Seal on truck

Jefferson3000 · Jan 1, 2009

Re: Special Seal RE: Seal on truck

I've had seals that were to be cut under NO circumstance. I've also had seals handed to me. Probably just a technicality as no one seemed to interested in whether it was on the truck or not. It was simply listed on the bol.

CharlesD · Jan 1, 2009

Re: Special Seal RE: Seal on truck

I've hauled a couple dogs and a cat, but I don't think I've had a seal on board. Do you have to keep a bucket of fish handy and how often do you have to take them out to do their business?

Turtle · Jan 1, 2009

Re: Special Seal RE: Seal on truck

Finally! Thank you for that. This thread has been grating me since someone started talking about seals with green balls. Clubbing these poor seals is bad enough, but the casual brutality of cutting these things with bolt cutters makes me want to cry.

gotta go · Jan 1, 2009

Last year I had a load that delivered 12/26, about 50 miles from my daughter and grandson. Perfect for Christmas. The shipper saw all the wrapped presents that I set back into my truck after they loaded the freight. Too many, too big to go in the sleeper. I'm used to being handed a seal which works well when slipped through the padlock. Not this time. The shipper came outside with a bolt seal. I'd already locked the door, so I said, "can't you just put it on the other door?". He did!! I had no problem getting the gifts out.

MSinger · Jan 1, 2009

Re: Special Seal RE: Seal on truck

Turtle said:
Finally! Thank you for that. This thread has been grating me since someone started talking about seals with green balls. Clubbing these poor seals is bad enough, but the casual brutality of cutting these things with bolt cutters makes me want to cry.

Turtle,
You never fail to crack me up. Big belly laugh on that one!!

Scuba · Jan 2, 2009

My understanding of the sealing rules is that the shipper MUST seal the trailer and the cons MUST break the seal. If that isn’t done you have no leg to stand on if the piece count is wrong. If they give you the seal and have you put it on you could go around the block throw some product out into a waiting vehicle if you were so inclined. So if you apply the seal it will not protect you in court if it ever came to it. I have a stamp it cost me $9.00 if they refuse to break the seal I stamp the paperwork and have them sign it. When I tell them that they go out and break it 99% of the time. Same goes for the shipper when you tell them you will stamp the bill shipper refused to seal they will go out and seal it. Remember the cons is paying for them to seal the trailer and no one wants their bol stamped that they are refusing to comply with the cons demands.

TeamCaffee · Jan 2, 2009

On our BOL's we have a line that is checked saying the seal was intact that we check and the consignee signs when accepting the freight.

We also carry bolt cutters and often the consignees bolt cutters are shot or then have left them on someone’s truck. The seal though is not cut unless there is a representative of that company standing at the back door and as soon as the seal comes off the seal is handed to them and paperwork is signed.

We learned the hard way to carry our own bolt cutters after waiting several hours for a company to locate a pair of bolt cutters as someone had stolen their set. Yes they paid for our time to sit there but they also took away a chance at having a load offer while we waited.

Scott101 · Jan 2, 2009

Scuba said:
My understanding of the sealing rules is that the shipper MUST seal the trailer and the cons MUST break the seal. If that isn’t done you have no leg to stand on if the piece count is wrong.

I never worried about it. The way I understand it, the shipper is saying the seal is in place and in tact when they hand you the paperwork with a seal number on it. If they simply hand me a seal to place myself I consider that as them trusting me to do them a favor. Not transferring responsibility.

If the paperwork says its sealed, and it shows up on the other end sealed, It's the shipper that doesn't have a leg to stand on.

I preferred them to hand me the seal. I never put it on before I knew for sure I would be pulling the load all the way to the receiver. I didn't want the hassles of a cut a seal required to get my load-locks back if I had to swap loads somewhere.

Scuba said:
If they give you the seal and have you put it on you could go around the block throw some product out into a waiting vehicle if you were so inclined.

Yep, pretty dumb of the shipper eh? As long as you show up at the receiver with an intact seal any shorts is on the shipper!

I get a signature before the receiver or I cut the seal.

