Waiting at shipper?

Yes, it is!

 

I sometimes wonder how many time I have "overslept" when I show up hours late with a load that I had absolutely no control over. I have learned in almost 6 years out here that Company Sales people and Customer Service Reps are slimier than Brokers. They will throw drivers under the bus and run over them repeatedly. I have learned to use the Qualcomm to my advantage. I NEVER make phone calls to my company in these situations. QC messages every HOUR...... STILL WAITING.... still waiting.... no response from shipper/consignee..... still waiting.... NEVER communicate these issues by PHONE!!!!! EVER.

 

Yeppers! Always CYA. I do call, but always back it up with a message covering who said what and guidance given, or not.

 

In 41 years of trucking i bet i have spent between 5 and 7 years waiting on others to do their jobs so I could do mine .

 

Dispatch gets paid whether you sit or run. The shipper gets paid whether you sit or run. Starving a driver is no big deal to the people working on salary. Hopefully your company is paying you SOMETHING. Just don't expect to argue with the customer and change them. They can then just make sure you are loaded after every other load for every other truck. If your company won't help, you aren't going to argue them into better behavior. Just put their poor behavior in the mental file, and look are a company that treats their drivers better.

 

ONCE, Northern Maryland, waited at a Customer 25 hours including Loading Time (last 2 hours).
New Customer was still configuring their Computer System. 2 Other different Company Trucks waited same time.
Company (Driving For An O. O. Leased On With PTL) offered $50.00 as "compensation".
O. O. received it.
- - - -
Prior Driving Gig, Flatbed.
Longest "wait time" of all Wait Times, about 1 hour for a Single 40K Coil, Loaded "SUICIDE For The Ride".
Took 3-4 hours to Fully Secure Load because it was a mild 90 something in the shade with humidity AND Site requirements forced (or NO LOAD) wearing Long Sleeved Shirt, Long Pants, Steel Toe Boots, Hard Hat & Safety Glasses AND some chap cruised the Outside Securing Area in a Cart to "enforce" any "violations" of Dress Code.
Also Had To TARP Coil or No Release from Yard OR Load Removed.

Sparrows Point MD., Loads of Coils.
Some "wait times" were dependent upon How Much Negativity The Check In/Security Lady Received.
Some "drivers" waited HOURS.
Compliments From I on Her Nail Polish Colors and other Factors seemed to work in My Favor as I "passed" the whiners, got loaded, passed them again leaving.
Such Didn't Always Work With Everyone.

CHEERS!!​

 

Well, as we would say around my parts, you were high on the hog. You didn’t have a job, but you had gentlemen status with your degree.

Now that you’re a truck driver, however, you’re not even back strap. You MIGHT be the sausage casing in certain circles, but most consider you less than the urine the hog excretes.

But not all is lost friend! You *COULD* be lifted to trucker immortality, the nirvana of all that’s right in the night. You could have the nectar of the gods served to you on a silver platter. But, it all hinges on one question:

Are you a Kentuckian?

 

When this happened to me as a company driver and dispatch wasn't doing what I considered to be their job, I called the owner, explained the situation and the fact his asset he was paying for was not being utilized to its full potential, asking for his advise, he lit a fire under said dispatchers rear, got me pulled off the load and onto something else. Some waiting is normal. Excessive opinion. In op's case is not acceptable in my opnion.