Unsecured load

I've about had it with truckers in general.

We've been loading out several loads going from Nashville to LA, all handled by the same broker. We have yet to get a single driver that could speak or understand basic English.

Of all the loads today takes the cake. We had a long (30') gantry beam off a machine that had to be blocked 16" on each end because of stuff hanging down underneath.

First non English speaking driver arrived this morning took one look at the load and said he wouldn't haul it because it would tear up his tarps (no sharp edges or anything). While I was asking to speak to his dispatcher, he just got in the truck and drove off fast.

I called the broker and he said he would have another truck this afternoon. Well the second non English speaking driver shows up and is eager to load. We get him loaded and he starts putting on tarps. I ask him what he's doing and he says he will strap over the tarps. Mind you, this more or less a double beam, weighing 25k, sitting on blocks, 16" above the deck.

I tell him he is insane and he needs to chain it to keep it from moving front to back. He says ( in broken English) that I am the idiot and he knows what he's doing. I then call the broker and tell him his driver is in over his head but he is unconcerned. Then I call my customer ( the one that set the trucks up) and tell him my concerns. He then calls the broker and he tells him not to worry about it.

I then send a email to all parties involved voicing my concerns and I managed to secretly video the driver saying he wasn't using chains, I didn't know what I was talking about, and he took 100% responsibility.

I did take a pic but it was after he already started laying out the tarps. The second pic is the piece sitting on the floor before we loaded it.

 

I know all are not idiots, I'm a driver too. I'm starting to think non-idiot drivers are in the minority though, especially ones that work off load boards.

When all this started, I tried to get the customer to deal directly with a trucking company that had experience in hauling machinery. They said that cost too much though. I guess you get what you pay for.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the load in question falls off the trailer on the trip. All it's going to take is one hard brake and it will roll right off the blocks.

 

They don't require hard hats there. He also had on flip flops and the safety man didn't like that.

I don't work there. We are just charged with loading out the equipment. We would have hauled the loads ourselves if it paid decent and it wasn't going to CA (we don't do CA).

 

Re-read the post, the customer handled trucking, all we were charged with was loading.

I'm a driver too, and I know how to secure a load. You cannot secure that load with straps only, over the tarp. There is nothing keeping it from moving front to back with it sitting just on each end on 16" tall wood blocks.

We are in the machinery moving business, we use chains. About the only use I have for straps is securing electrical cabinets, small crates, and the like. Kind of like you wouldn't tie a bulldozer down with straps.

I'm not saying he won't be lucky and make it, but if he has one hard brake, he's going to be eating it.