018
    #8
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  11. Mar 2, 2018 #9
    buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

    13,564
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    May 25, 2017
    under a shade tree
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    the driver who actually got out, to close the doors. no excuse to have NOT seen what was in that trailer.

    being tired..no excuse not to see.

    being a holiday and wanting to get home, not an excuse.

    not running back inside and ask "what about that stuff in the trailer"? no excuse.
     
    buddyd157, Mar 2, 2018
    buddyd157, Mar 2, 2018
    #9
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  12. Mar 2, 2018 #10
    Blu_Ogre

    Blu_Ogre Road Train Member

    8,215
    48,496
    Jul 14, 2013
    Out west
    0
    The term for that freight is O. S. & D. Overages, Shortages, and Damaged. That freight may have been put on the wrong truck at the last loader/Shipper.

    Receiver should have notified driver. Driver should not have made an empty call cause they were not empty. Office should have been notified about O.S. & D so they could pull the brokers and shippers back into the loop. If the brokers do not get pulled back into the loop the delivery company may not get paid for rerouting the materials.

    The driver picking up the load has some blame unless they were hooking a sealed, loaded trailer.....

    The delivery driver may not be responsible for fixing it, but they should have raised a huge day-glow flashing neon trouble flag.
     
    Blu_Ogre, Mar 2, 2018
    Blu_Ogre, Mar 2, 2018
    #10
    Mike2633 Thanks this.
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