Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Was "Inside Delivery" pre-payed on the bill or was the account pre-approved for extra charges? I would say about 85% of our residentials are only charged for "Residential Delivery" and then we have to chargeback the shipper for Liftgate or Inside Delivery. Taking their freight into the garage (for us, at least) is considered "Inside Delivery", which is an extra charge.

So if I show up and the person's nice, I'll say "Well, I'm really not supposed to take it into the garage or backyard or whatever because there's no Inside Delivery charge, but for you I'll do it." This usually results in a $10-$20+ cash tip, but if not it's no big deal. If I show up and get attitude and there's no "Inside Delivery" pre-payed, I drop their freight at the end of the driveway. They either sign the bill or I put their stuff back in the trailer leave.

Over the course of a year, I'll make about an extra $100-$200 in cash tips....most of it around the holidays, which is kinda nice.

2 things I won't do: back onto a paved driveway or bring stuff into the house. When I worked for Watkins Motor Lines, we had a guy take freight into a lady's house. Next day, she calls up saying our driver messed up her carpet and damaged her hardwood floors (which was a lie). Another driver backed onto a concrete driveway with a pup and the next day the guy said our truck cracked his driveway (another lie). Can't trust anyone these days.

 

Residentials are such a pain. For every cash tip, there's umpteen power/phone/cable lines torn down, signs/mailboxes/poles knocked over, no place to turn around, liftgate deliveries that won't fit on our liftgates, palletjacking 800 lbs safes up seemingly mile-long 45% uphill grade driveways, etc etc etc....

One time, I call a guy up and I ask if I can get a semi truck down his street. He's like "Bring it on in Driver, I get trucks down here all the time." Go down the street and it's a nightmare: no place to turn around, I'm trimming tree branches with my trailer, have to drop my air bags to avoid lines, etc. I show up and the guy's like, "Holy crap, that's a big rig! I thought you were a UPS truck!!!"

One driver went down a street and took all the power lines out. SNAP! CRACKLE! POP! he knocked all the power out in that neighborhood during the night everyone was watching the big Ohio State game. Another guy hit traffic lights and dropped em' on the ground. Guys have gotten stuck and had to have the local police back em' out onto the main road.

I could write a book about residential deliveries

 

While what you are saying is true, any utility lines that cross any roadway that are low enough that a truck will take them out, are way below code. (Unless of course the truck is oversize.)

 

I hear this all the time and I don't fall for it anymore. I don't drive for an ltl carrier but we handle a lot of residential freight in south texas and if it's too tight or has low trees i won't even bother anymore.

My 70' truck is bigger than a ups truck. Person on the phone doesn't care. They just want their ####. I'm vigilant in keeping my record clean and tearing down a telephone pole trying to deliver ms yoga pants her Ikea furniture isn't how I'm going to ruin it. Lol

unloader

 

I had a delivery in downtown Hinsdale, IL of a skid. I made sure to call ahead since I couldn't figure out the best way to make the delivery. I made sure to say that I had a "big truck" and that might be an issue (it was a daycab with a 28' trailer, but any downtown in Chicagoland...), but the person i talked to said i should be good. "We get trucks here all the time." I got there, was able to park in front of this place and went inside. Her comment? "I didn't think you had that big of a truck!"