Lumpers - are they needed

Amen to that fellas. Nobody needs to know what's on your truck. If I was asked, I'd always tell them 'Dispatcher brains' or another favorite 'Monkey Farts' .

 

Ok I understand lumpers unload you but what I am not sure is this a serive provided by thplace you are delivering to, something we hire to do and if we hire them do we pay from our pocket or does the company you work for pay?

Thanks!

 

Im not too clear on the subject either, but from what I understand, they are paid by you and you get reimbursed by your company. They dont work for the place youre delivering to, but I dont see how that works since they are working there unloading their freight, but not working for them?(you know the place their working at gets a cut).
Also, why does one have to hire a lumper to unload freight? Shouldnt the company youre delivering to have employees to do that?
So, what doesnt make a lumper an employee of the company?
I dont mean to hijack the thread, just hoping the information will benifit us both.

 

you can pay the lumper with a com check you just have to make sure that you get the ss# or tax id# for the lumper and get them to sign a recipt too or you will have it take out of your check.
For reimbursment you need to turn in the recipt along with all other recipts from that trip/load.

If the lumper refuses to give you a ss# or tax id # tell them well no number no pay some companies are strict on you getting the number or you may have to pay out of your check for paying and not getting the number.

 

No reason to apologize here; you make valid points. I hope someone has more to offer on this subject. You have cleared some of it up for me.
Thanks!

 

Thanks Mgassel this is just one of the many things I need to learn about being a profressional truck driver.
Thanks!

 

Your welcome
I have not even started to drive yet but I seen the info on here before.

I start with my first company July 16th for orentation 3 day then out with a trainer.

The trainer portion will depend on my skills while driving it can be as short as 1 week to as long as 6 weeks.

I have to learn how to drive a 13spd I only got to drive a 10spd in school.

 

In the 80's, when a warehouse insisted the driver to the unloading or loading, there were always guys hanging around just waiting for a driver to hire them to do the work.

Somewhere along the line, things got organized. Since I was off the road, during that period, I don't know how it happened but I'm glad it did. Today, the lumpers have to be a part of a small company in order to work in the warehouses. Much better insurance for the drivers (less stollen freight and less robbery)

The company you go to work for will give you the details about how they want to handle lumpers. Usually, it's a company receipt that has to be filled out in addition to the receipt the lumper give you. Company drivers do not absorb expenses incurred by the hauling/the freight/the trailer/etc. The company books the freight/gets the top dollar/has all expenses. You're just another expense on the books.
As a company driver, you should never be asked to pay tolls/lumper fees/fines for overweight or safety issues.

Just remember, on the books, you are an expense. Not a responsible party when it comes to expenses incurred by the equipment, or anything involved in the hauling/loading/unloading of freight.

red fox

 

Welcome to the forum red! Great info and thanks for clearing that up!
Why would a company not unload their own freight? I think I remember reading Wal-Mart charges to unload their freight. Why?

 

Who knows and it's down right disgusting. The only explanation I can come up with is 'it's a racket'.

It seems to me everybody is finding ways to drag money out of everybody. Walmart warehouses are a prime example.

The problem is, there's not much we can do about it. If the mega massive companys don't have the power to deal with it, how are we?

Loading and unloading/warehouse/games have been going on from the get-go. Things are sure better than it used to be, though.

red fox