Scuba · Jan 3, 2009

Sorry Scott but if you put the seal on it’s the same thing as no seal. The only legal seal is one placed by the shipper period. The shipper will bail out on you in a new york second and say the driver was to seal it and we didn't see him seal it. Even if they watch you seal the trailer if the piece count is wrong do you think they will take the responsibility for the missing product that they are sure they loaded? They will blame the driver every time. But you go ahead and do it your way I’m not the one paying the claim. As far as load bars go mine are in a rack mounted to the back of my truck not in the trailer that solves the problem.

Scott101 · Jan 3, 2009

Thanks for the heads-up. I do understand that the shipper is suppose to place the seal and receiver removes it. I guess my question is who is really on the hook if the shipper doesn't bother to seal a load they are saying is sealed?

If responsibility can be shifted to the driver by the shipper stating they handed the seal to the driver and didn't see him put it on the trailer then seals are completely worthless in my opinion. What's to keep a shipper from saying that on every short load?

I don't understand how I am on the hook for shorts if I have paperwork from the shipper saying the load is sealed using seal #123; and I show up at the receiver with a load sealed using seal #123.

I don't mean to be a dunce about this. I really am trying to understand.

Scuba said:
Sorry Scott but if you put the seal on it’s the same thing as no seal. The only legal seal is one placed by the shipper period. The shipper will bail out on you in a new york second and say the driver was to seal it and we didn't see him seal it. Even if they watch you seal the trailer if the piece count is wrong do you think they will take the responsibility for the missing product that they are sure they loaded? They will blame the driver every time. But you go ahead and do it your way I’m not the one paying the claim. As far as load bars go mine are in a rack mounted to the back of my truck not in the trailer that solves the problem.

pjjjjj · Jan 4, 2009

Here is a recent-ish article re seals..
Law Offices of Seaton & Husk, LP

nightcreacher · Jan 4, 2009

ok,Ive been driving truck for 22 years now,that it is 2009,Ive had my share of sealed loads.In most cases the high value loads the shipper put the seal on,and the consignee would watch as I broke the seal.Government loads usually have a bolt seal,and security breaks the bolt.Pharmecuitical loads,consignee if they dont break the seal,watches as you do,as if you show up with broken seal,they may send load back as contaminated.If your paperwork is signed by shipper as shipper load and count,and there is no seal present at delivery,you can be responsible for the contents of your cargo box.I once cut the seal on a pharm load,thought receiving party was going to have a fit,I have never done that since.If and when a consignee wants me to break the seal,I have him watch,and if there would be a problem with the load,his signing seal in tact relieves me of the problem.Just do the one thing you have learned in life,this isnt rocket science,CYA,then you will never have a problem with what ever you do

TeamCaffee · Jan 4, 2009

Steve you are right this is not rocket science. The idea of a seal is an added protection to keep the cargo safe that you are responsible for. If you leave the shipper with a seal and you have not sealed the truck you are putting yourself in jeopardy.

When Bob drove for USX every load was sealed if the shipped did not seal it we had our own seals that we put in the trailer. We had a BOL seal sheet that went with every load if we did a trailer swap the new driver or the drop yard signed our BOL seal sheet and this was sent in with paper work if we delivered the load the consignee signed the BOL seal sheet.

When applying a seal or taking a seal off do as Steve has said CYA anyway you can there should never be any doubt that you or a thief has been in the back of the cargo box once you are loaded.

Scott101 · Jan 4, 2009

Thanks for the input everybody.

CYA seems to be the going theme and though I still don't completely understand how I can be liable when the shipper is saying they sealed the load; I'll take your collective words on it.

But I do feel my A is completely C'd as long as I have paperwork from the shipper saying the seal is intact and a signature from the receiver confirming intact seal. Regardless of who placed or removed the seal. In a court of law I don't think it's going to be he said, she said. It's going to be "what does the contract say?" Of course it says the shipper sealed it and the receiver unsealed it.

So I guess I still don't have a problem with sealing/unsealing for the customers as long as the paperwork is in order (the CYA part) I mean, I am all for helping out and doing anything I can do to get out of there faster!