another not so common issue

Ok, so here's a small question for you all. Got a load from my company with 3 pick ups and 2 drops. Obviously I want all the product for the last drop up front. However my first p/u had some product going to the first drop and some to the second. No prob, had them put the second drop up front. 2nd p/u is all going to 1st drop and then last p/u is going half and half. So basically my first drop will have to dig through the trailer to get their stuff out of the shipping sandwich. And I'm sure if they're dicks they're not gonna touch someone elses freight and make ke go back and forth for unloads.

Now I'm going to politely ask if this last shipper will do some re-arranging ... but if not, will receiving lumpers be able to dig through the sandwich for their freight? Or am I out of luck?

 

Depending on how many pallets load the drops on each side.

 

Depending on how many skids you're talking about, ask the shipper to rearrange and also ask if you can borrow a pallet jack if he can't do it for you so you can otherwise do it yourself. I spent years loading/unloading trucks and supervising docks and was willing to help out a driver in need (except the crusty oldtimer who expected me to do it because he 'wasn't getting paid to ****ing touch freight').

I would also note that as policy some places aren't willing to touch another customer's freight for liability reasons.

 

While it doesn't happen all the time, in the LTL world, it is going to happen more than you think. Be prepared to do some physical work yourself. Then if you can get them to do it for you, great. But if not, you still get the job done.
Most places won't let you touch any of their power stuff, but most everyplace will let you use a hand powered pallet jack.
Of course, there are a few Richard Craniums that won't let you on the dock at all. But these are few and far between.

 

We are assuming that these stops even have docks of course.

A lot of times the main reason you are making multi stops is because receiver is to small to have a warehouse. Lets hope that is not the issue or you may have the load from hell having to tailgate the load at each stop.

 

Crisis diverted, bought my loader at the last pick up a beer to rearrange the trailer.

Thanks for the info though, will help out next time. I've had a multi drop load before, but never one that had multiple picks and drops, with the orders all mixed and matched. Will def have to plan the next one better.

 

Years ago, in then army I picked up a loaded trailer at Ramstein Airbase... 14 stops, all in and around Stuttgart, not a fun day. I got to the first stop and realized the trailer was loaded backwards. Thankfully it was an S&P trailer that was tarped, so I could work with it. I got to one of the middle stops, maybe 5th or 6th who knows, bit they were getting a 1 lb box... it was roughly 1/2 ft cubed... I dug and dug and dug to find it. What a pain that was...