Walmart bad and good

they said you took too long? the last time i del to a walmart it took them 6 hours to unload me.

 

I've never had that problem at WalMart... always the same $50 price to unload, and 99% of the time its been under three hours. I was at a grocery warehouse (not WallyWorld) in NJ today... it took them nearly 10 hours (got my break in) and they charged $350 to get the freight off. I certainly won't complain about WalMart. Of course we charge and get detention, so I'll get paid for sitting around today...

 

WM used to have unload rates that were all over the map. When they started the $50 unload for every load, the goal they had was to eliminate completely the drivers paying for the unload and bill the customers directly. From a memo I was able to read behind a desk at a WM, the drivers no longer paying was supposed to happen within months of the change to $50 unloads. I don't know why that never happened though.

 

Did you get your share of the "damaged" product? Every time I've unloaded in NJ ... the lumpers would always damage out 2 boxes, and bring me one.

What the hell do I want with a 50lb box on frozen potatoes on a truck??

 

Nope... didn't appreciate the theives... er lumpers up in Mass though. Ate a case of hot pockets while they were unloading, and didn't even bother to take the trash out of the back of the trailer.

 

I do Walmart a few times. I pull the emty out of the door and put the full one in. There, done. I like where I work.

 

I totally agree. I've worked warehouse positions for 20+ years and those hard working folks are very low on the totem pole in most organizations.

Years ago I worked my way up to assistant plant manager in a 100 employee production facility. Layoffs and cutbacks finally came and I was offered a position back down to warehouse clerk. I wanted termination and severance, but that wasn't going to happen since the facility had a job opening. They kept me at my current pay scale, so I took it. Within a day the "attitudes" all started up. Was like night and day.

If you work warehouse... you know what I mean.

 

I have delivered produce(mostly berries) to Walmarts all up and down the east coast, across the South and the Mid west and have only been Held up once, By a receiver who couldn't count. She left a pallet of 120 cases on my truck and gave me signed bills for the load. I work for a small company so being a nice guy and trying to help my company keep its good reputation I politely explained that she could take her product off my truck or I could take it to the market and sell it she then realized her error and took her product off my truck and thanked me.
You check in 1 to 2hrs before your appt time I am very rarely there more than 2 hrs after my appt time and it costs 50 bucks to get the truck unloaded. Great time to catch a nap. Ive gone in with one pallet and was going to unload it myself,When they opened the dock door the receiver said "that's all you have?" and had a forklift driver take the pallet off for me.
Compared to some other places I've been Ill take walmart any day.
Ive learned over the years that being nice pays off, Never show your ### at a receiver or shipper, Remember its not about you, You get to leave there, They have to be there everyday so who has the better deal? I always thank the person I am checking in or out with for their service whether it was good or bad and always complement the people on what a great job they are doing. I even brought some mcmuffins to a receiver once that I knew was not a great place to go and got unloaded right away and a thank you, what did that cost me? 10 bucks and a little time and I had a great day. Another time I was at Publix in Atlanta and was 6 hrs early for my appt. Went to the produce warehouse anyway and while waiting in the line for the receiver a yard dog driver asked me if I had jumper cables( after several other driver had turned her down) I said yes and she directed me to a truck they needed to get unloaded and wouldn't start I gave that driver a jump and got him started went back to my parking space and got back now at the end of the line, This yard dog driver came in and told the receiver what had happened and I got called up first and unloaded within an hour, out of there 5 hrs early, IT really does pay to be Nice, now when I go in there I always get a Hello and a wave from that yard dog driver.
Personally I don't care how long I sit at a receiver or shipper, It gives me time to catch up on sleep and relax If they are taking too long I call the broker and let them deal with it, Its not on me if they are slow. My job is to get the load from point A to point B safely and securely and my responsibility to my family is to operate my truck and my life in a manner that will insure my safety and health, Not get stressed out over things that I have no control of, Let the brokers and dispatchers worry about all the delays and screw ups of shippers and receivers.
Do the best job you can despite the adversity and never stress over things you cant control. Oh yea, ALWAYS SMILE you'll have a better life because of it.
Thats just the way Ive been doing it, it seems to work!

 

I give Wal Mart high marks for being able to change the way that they do business very quickly.
Best example I will cite is New Albany, Ms many years ago. I was delivering a load of juice drink, 20 pallets straight pull off. The DC price for this was $150. I felt this was excessive and told the clerk I would get off. When I got out to dock the receiver pulled off with an electric jack(you can only use a hand jack at Wal Mart) , basically all I did was stand there and look dumb.
I rang into the auditor and explained what had happened. I did not request reimbursement for this(remember dumb looks are still free). The clerk did note on the b/l "driver is unloading" . My company did pay them for the unload but only the going rate(what P&G paid us)
As chance would have it 2 weeks later I was back into this DC. Now Wal Mart had a very nice and neat price list posted for unloads then(and when I was there the first time) only this time when I went in scribbled across the bottom of the price sheet was straight pull off $30.00.
Since then P&G just pays Wal Mart directly as does Kraft/General Foods and many other shippers. I would also note that as Wal Mart got into the grocery business many of the other grocery warehouses(at least the better ones) have had to look at their policies.

 

I've delivered loads to the Walmart DC's in Marcy and Johnstown NY and have never had any problems.Usually right in and right out within 90 minutes.