How do I deal with rude shippers / customers

The worst day at the docks is always better then the best day with the office folks. If all else fails in a couple hours i'll drive away from the docks and never have to see those people again, the office trolls I'll have to deal with until my final paycheck gets in.

Their are some snotty, holier then thou, shippers and security, with piss poor attitudes and manors. And, truck driving is a profession a lot look down on, but who cares. Just ride it out. They want the stuff on your truck, you want it off. Keep your mouth to a minimum and let things happen as they will. They want to screw the pooch on any situation, hit up your company for the detention, because your company is not going to thank you any other way you handle it.

In all honesty, most of a driver's problems come from the front office of the trucking company.

 

The worst discrimination that I've witnessed has always been directed at immigrants. Things like laughing about making them wait until everyone else was loaded...

But teaming with a Mexican- & African-Americans showed me that there is plenty of the more subtle kinds of discrimination out there. I'd walk to a shipper window and get a smile. My codriver would walk in a few minutes later and get a scowl, along with an extra watchful eye -- like he was going to steal the pen or something. If I ask to use a private restroom, I'm almost always allowed. Their results were much more mixed... Service at restaurants was often worse too.

 

Remember this phrase the next time you have to deal with someone rude.

"I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are!"

 

That's great one right there

 

I've been called "gringo" by a Mexican at a shipper once. It works both ways.

 

A lot of times companies use third party guard services so guards think they can get away with more because they just get transferred elsewhere to another guard shack. You run across a mouthy guard you can always ask what guard service he/she is working for and the bosses name, or ask the manager of the shipper for that information. It's probably not the first complaint received on that person anyways.

 

I'll never forget this one guard that I think was from a temp fill in.He wasn't an employee for that company.He talked to drivers like he was a general in the armed forces.He gave me directions how to get to the dock but because he talked so fast I forgot and asked him again.Man was he mad because he had to repeat himself.I told the guy who unloaded me about him.He said he's a fill in and gets many complaints from drivers.He said we would like to get rid of him but he was working under contract of something like that.

 

Another warehouse story. Get to receiver Saturday morning with a load of produce from Cali. Go inside to check in and get the "we have no room for your product you will have to wait in the lot until Monday" treatment. Go back to truck, call company and they're like WTF no way! Sit tight they tell me. Literally 5 minutes later the receiver runs out and says, "sir please back into dock number five we will immediately unload you and get you out of here." I think some of these places just enjoy screwing with drivers.

If he was working for a temp agency all the warehouse had to do was call the temp service and tell them to not send him again. The agency would much rather send somebody else than risk losing the account.