Dock high required

[CharlesD]

Maybe I'm still too new to this business and this is old news to some on here, but there is something that is beginning to really tick me off. It's this insistence of some shippers on dock high equipment to move a load that is sometimes one or two pallets and under a ton when the shipper has the ability to load a vehicle that is not dock high. Here is an example. I was sitting in Toledo not long ago and itching to go home (Cincinnati) because I had been out for a couple weeks. I was about to deadhead home when I came across a decent paying load from a broker picking up in Toledo and going to Ford in Sharonville. I live about 15 minutes from that Sharonville plant, so that load was perfect. The load was one standard sized skid weighing 650 pounds. The broker told me that the shipper was asking for a dock high straight truck, but I had delivered to that facility before and knew that they had an overhead door and could load and unload vans without a problem. I've also delivered to the Ford plant in Sharonville several times and knew that they also have a ramp to accommodate vans. I told the broker this and asked him to check with them about the dock high requirement since the load was plenty small enough to fit in any size van, let alone my Sprinter. So he called the shipper with me on the phone able to hear the entire conversation and told them that there was a van only ten minutes away but that it wasn't dock high. I also heard him mention that the same van had delivered there before and that since they had an overhead door it shouldn't be much of a problem. The shipper then still insisted on a dock high truck and I never got the load.

This same scenario has played out three times in the last two days, three loads I could have had out of Jacksonville but now I'm stuck looking to relocate to a better area for Monday or try my luck down here for another day. That's three more times where shippers have had loads that were van size and they have the ability to load a van, but they still insisted on something dock high. What could be the reason for this? There was another time recently where I got a load from a broker and then the shipper griped about me not being dock high, while once again they had an overhead door and the ability to easily load my van. Is it really that much more of a hassle to load a van compared to a dock high truck? It makes no sense to me.

 

[dieseldiva]

"But when we open that overhead door it gets so very cold in here"!! Guess they'd rather pay more for a larger vehicle whether they need it or not....pretty lame.

 

[cheri1122]

That would be frustrating, to find the "perfect load", and be turned down, for reasons that don't appear to make sense, definitely. But as shippers pay more for the dock high truck, there must be a reason. If I had to guess, I'd say they probably had a bad experience, (maybe a forklift driver damaged a van) that caused them to prefer dock high trucks. Or possibly the insurance is more expensive, loading without the dock?

 

[CharlesD]

That would be frustrating, to find the "perfect load", and be turned down, for reasons that don't appear to make sense, definitely. But as shippers pay more for the dock high truck, there must be a reason. If I had to guess, I'd say they probably had a bad experience, (maybe a forklift driver damaged a van) that caused them to prefer dock high trucks. Or possibly the insurance is more expensive, loading without the dock?

I can understand if a company has a policy or something, but when it's a place I've been to before it seems inconsistent to now say they can't accommodate me.

 

[dieseldiva]

I can understand if a company has a policy or something, but when it's a place I've been to before it seems inconsistent to now say they can't accommodate me.

It could be something as simple as the person that called the load in was inexperienced in everything that goes on at the docks. When we were still working in shipping, one of our guys worked on Sat. and called Panther to come and get the load. He'd seen Panther pick up their product a cazillion times because his dept was always running behind. Come Monday morning he got the chewing out of the week because no one had authorized that shipment to go on Panther and they were so much more expensive than a regular carrier. Sometimes ya just can't win!

 

[cheri1122]

Yes, but the thing about policies is that they can change, at any time, for any reason. Not much you can do about it, either.

 

[arkjarhead]

I know this is kind of off subject, but when I worked for the Arkansas Department of Corrections they had tons of policies. Like one said you were not allowed to carry a firearm from the armory into the prison. We learned about this in the training academy. Someone asked the Captain what do you do if you have a riot break out in the prison and deadly force is required to stop the riot. He said that a Sargeant or higher could tell you to go get a rifle or shotgun. Then policy says you have to tell this person that is against policy, but there is a policy that says all policies basicly go out the window in an emergency situation.So they will respond by saying policy also says all policies are void in an emergency. Seems like a waste of time. Just like you are supposed to shot a fleeing inmate to stop them not to kill them, but policy says aim for their heart. Policy also says no matter what never shoot an inmate in the head. This goes out the window in an emergency. Like the policy that says only male officers can strip search male inmates. If there is an emeergency and there is only female officers available to do the strip searches then they have to.

Back on topic. It always seemed to me each factory or plant had their own way of doing things, and they all thought that every plant did it the same as they did. Go to one Warehouser plant and they tell you you can't move until you strap down the lumber. Go to another Warehouser plant and I got my butt chewed by a forklift driver for starting to strap down the lumber where I loaded. I think those people get off because they think they have a little power over you.

