Hello ALl,
Still new to running this thing as though I were an owner operator. Seems a new question arises each day.
Todays question involves having booked a load, been dispatched on said load, checked in at shipper for said load and then being forced to wait. Called the origin of the load and she has been kind but states that there is no detention to be paid( claims I got her last dollar). This load puts me in a spot I want to be to load for home so I will probably hang with this one.
My question is this. As a company driver one is required to stay with the load until someone higher in the food chain says no more. As an O/O, what is the protocol for saying enough is enough, I'm out of here? Is there a penalty? My bride can't find one in the rate agreement but there may be a standing clause we know nothing about. Also, I do not wish to damage my reputation were I to do this. My M/O has traditionally been if I say I will do something I do it, come hello or high water.
Thank you for any input,
jay
A quandary today?
Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by Big Jay, Apr 16, 2012.
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Call the broker, ask for a solution, and when they don't provide one ask to be removed from the load.
Be willing to accept the consequences what ever they may be if the broker says no, and you leave anyways. Dont expect the broker to take your side, your just another trucker, and the shipper is a money honey hole.
I personally enjoy calling the broker once about every half an hour to remind them I am still waiting to be loaded. Sometimes it works, sometimes it dont lol.Big Jay Thanks this. -
I have no reservations about reminding any broker that I exist every half hour. She asked if I wanted off the load, told her I'd give it another hour or so. More than anything I'm concerned about how it could negatively affect my ability to book loads from other sources. Is there a network through which they share information?
Thank you,
jay -
Jay did you ask the shipper how long it'll be?If so what did they say?I would just keep the load and also keep in mind you're going to have alot of loads that have a wait.Maybe when u start booking loads ask the broker it there is a long wait time for shp and rec and if there is any detention if you do have to wait.
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It's difficult to get a straight answer out of the shipper. I'm now at a dock door but told to not open doors until called, hopefully soon. I typically ask all those questions, this time I did not. It's only a 600 mile trip but paid well enough to get me over to some good stuff heading back to Minnesota.
I guess I had visions of my wife in my head when I failed to ask the right questions. Live and learn. Lol.
jay -
You've got a lot of time invested already and only you can make that decision. You'll possibly damage your reputation with that broker, if they remember you past tomorrow. That's it. Unless the load is something I need to get somewhere, I get detention. If the broker is jerking you around and it's late in the day, you can get revenge by giving the load back and making the broker figure out what to do with it. Simply telling the shipper something like "I'm sorry, but this load is taking forever and I've been informed you won't pay detention. I cannot afford to work for free so I will be leaving now." will either get them in gear, pay you detention, or start swearing at you.
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I had a load I sat for a day and a half to pick up. The broker was begging me to not leave and short of more pay did everything he could to get me to still pick up the load.
It was a load going where I needed to go. Not the greatest load, but enough that I felt like sticking with it. That was my first load with that broker and I've hauled many loads for him since then. And he's offered $3/mi loads out of an area that most brokers are giving $2 max out of, AND they're going near my house. All because I didn't throw a fit the first time. Didn't get any detention out of it, but I've more than made up for it.Big Jay Thanks this. -
I don't really understand why someone would book a truck for a load that is not ready although it seems to happen all the time. I have threatened to leave and set a deadline but never had to follow through with my threat. I will stay if I am paid - I like making money for napping - very cost effective too. I have also been told I was going to get detention to wait and then not been paid. I don't do business with those two brokers anymore. Make sure you get "promises" in writing.
I guess the bottom line is you have to decide whether or not it's worth the relationship with the broker to leave. It's funny because as I write this I am in the exact same situation. I called the broker and told them if the load was not going to be ready by noon as was discussed yesterday then I would need to leave and find something else to do. They say it will be ready - we'll see. -
Most places try to ship directly off the assembly line, so any line break downs cause delays. I sat at Kohler in Huntsville,Al for 27 hrs because of this.I had everyone including the plant manager coming out to apologize/update me on when I would be loaded. This was for a customer and broker that I haul for alot so I didn't ask for detention since it was not thier fault.
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I would think that the broker would charge detention pay back to the shipper or receiver depending on who was at fault...
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