Spotting or Dropping Equipment at Shipper or Receiver Posted by Kevin Snobel at 04:58 PM
Interesting how the Trucking community has now become a mobile warehouse. We spot trailers at shippers and receivers doors for their conveneince, and yet not only they do not want to pay for the convenience, WHEN THEY DAMAGE THE TRAILERS, THEY CRY FOUL, SAY THE CARRIER DROPPED IT DAMAGED, THE SHUNT COMPANY DID IT, AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER EXCUSES.
The average new 53' Dry Van Brand new is in the vicinity of $28,000.00. Small carriers, may have a 2:1 ratio Trailers to Trucks, Larger carriers maybe the same to a little more like 3:1 ratio. Recently a friend of mine in this industry was telling me how they spotted a trailer and the shunt company damaged, the reefer unit on the front of it. First they tried to say it was dropped like that. (Sure they drove all the way from Canada to the MIDWEST) and dropped a damaged reefer trailer (Value new $60,000.00) give or take a few thousand. Funny enough then the shunt company told the 3PL we are not paying anything we have a contract signed by the carrier.
The carrier though read the contract, and it says right on it REASONABLE WEAR AND TEAR. This of course does not mean damage. Especailly when you can blatenly see the damaged peices fallen off of the reefer unit laying right in the picture they provided, and clearly their fault. Yet the 3PL tried to say U.S. law says we are not responsible. I would not only beg to differ but I am sure Mr. Henry Seaton who specializes in Transportation Law, will back me on this. WHoever the contract is with the carrier and they request spotting trailers, that is who is gulity. It is then up to that party to SUBROGATE AGAINST THEIR CUSTOMER. Read: Shipper, Receiver, or Shunt Company Not the carrier.
Sure it gets messy and no one wants to loose a customer, or charge them. However damage the carriers property and somone has to pay. Certainly not the carrier. It is not in their care and control anymore. Big lessons here, for the BIG3??? to learn. Numerous carriers, have been dropping trailers on site for years, and the shunt compnay damages the trailers, and the carrier, gets strung along for a year or two. Then they are told too bad, we won't pay. Well a lot of carriers are now saying TOO BAD WE WON'T DROP EITHER.
Too much money invested in equiment to have everyone have such a CAVALIER attitude towards the carrier and their money. Remember eventually it comes out of your pocket one way or another.
P.S. (K.S. no not me! although same initials, I am not grouchy just telling the facts like they are. Most carriers, are like the movie NETWORK "WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE"
Hope to see everyone at EXPOCAM in Montreal this year, April 7th 8th and 9th. Looking forward to it.
Comments
Crazy isn't it Kevin? I recall one plant that got rid of its shunter and EXPECTED delivering carriers to move one of the trailers for them. They even put up a notice to this effect. And these were no easy docks and doors, backing into a dark hole from out of the sunlight. So what would you think of a big carrier that uses another company's dropped trailers to make pick ups when they are short equipment? Is this ethical?
I do recall a couple of places that would give drivers a gratuity for spotting a trailer: a place in Toronto that imported containers of ceramic dinnerware, and would always need those containers moved around, but they'd give the driver a nice set of dishes for doing so...another produce shipper that would give drivers a basket of apples for a shunt etc.
Years ago I used to run auto parts out of Michigan and the company I worked for would drop three-leggers in the yard. One time I came across a trailer that had all the air line tubing at the gauges sliced apart. Either it was sabotage by someone who hated Canadian trucking companies, or vandalism by a frustrated shunt driver who couldn't lift the extra axle. But it's not always the shunt contractor doing the damage. Reefers and nose cones get swiped by trailers pulling u-turns in yards. And inept carriers dropping trailers can wipe out and split open someone else's parked trailer. The saving grace is that most yards are well-camera-ed these days.
Posted by: Harry Rudolfs | March 14, 2011 04:57 AM