Torn air chute

No. You're not going to get anybody to pay for anything. Everybody will deny doing it even if you could find someone who'll listen to you. Unless you backed empty into a dock, took a picture of an intact chute, then saw the chute was damaged after pulling away from the dock, then you might have a case.

8/10 times a shipper does this, but occasionally a receiver will damage them. Like anything else, "nobody did it" or "prove it". This is just a cost of doing business in the reefer side. It happens. Many quickly discover where it happens somewhat regularly than just stop taking those loads.

Trailers that dump air bags upon brake release of trailer air supply are the worst for this happening to ... especially at places that load a lighter-weight high cube product, stacked high

 

If it's not a "perforated chute" and is a solid fabric that doesn't allow air to dump until it reaches the back then these are more critical especially with full loads to near the rear. If your driver can borrow a 6 foot ladder, have him go to an auto parts store and get some 1.5mm x 3/4 inch, 3M brand, 2-sided grey exterior moulding tape. It holds pretty dam good, even at -10 and if he uses enough and applies it well, and when dry, it will hold probably as long as a new chute installation assuming it's not dragged again by a forklift operator

Start at the front and use about a 2 inch strip, every 18 inches or so wherever it's falling down, and press firmly into the roof with thumbs [or use piece of board to hammer it pressed], trying to follow more or less where it otherwise be fastened up to.

 

I'm buying a couple new trailers, and saw in the spec sheet they have the auto dump valve. What is with this? I immediately called up and said change that to manual dump valve.

 

Lots of loaders don't like the "bounce" going into air ride trailers so trailer builders started making them always dump and let them set on the bumper stops which lowers the trailer about 3-4 inches below where it would otherwise be in relation to the warehouse floor. It's generally not a problem with the better dock ramp systems

Great Dane started making a "stiff arm" that comes down when you remove the supply air, and helps keep the trailer from dropping so far with the weight load of forklift entry. (And leaves the bags inflated) it works only marginally well but still prefer that to dumping the bags.

 

The issue I always found with auto dump is the trailer will walk forward a few inches as it's emptying the air... sometimes making it too far from the dock... so you gotta let it dump then push button in and put it against the dock before it fills up again.
Manual dump way better.
Those stiff arm things are junk.

 

Op
You just need to remember the commodity that ruined the chute. For me it was a load of hay. Never again. I got away by trimming my old chute down by about 5'. Should really have got a new one. Not a huge deal, don't expect them to cough up any money for it. You're gonna eat this one most likely.

 

Exactly. The trailer ends up like a 1/1000 of an inch dangling on the dock plate with this lol. And 5 inches below it.

 

Utility's were bad about that but they've made improvements and don't fall forward as far as they used to but still don't care for auto dump for other reasons.

 

My old vanguard would walk too.
That trailer at 7 years old was really showing it's age. And the thermal efficiency was decaying. Max difference was 80-90 degrees, difficult for my frozen work and summer heat. So now I have a new one. With payments. Hah. It's all good. I'd do it again.