Why does unloading with reefers take so long?

Another that comes to mind a older independent called "Associated Grocers" I won't get into detail about how bad they can be on many levels.

 

My last 2 places.

USCS Quakertown. Had 07:00 unload appointment. Arrive 06:30. I’m leaving with signed bills at 08:20. No lumper charges.

Bounce west about 70 miles to a candy producer near Robesonia. Have a 15:00 appointment. Arrive 10:00. I’m loaded and pulling out heading to Lacey, WA at 11:00. She also gave me about 4 lb bag of what are basically Reese’s PB cups. Be adding some new winter weight in the coming week(s?)

My only problem is dealing with these winter appointments where the worst is expected but it doesn’t happen and I end up sitting 24 hours near the final.

 

That's the deal,if you're frieght is hot(they're getting low on stock) they get to you fast.If they have more than they need of what your hauling,than you sit,free cold storage.Many moons ago when I was trucking,I'd tell them I was out of fuel in the reefer.Doesn't work in winter and with receivers that have heard it too many times.

 

You hit a key point for me on one of my worst detention time loads.

Picked up a load of Candy bars from a distributor in SoCal and ran it up to a grocery where house in Stockton area for the first drop. That first stop broke out to about 150 skids. Plus they had to enter all the "new products" into the system. The load had some of the first seasonal (valentines day) candy on it so they could not just scan it in but had to also add it to the system. Had to make sure only one product code was on each skid( and no mixed date codes).

Same thing at the second stop except I was docked in between 2 other similar trucks, One was mixed Proctor and Gamble products and the other was equally as horrible. Lumper lead asked me to step in and check something out. He showed me all three trucks and explained they would like to do mine after they did the others so they would have room to work. Just wanted me to let my company (at that time) know that they would be paying detention. Second stop was also in the 150 skid breakdown range.

 

Several possible reasons.

Loads have to be counted.

Sometimes pallets need to be restacked smaller.

Sometimes quality control has to inspect products.

Sometimes the case counts are enormous.

Sometimes all the cases look almost the same.

It depends on the load, and the receiver.

 

Everything slows down when it gets cold.

When you back into the dock go running into the receiving office yelling that your reefer unit just sparked and died. You'll be unloaded in 10 minutes.

 

Do you really believe they're unloading the whole time..

Oh yeah the counting argument..
That's total crap
I used to unload parts at a manufacturing plant

We would unload the truck, sign the paperwork and count after the driver leaves, there's no reason to make the driver wait for that.
If something came up missing or short we will just mark it on the bills and then it goes to the person that orders the parts and they would email the shipper/supplier.

I guess you could make the argument, nobody wants to steal parts going into an AC compressor and you have a point.
That's why we have seals right..

 

When you have 50 reefers backed up to docks pumping in -10 air from their reefers for 12 hours a day it lowers the electricity bill of the warehouse by thousands of dollars which in turn guarantees big bonuses to the warehouse managers at Thanksgiving and Christmas time.

 

In the reefer side of things, damaged perishables are nearly always refused.

It's hard to put the refused stuff back in the trailer if you inspect it after the truck that brought it is gone...

 

I know, I pull reefer
It's still crap.
I like refused product as much as anyone..

Got to be a better way though.