Debris In Trailer

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HA! We used to change our fuel filters in the back row too, but I wouldn't try that, or leaving a pile of crap these here days.

 

Yeah.....I definitely assumed it was all on me to get the trailer ready for the next load. I always sweep out a trailer after every load. When I drop one, it's always swept out or washed out for the next driver, dry van or reefer. I've always got the nails and dunnage out myself. If a customer does it for me, which is rare, I'm eternally grateful for real! Drivers definitely should have it in there mind to take of if business themselves.

 

But the driver didn't. I'm not disagreeing that the driver/owner should clean out his own trailer but it definitely rubs me wrong when a shipper doesn't tell me what they are doing back there, or going to do, with MY trailer. The driver often has no idea on a first load from anywhere what they might be getting in to in terms of making a mess of their trailer. Often the driver doesn't even know exactly what the product is and certainly not how it's packaged/loaded.

Case in point: Hauled some stuff for Firestone this week. Generally a clean, organized operation on both ends. There was really no reason for them to use freakin' railroad spikes and pallet wood to secure this load, which was blocked and braced in the trailer already with their own dunnage (which attatches to E track in the walls) but then they quickly close the warehouse door and green light me without even telling me that my trailer is full of garbage. Due to the layout and traffic of the place I had to pull out and far away from dock before I could even close my doors.

Nowhere around to put said garbage, nowhere to sweep out. And I don't have my crowbar with me (my fault because I don't have my new toolbox on the new truck yet). But it would be alot easier to take care of this mess still mated to their dock where they have tools, trashcans and brooms.

It's give and take on this stuff. I'm easy to work with and don't expect people to clean out my trailer but I do appreciate when they don't assume that I'm ok with a complete mess and don't even tell me or give me an opportunity to clean up before I leave.

I do NOT approve of dumping crap in a truck stop parking lot. As far as crap going on the ground (literally and figuratively) I look at this like the piss poor locations that don't offer the driver a bathroom. If you don't offer trash bins and the very basics (crowbar, broom, dustpan) on your dock then expect it to be on the ground on your property. My equipment will be headed to the next load as it was before this load, clean.

 

I've gone round and round with receivers about "dunnage". They pixx and moan, dumpsters aren't cheap to empty, but that's too bad. If it secured or was included with the load, it stays. It's one of those things, like ever notice how much litter is within 2 blocks of a McDs? It's all their wrappings and no trash cans. Why? Nobody wants to empty them. How many times have you seen trash cans at the fuel islands, OVERFLOWING? I was taught to never litter, and I suppose if a receiver gave me that much guff, I'd find someplace to dump it, but be the last time I'd go there, fo sho! Also, a crowbar isn't needed, as a good hammer works. Bend the nails back and forth until they break, and hammer the stub in. Nothing like a slip sheet load with nails in the floor. You DO have a hammer, don't you?

 

At the last place I was leased to we had one load that we had to be completely clean for. We could sweep everything to the back and once in the dock they’d put it in the trash for us. At the receiver they removed everything for us, all blocking and bracing and nails. I think that’s how it should be.

Edit: I should’ve been more clear. The shipper would clean out what we swept to the back. Then the receiver removed everything associated with the load. If it’s just a general load that’s loaded into a dirty trailer then I’d say it’s on the driver to remove anything he wants gone on the receiving end.

 

Voice of experience here, only a slight trace of bitterness.