Tired of waiting to get loaded or unloaded?
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Everyone knows time is money and for trucking companies, this saying makes even more sense, since our pay is measured by distance or market trends and not by time. A popular topic that is now even being debated by the FMCSA is detention and that dreaded word in trucking means usually money lost and not money earned, as the brokers and the shippers make it look like.
What is detention in trucking?
Detention is when a truck and driver spend time loading and unloading longer than what it normally takes. Detention has to be compensated according to the rate agreement between a freight broker and a trucking carrier.
You see, someone (brokers and shippers) came up with the idea that it's normal to take 2 hours to unload a 53' trailer using a forklift. A typical load consists of 22-24 single-stacked pallets, and for a trained forklift driver, it should not take more than 20-60 minutes of his or her time to unload such a truck. Now, mind you, some brokers will pay detention after 2 hours of being on the dock (the first 2 hours are free 😱), but some will pay after 4 hours and most of them won't pay at all. You can call them all day long or email them, but if they ignore you, hey at least you tried.
So what's the solution for drivers to get unloaded quickly?
Here are some tips for you, no matter whether you are a dispatcher or a truck driver:
Get there on time or even better - before the appointment time or the time they open.
A lot of drivers will arrive at their destinations before the shipper or receivers even open up. This way, there is a bigger chance they will take you before anyone else, or someone late for their appointment. Of course, some large distribution centers will not take you until 1-2 hours before your appointment time, but that's only a handful of DCs, such as Walmart Kroger, and other large chain stores.
Make sure you are well groomed and presentable, and show good manners.
If the people who are supposed to unload you are grumpy or disrespectful, they will turn around once they see how nice you are.
Make sure they are aware your clock is running and you need to pick up your next load that has to be somewhere on time.
Again, be nice about it and explain it using words they will understand and that will touch them and make them empathetic towards you or your situation. If you need to go home, you can also them how you haven't seen your family in a while and if you run out of hours today, you will have to take another 10-hour break until you can start driving.
Make them want the load
Now, this one might work only with smaller companies. I had a driver who, when a receiver said how he needed to wait to get unloaded, would them "Hey if you don't want the product, I will go to that other XYZ company, and I am sure they need it and they will take it". This trick worked a lot of times. Sometimes, he would just say that he would take it back if they didn't need it. It's up to you whether you are going to use this bluffing method or not.
Follow all the rules the shipper or receiver requires you to do
By showing respect for their rules and not complaining about all the mandates they have such as safety equipment, watching instructional videos, and wearing masks (pretty soon they will ask for blood samples) you are in a position to ask for something in return. It's like saying "I followed your rules, now you load me promptly."
If you are not empty or loaded in one hour, check back with the person in charge
I always tell my drivers to go back and see what's going on. I understand that sometimes the shipper will not let you back in until you are loaded, but most of the time, you can talk to someone. Politely ask if they are almost finished and how much longer they think it will take.
Sometimes this will make them work faster and this happens a lot, they just forget about you. Who knows, maybe they are already finished and they just forgot to inform you.
Paid and unpaid detention and long waiting times are costing the trucking industry billions of dollars annually and it's one of the biggest reasons, driving is becoming less attractive to truck drivers.
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