WalMart DC's.... ALL OF THEM

Condo, you're right. I've said it before and will again. Ask them a question, and you almost expect them to fall to their shoulder on the floor and spin in circles. They have no concept except for the script. Pathetic that a company can brainwash someone like that, at least that's what I assume.

 

I thought there was a maximum of a 2 hour early window for walmart, they allowed drivers to park until called on a cb. maybe it's changed since then. I'll admit my feelings were hurt a tad when I finally realized I'm just a number with the expectations of a rubber stamp or else.

 

Yeah, well any hint of damage the inbound product gets rejected in my experiance.

We deliver to the stores out of the Lewiston ME DC, either on their trailers or ours... You should see the product damage that comes off the trucks at the stores from their outbound loading. Heavy product pallets stacked on top of easily crushable product like box tissue.

Store managers with thier mouths agape... I always get a kick out of telling them, I garauntee that the product didnt arrive at the DC in that condition.

 

The majority of them are 1 hour early. There's a few that go 2 hours, but you can't go wrong with 1 hour and have to remember which is which. There's a few with outside gate staging area's. Most take about 20 minutes or so to get in the gate, docked and checked in. The time stamp in the receiving office is what matters.

 

understood, thanks!

 

I work out of a DC, I see them treat their own trailers as roughly as anyone elses. I also see how the gate guards are treated by many OTR drivers (including OTR drivers from the company I work for). I also watch and just freaking shake my head at the behavior of some OTR drivers as they race through through the lot, almost run over others and slam into the docks.

There's almost always several sides to an issue.

Because we now run OTR as well as dedicated we see other DCs and there we're simply OTR drivers. Most of the time we're treated well and often we're thanked for our courtesy to them as it seems to be rare. We don't like waiting for appointment times either, but we try to remember that this industry isn't ONLY about the DRIVER, it's also about the FREIGHT, the CUSTOMER, and yes.....the COMPANY each driver works for.

The reason you wait for an appointment at a W-M grocery DC is because of how that particular product you're hauling is handled.

And the worst gate guard at a W-M DC that I've encountered was in NB. So I told him how much I appreciated his kindness and help that it's not often I meet someone as generous of spirit as he. He was left speachless. The other guard however laughed like crazy and then let me in early for the appointment.

 

c'mon guys, i think you're overreacting.
look, i sure am not a fan of walmart by all means, neither i like to shop there, but...when a broker offers me an acceptable rate, i go there.
i sure hate to drop trl and sometimes deal with nasty unpolite creatures at the window... yet, no problem...i learned how to charge for that.
... and 50 unlding bucks? who cares...i pass it on the broker anyway.
and btw...it feels kinda good knowing i'll be out of there in about 2 hrs so i am not afraid to preplan my next load.

 

yes sir, another day, another dollar, another load, it's all part of the job.

 

Nana, you're right, there are many sides to a story, but when I sat there and watched the yard dog at of one them drag, not one, but two trailers that didn't belong to them, that had locked brakes, from one end of the dc to almost the other, tires smoking, ya just gotta wonder. For all I know, he might not even have bothered to hook up the air, I don't know.
And I will admit something, I hate mallwart more than other place I've ever been, so yes, I may have a chip on shoulder, but still try to get along, and ALWAYS let them set the tempo. I've been screamed at, had papers thrown back in my face, yes literally, lied to/about. No, not at all of them, but I'll bet half of them, unless it was a drop/hook. And to be fair, at Sam's, especially the stores, I've been treated VERY nicely, and no screwing around keeping me way beyond my hours, or appointment times. But I'm smiling now, I don't have contact with mallwart anymore, no more dread!

 

I delivered into the DC at Casa Grande AZ a year ago. In and out promptly and the people were nice.

KH