Home Depot

I just laugh at them. One time a customer tried to charge me a fee like that and I just started closing up my truck and when he asked what I was doing I said that I could sell the product (fresh fish) in about 15 minutes downtown for more than the load was paying and if he wasn't an a-hole he might get his order next week.


He back-peddled pretty fast.

 

Last week I dropped a paper towel load at HEB in Temple, TX. They rejected 24 cases because it was not HEB store brand product (it ended up being walgreens). It was a shipper load so I was in the clear. I contacted my dispatcher who contacted the broker who coudnt figure out what they wanted to do. Finally my dispatcher gave them an ultimatem, get it off our trailer or we'd bring it home to El Paso where we'd have no problem unloading those cases. 10 min later I was back at HEB where they received those 24 cases.

 

three seasons in a row we delivered patio furniture to HD stores in New Mexico and Colorado. The only ones I had a problem with was Gallup and Bernalillo, oh and the shipper was beyond stupid. The loads came by rail, the shipped talked to my dispatcher before they even loaded the container, asked what deliver order we wanted it loaded. 3 stops, Gallup, Bernalillo, Farmington. We told them Farmington on the nose, Gallup in the middle, Bernalillo on the tail ( I was starting in Denver). They screwed the pooch, Farmington on the nose, Bernalillo in the middle, Gallup on the tail. Nothing like driving 11 hrs to make a delivery, backtracking 5 hrs, then going 4 hrs essentially out of the way, before making the 7 hr drive home.

Arrived in Gallup 4 hrs early, they were debating if they really wanted to take me early or not. Finally they took me 30 min. early, but Bernalillo took me 2 hrs early, and Farmington took me 8 hrs early.

Did another one a few days later, Grand Junction and Eagle, Grand Junction was cool, 3 pm Apt., arrived at 2pm and was out by 3pm. Supposed to deliver in Eagle at 000 hrs, called before leaving Junction to let them know I would be there at 1800 hrs, nope, sorry, you'll have to wait til 000 hrs. Called back at 1800, they said be there at 2100 an we'll unload you. Receiving clerk never got the word, I showed up and he was stumped.

Two years in a row we did Hot Tub loads to HD stores in Denver and the Springs, this was when they would do their Hot Tub sales. Every container would have 20 hot tubs on, they didn't fit on the loading dock and the stores refused to unload in the parking lot. We had to transload to our flatbed everytime. One store, when they realized we transloaded, refused the load because they were afraid of damage. We sat on those hot tubs in our yard for two months while the company, HD, and the broker fought over them. In the end, they finally accepted them, two months late, and paid us $45/day for storage.

 

I'm a co driver so it's drop and hook, but it can take 2-3 hours each way just to check in and out when their busy.... there must be a more effecient way!

 

That's at Norwood mass. They're cool guys I always showed up the night before my scheduled time and was always unloaded within a half hour of arriving. Great pay too I wouldn't knock it.

 

home depot DC in dacula Ga is great. I carry loads from norboard there all the time....they make you an appointment between 12-5am...as long as your there before your appointment time they dont care...only tarp is its raining...usually in and out less than 20-30 mins

I enjoy delivering to Lowes stores as well...call and get the 7-10am slot and show up at 630, usually gone by 730 sometimes earlier. Never care if its tarped or not....unless of course its raining.

 

I had a home depot store refuse a pallet because the top boxes were a little wet. I had three more deliveries and the last one wouldn't move the pallet because he wouldn't touch anything for another store. So I call the boss and the broker and they tell me screw it they'll write it off. Get rid of it. So I cut the pallet open and tossed 7 or 8 brand new attic ladders in their dumpster. Never delivered to any of the one in that area again.

 

The problems at the individual stores go right back to their receiving department manager. If that person is reasonable, then they are easy to deal with. But most of the ones that I've seen, just look for ways to make your life miserable and find things to bellyache about.

That broad that used to, (and maybe still does,) run the receiving at the store in Washington Ut is a total idiot. She spends much more time pissing and moaning about stuff than she does working.

 

That reminds me of the cow that ran receiving at the Smith's in Bullhead City, AZ when I did the cart run. All she did was whine. Especially that I was tying up her dock and she had vendors waiting. I wanted to say "#####, I called you and you TOLD me to come at this time!"