Cross dock nightmare

Scuba · Mar 28, 2009

Here i sit broken hearted tried to delived but surface transportation only farted. Here we go again proof that customer service is dead in the good ole USA. I got to surface transportation at 1630 and called them and was promised that someone would be here within an hour well it's 1934 and Panther tells me that they got the guy on the phone and they are now saying it will be 2040 before they get here. Well if i run out of hours ill sit in their dock and tie it up for at least 10 hrs with any luck they will get several trucks in and have to work them one at a time. I am sure that you cant tell just how pizzzzzzzed off I am with these people right now.

cheri1122 · Mar 28, 2009

A situation that occurs too often, IMO: we arrive at a specified delivery time, only to find no one there. Someone failed to take the simple step to ensure that the delivery time was set to the consignee's schedule, and it makes me wonder why others aren't REQUIRED to do their job to the same standards as we are.

Good luck getting detention pay!

Scuba · Mar 28, 2009

When i called them to say i was here and no one else was he told me he knew i was coming and was expecting me. So this one is 100% the cross dock faults. This isnt the cons i am their customer they arent mine.

geo · Mar 28, 2009

when i was with fedexcc i had a dock plate that i could use to back up to unit i was transfer with and we didn't need a dock to do it with
save time all you need was a pallet jack and it was quick and easy

greg334 · Mar 29, 2009

Sorry I don't see the problem. What is it, that you can't unload the truck?

Scuba · Mar 29, 2009

Right i couldn't get unloaded the load was going to canada for monday so i took it to a cross dock so a Canada driver could pick it up sometime on sunday to make the drop. These people didn't want the job if you ask me when you show up as late as they did. When i got unloaded i had 1 min left on my 14 hr clock so i got stuck at this place with no bathroom or anything elde. Ill just refuse these loads in the furture

greg334 · Mar 29, 2009

Scuba said:
Right i couldn't get unloaded the load was going to canada for monday so i took it to a cross dock so a Canada driver could pick it up sometime on sunday to make the drop. These people didn't want the job if you ask me when you show up as late as they did. When i got unloaded i had 1 min left on my 14 hr clock so i got stuck at this place with no bathroom or anything elde. Ill just refuse these loads in the furture

Got it now....

So you couldn't take it to Canada?

So you could not jump in the sleeper and make them wait?

I would have told them that I am 4 hours into my sleeper time, I have 4 hours to go, you made me wait, I have to make you wait.

I had this happen to me a bunch of times, I just rolled with it and made it a point to call dispatch to confirm things long before I arrived.

Scuba · Mar 29, 2009

Well i can go to Canada i don't go due to a lack of reloads to get me back out. And i don't like the idea of another country telling me what i have to set my trucks computer at. I thought of sitting in the dock but it would only have held up other Panther trucks that by the time the guy showed up were lined up around the corner. And they would have had to hit a hard to get to dock. Being as i was there first i got the easy dock. And since only one forklift driver showed up it wouldn't mattered to him so i pulled out of the dock and parked out of the way. The whole point of the thread was 1 blowing off steam and pointing out that customer service is dead. I am sure they made a buck coming in after hours to cross dock and still they didn't care enough to do the job that they contracted to do. How many of us could stay in business if we treated our customers like this.

greg334 · Mar 29, 2009

I understand all that, i am making suggestions.

I would have had the load taken off my truck, had the fork lift driver sign for it and park the truck until the other guy got there. This way there was no waiting for a dock on your part, all you would have him do is sign for the freight through the window of the sleeper

theoldprof · Mar 29, 2009

Never had much cross dock problems, but have had several cons thoroughly pizzed off because I was "late". I was early by "Panther" time, but somebody had their time zones screwed up. I was early by my time, but late by their time.

termite289 · Mar 30, 2009

well, my customer didnt show up at al tonight.
so, after my 8 hour brake, because they have a gate acros their driveway, and i can not get my big old long truck off the road, i am forced to park 2 miles away. we called, and called. no answer. 14 hours was up at 23:30, appointment was 23:30, and i drove back up there at 23:32 still noone there, so i turned around in that guys driveway again, and came back to the 2 miles away to take that 8 hour brake. ill be going back up in the am. hope they need their product more in the morning, than they needed it tonight. cause im a tad bit mad, and will be charging detention for this one.

wellarmed · Mar 30, 2009

There is a company in Romulus called Out Bound,we have done a lot of transfers there,they are open 24/7 and only charge $50 and you don't have to wait for the other driver to get there like some docks just fill out the paperwork with them and your out.

fastrod · Mar 30, 2009

wellarmed said:
There is a company in Romulus called Out Bound,we have done a lot of transfers there,they are open 24/7 and only charge $50 and you don't have to wait for the other driver to get there like some docks just fill out the paperwork with them and your out.

Good advise wellarmed, but I believe that they are required to go where panther tells them to. As long as panther, which is the customer in this case, remains satisfied with the cross dock service, the drivers feelings do not matter.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 30, 2009

You said 1 forklift driver was there...why couldn't he unload you?

We and Feds use Action Logistics in Romulous...they just unload us and sign for it...don't have to wait for other truck.

Scuba · Mar 30, 2009

When he showed up 5 hours later only 1 forklift driver showed up

OntarioVanMan · Mar 30, 2009

Scuba said:
When he showed up 5 hours later only 1 forklift driver showed up

Not meaning to sound dumb...or pick on ya...I am not understanding why he couldn't have unloaded ya...Not enough room on the dock?

mjolnir131 · Mar 30, 2009

theoldprof said:
Never had much cross dock problems, but have had several cons thoroughly pizzed off because I was "late". I was early by "Panther" time, but somebody had their time zones screwed up. I was early by my time, but late by their time.

Panther uses Eastern time how many runs do you get to the east coast of Canada that Atlantic time even comes into play?

Yesteryear · Mar 30, 2009

geo said:
when i was with fedexcc i had a dock plate that i could use to back up to unit i was transfer with and we didn't need a dock to do it with
save time all you need was a pallet jack and it was quick and easy

But where would you get a dock plate?

OntarioVanMan · Mar 30, 2009

Yesteryear said:
But where would you get a dock plate?

A material handlers equipment supplier...

All it is is an aluminum plate with an L bracket on the bottom side to keep from slipping between bumpers...lightweight.

x06col · Mar 30, 2009

Scuba said:
Well i can go to Canada i don't go due to a lack of reloads to get me back out. And i don't like the idea of another country telling me what i have to set my trucks computer at. I thought of sitting in the dock but it would only have held up other Panther trucks that by the time the guy showed up were lined up around the corner. And they would have had to hit a hard to get to dock. Being as i was there first i got the easy dock. And since only one forklift driver showed up it wouldn't mattered to him so i pulled out of the dock and parked out of the way. The whole point of the thread was 1 blowing off steam and pointing out that customer service is dead. I am sure they made a buck coming in after hours to cross dock and still they didn't care enough to do the job that they contracted to do. How many of us could stay in business if we treated our customers like this.

I seem to be reading a whole lotsa ( I, me, they) with some (don't wanna) mixed in. Seems like a bad combination to me. Why can't you people prepare yourself for the occasional glitch that YOU caused by terminating your mission short of completion.