Americold, Carthage Missouri, underground HELL.

Oh yes I went there a lot of years ago and I thought it wasn't so bad back then. I did have to pay a shag fee but the place seemed to run a lot smother then than you describe it now. Must be new owners or new management. I didn't even have to put my trailer to the dock the shag fee was for that too.

 

OK, newbie question: What's a shag fee?

 

oh man I love it there my first solo run ever was from Ontaio, OR to Carthage, MO in the caves in a 379XHD, when I was finally done backing, my seziuring thigh felt like I could kick a 300 yard field goal, I walked funny for about two days, what a way to break in the new guy.......

 

dear newbe,
It is a fee you pay a joe dog driver to spot your loaded trailer and then to pull it out too.

 

Every time I went there, they wanted me to blind back into a spot that a 48' would have a problem backing into. Not only was it underground, weaving around earth supports, and blind backing, but when you finally got it in the dock, your nose was only like 4-6 feet from one of those earth supports. UGH! Its crazy in there.

 

Ive been to the americold in Ontario Oregon. you can be there 4 to 6 hours, to load and leave, then if your dispatch calls to tell them your going to be late, you get there, and they charge you 100 bucks for being late, then you have to watch and make sure they dont put theyr forklift forks thru the sides of your trailer. thats been done there a few times,, the one in pasco washington, is right by tyson foods where is stinks to high heaven oh yuck. hope you all take care out there

 

Sound like I got out of over the road just in time to miss the
." fun stuff". Ha Ha!. alt-ho I did deliver a block of cheese to one in Kansas city. I don't remember which one it was but that one I had to drive it and back in too. but I got off easy it was a large space to maneuver and back in. But the jerks made me pull the 500 pound blocks off with a pallet jack. They had just unloaded two other of our company trucks with a forklift but when they saw it was a woman they refused to touch it they said my dispatch had not set it up. I called in but couldn't get them to agree and my dispatcher said I had to do what they said but promised me he would not send me back . they said it was too late it the agreement had to be made before I got there the forklift was too busy and couldn't fit me in the schedule. boy did I get mad and you know who it hurt? No one but me I still had to unload that heave load. Oh well I would not have change the experience of over the road.

 

I was in there 10 years ago. I had a new 53' and a long wheelbase 379 Pete. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not get that rig into the dock they gave me. No words to describe how frustrated I was!

So they had me park in the isle, gave me a pallet jack and unloaded off the back and transferred the load up to the dock with a forklift.

It's funny, even after having backed into hundreds and hundreds of challenging docks, one comes along like this and then you sometimes start doubting your skill. But then you just have to remember those lines spoken on SNL "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!"

-big bear