***the Lumper Scam***

Its illegal for them to say you cant unload it and *have* to get a lumper. I love the way these law abiding companies go around it:

"you can unload it but you have to have your own dock."

"you can unload it but you only have two hours" (for a full truckload + breakdown to 40 skids...takes an hour just to get it off the truck without tearing anything up!)

 

I dunno what this "breakdown" you speak of is, it's not included in my definition of "unload." I can play word games too.

 

Not really. I see them all the time beating their cargo with broom sticks. I thought those things were pinned up in such a way they couldn't move. I figured the buyers would make a big deal about bruising, that's why I never understood the practice of stabbing them with sticks while en route.

 

wait, what?

 

Sorry, I replied to a quote but didn't realize it was off topic and old.

 

No, i saw the quote, but i've never seen this. What the hell do they beat the animals for? Are you sure that they were being that rough?

Also i suspect bruising is pretty normal. How would you like to be hauled like that? I honestly dont even see why its done.

 

It was from a post several months ago, around page 8 or so. Not even sure how they went from lumpers to cattle hauling....wait yea I do. But anyway this guy ended his post with those words I quoted. You'll see those livestock haulers doing that sometimes. I think their just taking anger out on the 800 lb heffer that won't sit still. I'm no animal rights nut, just had a burger myself, but I say just raise em and kill them quickly. Not really a fan of the beating and I know not all do I was just commenting on a few I have seen do that.

 

I just find it odd. I've never seen it before myself. Maybe they had a valid reason.

But if you think about it....they're pretty much beating eachother up the whole ride anyway. Its kind of cruel to move them long distances. But thats just how they have the system setup so not much we can do about it...

 

Yea that's what that other guy was getting into. How they don't move them such long distances like they did before due to the stress placed on the meat and how most of it's more regionally raised now. Kind of interesting actually.

 

I had a load of bottled water going into AWG in Kansas City a while back. Checked in, waited my turn to see the "Lumper King", and was told it would be $175 to unload. I went out to the truck and called the company to get a ComChek and authorization.

I get some snot-nosed newbie dispatcher who tells me that the "normal" unloading fee is $85, and he wonders why this load is so much higher. I tell him that this is a mixed load, and the others are probably straight pull-offs, but that doesn't satisfy him - he wants me to find out why.

So I trudge back into the building, wait my turn to see the "Lumper King", who tells me exactly what I suspected - there's a lot of breakdown involved. I call back to the company, get the snot-nose on the phone and he immediately asks "What did they say?", to which I replied "They said it's now $225, and the next time I ask them a stupid question it'll be $275!"

They've never hassled me about lumper fees since!