 

[Jefferson3000]

I've tried to load at docks where a van had to back up a steep ramp and through a very narrow rollup door, all because their insurance policy would not allow a fork truck to leave the building. Or, they have one of the indoor pallet lifters (stand up style with the scissor forks) and they can't drive it on gravel or asphalt. If you were moving an LTL shipment. they would be paying the same either way. Obviously, it wasn't that important to them to have it moved.

 

[Crazynuff]

Ever consider the receiver was really the one with the dock height requirement ?

 

[davekc]

It many times is the actual receiver. Quite a few places will only do dock high vehicles because they are union. Many union supplier/shops will only load a dock high vehicle.
We have even had some request no roll up door vehicles. I believe that is because of the heighth and they likely damaged one before.

 

[CharlesD]

Ever consider the receiver was really the one with the dock height requirement ?

In the first case I mentioned, I had delivered and picked up from both places before and they hadn't had a problem with it then.

 

[babs3361]

So the big 3 wonder why they are not making a profit. Common sense is not allowed. By the Union the Company or the goverment. Let us not be fiscally responsible.

 

[Fr8 Shaker]

Charles, If I was to guess on why this happened I'd have to say because on this particular load the price was the same for either vehicle. You didn't mention that the broker told the shipper that the van would cost less compared to a dock high vehicle. If he had you may have gotten the load. Everyone will take more for their money whether they need it or not.

 

[MCBuggyCo]

I was at a place that had a problem with van deliveries. They had a ramp so it was not a facilities issue. They just didn't like vans.

 

[MSinger]

Wonder if they will require a dock high truck to move the machines to Mexico when the plant closes after losing too much money. This is all 100% union induced.

U
Aint
Working

United
Against
Work

 

[CharlesD]

This topic has me thinking about the supposed shortage of van freight. All you read on here is that you just can't make it in a van anymore, that there are too many of them out there and that there just aren't enough loads for all of them. Now there might be some truth to that, but I can't count the number of loads I see on various boards every day that would fit in vans but are going on straight trucks because of the issues that have been discussed in this thread. Or there is the other idea that some shippers have that small loads are "only partials" and therefore should move at LTL rates, regardless of the urgency. I was on a board the other day and there was a two skid load and for the delivery time it said ASAP. There was a contact name and number for the shipper and I called to inquire about the urgency of the load and was told to put a bid in through the web site. My bid was for $1.00 a mile and the response I got was, "This is a partial load. Please respond with a rate for an LTL." I'm convinced this is not an isolated incident. There seem to be plenty of loads out there that are van size and with a time frame that would qualify them as expedite, but shippers still have a mindset that small loads are "only partials" and should ride along with something else on a bigger truck. Of course I have seen some carriers bidding expedite loads at LTL rates just to underbid the competition and then stick two or three of them together on a larger truck. In the end they're getting a decent rate to the truck, but each load is paying peanuts. Maybe I'm wrong but I think the problem isn't that there aren't enough time sensitive van loads; the problem is how those loads are run. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard, "But it's only a partial" I wouldn't need to be on the road. I'd be retired and seeing the country in an RV instead of a Sprinter.

 

[x06col]

That is precisely the way to do it Charles, in an RV. But, before you get there, it dosen't matter if you are dependent or independent, you will only be able to haul what your equipment will provide for service. If, you run onto an inexperienced truck orderer, or dispatcher you are outa luck. Suggest if this is this a large issue for you, maybe you should change how you do business. You already know whats wrong.

Whining to the choir on here, for something only YOU can change, is not particularly productive.

 

[CharlesD]

Whining to the choir on here, for something only YOU can change, is not particularly productive.

It might not be productive, but I think the reason so many of us choir members whine to each other is just to get things off our chests. On a brighter note, I just picked up at a place and the guy complained about loading a van (good timing considering this discussion) and I think I was rather polite and diplomatic. I told him that it's simply more cost effective for everyone involved to move freight in a vehicle suited for the size of the load, cheaper for the shipper and less fuel burned for the driver. His response was, "Well, if it saves us some money..." Not much, but it's a start.

There are so many problems in this industry that it's easy to get caught up and just complain all the time, but it's nice to have this place where we can talk to folks who understand and can often times have something constructive to offer.

 

[x06col]

When you hang your shingle out, it's all your fault.

Do they really understand YOUR delima? No!

Do they really care if you get it fixed? No!

Constructive?? Reread my post.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Little companies, shippers know why vans are used..they save bucks with most loads and gets there quicker...alot of small companies its the shipper that calls in the van where as in big companies they have a traffic division....big company shippers are the most likely to complain because the have to get on a coat and go outside to freeze..in the summer some are glad because they get to light up a smoke....some say tomatoe some say some say tomatow...