Drop trailer at shipper / receiver issue

Holy #### you got lucky on that convoy load. I once picked up a frozen load from Vernon in SoCal on a Thursday to deliver to Americold Phoenix next day Friday, only to be told the delivery appointment in their system wasn't set until the following week on Thursday. Called convoy support services to see if I could have the product offloaded into a cold storage place nearby, they wouldn't authorize nor reimburse me if I decided to do that, absolutely nothing they could do, so I said fine. Dropped my trailer at my carrier partner's yard and borrowed one of his reefer trailers to make my backhaul for that day, reload in So Cal back to AZ, delivered, then empty to pick up my loaded trailer and deliver it (they managed to reschedule delivery for the following Monday). Collected line haul rate for that load plus max detention plus like 3 days of layover.

 

Therefore, the secret trick of the trade is to try and go beyond the brokerage spectrum of command and appeal to common sense of reasonable people who can call shots - if you are lucky to find them.
On that load, I called and as politely and humbly as I only could - not beggingly though - spoke with a very receptive person at the shipper and I think - they, after all being the broker's customer, were able to somehow influence the Convoy's decision to compensate me for the return leg - perhaps. I was going back to the shipper regardless of whether I would have gotten paid or not. It is one thing to endure the duress due to my own faults such as mechanical failure or something even not as directly involving me like... a blizzard but if it is blatant negligence from either broker or shipper, they are the ones to make things right. It does not always work as easy but always it is worth trying.

 

I’ve seen it listed in the comments on the load posting many times. I’ve also called on a load that had nothing in the comments and the broker said something about it.

It’s pretty obvious on this one he didn’t press the broker for more information (can’t fault him for that being new) or the broker just flat out lied about the actual time he would be without his trailer. If I was a broker I would hate to have to try move loads of this nature.

 

Happened to me before at Home Depot distribution. I went back into yard and took my trailer back loaded with new Tool boxes . I got there attention and was unloaded 1 hrs later .

 

Hate to say but I would never be in his situation from the start because I would have had all the details spelled out as clear as day in writing before dispatching the truck. This would also include rates/charges for anything that would happen to go wrong.

I get calls to drop trailers at customers often but I don't do it because of the potential for damage but if I did it would be billed for an entire day's rate whether it sits there 3 hours or 14. Anything over 14 starts a new day rate etc etc. Who's responsible for damage is a big one too.

The most important thing here is to READ the Agreement and amend accordingly to suit the Carrier. So many other little details are important as well like hidden clauses that state the Agreement overrides the rate con or they won't pay the Carrier if they aren't paid etc etc.

I can't stress it enough...read what you sign and don't sign if you don't agree. Everything is negotiable. If they won't budge then tell them you don't want their business.

 

I'm not sure why you're blaming the broker here. You obviously agreed to such a ridiculous one sided agreement in writing or they wouldn't be doing this. Are you running a business or a charity?

 

Let's just say that the verbal agreement was more specific than what he saw in writing.
Verbal agreement is also binding. A broker says a "live unload", do I call and tell him to put in writing?
The op was a victim of deceit and I feel for him.
I'd be outraged myself and would blame the broker entirely.

Are we living in the World that everything needs to be spelled out and initialed? I hope not because this way it would be impossible to exist...it would make our lives miserable to think that everyone out there is to screw you on everything.

 

I'll sure remember this thread and Apex Logistics Group.
I don't know if it is just me but those businesses with names ending with "...x" make me more distrustful. I guess that's some irrational, inexplicable psychotic reaction...but hard to overcome nonetheless.

 

Would’ve hooked back up and pulled up to the guard shack. Ain’t no way I’m waiting for 5 days at 150. They either take it off or it’s going to storage. Need a response within 1 hour or it’s gone.

these shippers 95% of the time would rather suck on a covid infected ring pop than be kind to you driver, no matter if youre kind/diplomatic they will never care about your time or money.

 

Yes. After a verbal agreement, I put it all into an email and sent it to the broker. He wasn't responding. I had to call him and tell him to respond to the email before I'd move the truck. A verbal agreement is worthless if the other person denies it ever happened.