Security Tape

[TeamCaffee]

Our hinges are welded so the only way to remove our doors is to cut them off and a little bit of tape is not going to do anything if someone wants to cut our doors off.

I think the stainless is a great idea and if more shippers go to this policy it sounds like a good solution.

The situation did not get ugly and everyone handled it very professionally. We were very impressed with FCC. The people we were dealing with could understand why they would not want permanent tape put on the doors of their cars. All shook hands before it was over.

We will be better prepared for this situation the next time we have this happen and will have tested how to remove the tape residue. That tape is pretty wicked as it is meant not to be removed.

Turning down a load in this day and age is not something we want to do or have to do again but to deface a box without a solution is a losing proposition.
The only time I have ever noticed this tape being used is when a trailer is going to be put in storage not for exclusive use vehicles.

 

[ihamner]

This is just my opinion but I think it is time for FedEx to jump in and help us out on this issue at this shipper. If FedEx expects our trucks to look good and to be kept clean and "up to expectations" then they need to let that shipper know we will not be accepting security tape on our trucks. We have gone to the extra expense (specifically for security purposes) to have our door bolt hinges welded. This shipper takes a digital picture once you are loaded AND puts seals on the truck. Enough is enough!! By the way, not to mention that this is one of those cheap, cheap shippers who gets all the "extra" service from our company. Grrrrrrr!

 

[CharlesD]

Cool. I use to work for Loomis Armored. We didn't use tape or seals. We just stuck a guy with a gun back there.

I imagine the guy with the gun would probably do a better job than:

 

[paid vacationer]

3 M Adhesive Remover in a red and white can. I get mine at O'Reiley Auto Parts. Works much better than Goo Gone.

 

[davelees1]

Wow, I'm glad someone is busy enough out there to refuse loads just because of a little bit of tape residue. Our weekly gross has gone from $4,000/week to $1,000/week. We've been sitting 5 days and driving 2 instead of the other way around. I've heard of cases where driver's were threatened with firing because of refusing loads that they accepted and found problems like weighing 12,000 lbs instead of 1,200 lbs, or wrong distance and monies info entered incorrectly by the dispatchers.

Right now, our truck is the dirtiest truck in California. You can hardly read the company name on the back. I'm not going to spend 60 bucks to get it washed bacause I just can afford it now (There goes that elusive nomination for prettiest truck or cleanest truck of the year award again!). The protective layer of dirt does a couple of things, it covers up the residue from the security tape from the last time it was applied to my truck and prevents the next layer from sticking well, making removal much easier for the next owner should they desire to remove it.

We have been sitting in Oakland, CA for 5 days and I am willinjg to take a bad paying, super heavy load to a blizzard condition area with a 500 mile dead head drive to the next business center even if the shipper wants to wrap my whole truck with 100 rolls of duct tape!

 

[bigjoep89]

If none of the above works well for you try Easy Off oven cleaner. When we were in the Ready Mix business we would use this on used equipment we would buy to remove old painted door signs as well as decals. It will not hurt the truck paint as the paint on your truck has a hardener in it. Paint thinner is another good choice. However paint thinner is highly explosive so you would want to properly discard or safely store what you don't use.

 

[chillycat]

Wow, I'm glad someone is busy enough out there to refuse loads just because of a little bit of tape residue.

Ya betcha ! I wuz wondering how many pages of removal
suggestions it would take before a breath of common sense would be spoken.

 

[jaminjim]

Ya betcha ! I wuz wondering how many pages of removal
suggestions it would take before a breath of common sense would be spoken.

A little over two hours went by before someone mentioned that, shame on the rest of you for answering the question.

No one except for the three parties involved know anything about the load. Could have been a Favor load or a great load or something in between.

Some people take pride in their ride, and some people could care less what their truck looks like.

 

[bigjoep89]

davelees 1 You have the solution with the truck that dirty you can almost be certain that you will not have to worry about residue from the tape sticking to you truck.

 

[davelees1]

Our truck is squeeky clean now, we got it washed yesterday. It may not win best in the show, but it gets the job done.

 

[chefdennis]

davelees1 wrote:

Wow, I'm glad someone is busy enough out there to refuse loads just because of a little bit of tape residue

It makes no difference why any team/driver may turn down a run. None of us have the exact same wants and needs from our business and we all make our decisions based on our individual wants and needs. I don't turn too many runs down (4 in the last 4 months) but when I do, i certainly don't take into consideration what the rest of you would do nor do I think about how busy the rest of you are or aren't....Is a driver suppose to sit back and think, "gee davelee hasn't moved in 5 days, I better take this load..."

 

[pjjjjj]

....Is a driver suppose to sit back and think, "gee davelee has moved in 5 days, I better take this load..."

Umm, yaa

 

[x06col]

I'm with you davlees, more power to em. But, I tink now I've really, truly heard em all with this one.

BUT, i'll keep y'all posted if'n a mo bettah one comes up. Anyone wanna bet it will/won't happen??

Maybe we otta start a pool of somekind?