mercer transportation

Last week it was pouring down rain in the customer said they would not allow us inside the building to tarp I tell them while they could be raining for hours and they said so What we're not giving you the bills until it is tarped. I then tell them that's fine I'm charging detention on this one the guy went speechless after that

 

also going to job sites, often off road, and if you don't want to risk getting stuck in mud, etc. they will absolutely back up your decision to not get off the pavement. Unfortunately I found this out after I destroyed a clutch on an ice covered steep dirt hill.

 

better yet when they also say absolutely no way the product can get wet ... go outside in the rain to tarp .... ???????

 

Yup, I found that out a couple months ago trying to go up a muddy mountain side to deliver #47000 of steel to a solar farm they were building.

The had me stop as I was near the top of the hill to move some tractors out of the way and I was unable to gain traction from a dead stop with so much weight on my truck. From spinning my tires so much it ripped chunks out of 4 drive tires. Had to replace them.

I don't have a tow hook on front of my truck to be pulled with. Ended up being pushed from behind with a bulldozer. What a nightmare of a day.

Prior to going up hill the customer says theyve had 3 other trucks make it up the hill in those conditions as I told them didnt like the idea.Once I get to the top and was stuck the guy that came on the bulldozer says every truck that has delivered here has been stuck. I was irate to say the least, called Mercer immediately, and they told me I should have absolutely refused to go up the hill

Never again.

 

Anyones 2019 permits come?

 

Unload it

 

I would haul almost any load once. If I had a problem with it, I just put it on the no go list. If you raise hell at the shippers, I just makes them mad, it causes a problem with the shipper/agent relationship.

It puts the trucker as someone hard to work with in the agents eyes. Putting the trucker at a disadvantage when it comes to "good" freight that the agent has.

Also that load that you raise hell about, may be a "home boys" favorite load.

I have left a hand full of shippers over the years, but my first choice was to always take the load that I committed to, but never haul another load for that particular shipper. That saves face with the agent.

Remember a lot of being successful at Mercer has to do with building relationships with agents.

 

I never raise hell, I never raise my voice or get confrontational. I explain why there is a problem and do my best to offer a solution, politely. However I do stand up for what I agreed to do vs something entirely different. I may consent to the change for an increase in pay, or may decide not to do it the way they want, or not at all. I've seen too many "home boys" doing stuff that never should have been done, and then everyone else is expected to do the same. I WILL take the load I committed to, under the conditions that I accepted, and as long as everything is safe. Unfortunately in this industry safety is always put behind the desire for money. Some don't accept that and are often ostracized for that ideology.

 

I would've called the agent and if they couldn't get it resolved I would've told them to unload it.

A lot? Everything about being successful at Mercer relies on the relationships with agents. That's one thing I liked about it.

 

Local dealer has my drums for $155. Gonna pick up another one for driver side hoping that fixes the vibration. I think these are still dot legal lol