Loading and Unloading hassles

The things you had hoped for are long passed. Ever since shipping/receiving type jobs were reduced to a Mickey D's type jobs and on site transportation managers were replaced by brokers.

 

Grocery warehouses can be a pita. They each have their own system. Once you learn it, it gets easier. You as a driver should never have to pay out of your own pocket for hiring a lumper. Cash is faster and easier than making a t check or com check. They will issue you a receipt for it, so not to worry. You will learn which places are slow and which are fast. Soon enough you will go to sleep once you are in the dock and playing the waiting game. Other sectors of trucking have their own sets of headaches, so pick your poison.

 

I run dedicated routes hauling auto parts...some live load most d/h...different world then general freight...wait times are minimal.

 

You deffinately are dreaming stampede,lol.But there are some nice customers.Not offering you beverage or anything but just a pleasant person to deliver to.That blog may be a tad bit exaggerated unless he deliveres to huge places.You do get use to all the red tape you have to go thru with certain loads.I would say reefer sits the most and has the most running around to do before he gets assigned a dock..I don't know why any driver would wanna pay out of their own pocket for someone to unload you,company drivers anyway.You're spending most the money you made in mieage pay for a lumper.Nuts to that.If you're not prepared to have to go thru all the added extras then I would suggest finding a different line of work.There's no getting around it.This is part of the reason why drivers don't make what they had hoped.Trk driving is very unconsistant.

 

The blog you quoted is pretty on target for reefer drivers. The flatbedders and tanker yankers probably sit for free a lot less then the blogger. I am moving equipment so I don't sit at all, it is ready to back under when I get back to the yard. If the wait time will be an issue for you, and it was for me for sure, then look at a different section of truck driving, they all need drivers.

 

Used to deliver Assc. Gro in Amarillo, nicest people ever, and a BBQ house in Pampa, worst jerks I ever met. Wanted me to pull all the old boxes of ribs out of their freezer and put mine in, then put the old back. I asked for help as it was usually around 100 boxes of 70 lb ea. They refused so I stacked them all in front of the door and went on. Got called back and the co I worked for said, the driver before you did it so you have to. I knew him and we went in together and talked them into making a helper come out or we didn't have to unload. Wallyworld is the worst. If you want freight to walk off haul bulls!

 

You'll even get treated like crap from the 19 year old kid at the security gate. You know the one I'm talking about. He's mad at the world. He doesn't understand why he hasn't been given a management position after 4 months on the job. He's irritated that trucks keep pulling up to the gate because he's in the middle of texting his best bud about last night's concert at the mosh pit. He doesn't have money for lunch because the price of pot and Evan Williams keeps going up. He has no clue who Merle Haggard is, but he can quickly tell you why the Republicans have destroyed this country. And don't even think about asking him where the nearest truck stop is.

 

stampeder -- please post a link to the log