Thanks to Cracker Barrel

Coco · Mar 10, 2007

This morning we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Being a Saturday they were very busy and we found ourselves waiting outside on a beautiful morning in a rocker. I noticed a purse sitting in a rocker a few seats from me, after a while a frantic woman came around the corner and retrieved it. I told her I had my eye on it and would have taken it inside if no one showed up soon.

After breakfast some 100 miles away, I realized I had done the same thing. For some reason I picked up a map off the counter. It had all the locations and phone numbers, so I called and they had found the purse. I explained our situation and the manager offered to ship it to me. This was great as we will be home on Wed. When I offered her a credit card number to pay for the shipping, she said "no charge" it happens and we take care of our customers.

I expresed my thanks to her and my appreciation of how Cracker Barrel accomidates our size truck in their lot. I thanked her on behalf of all expediters. I was sure to let her know how we apreciate a good meal in place of fast food.

Her reply to me was "Please thank all your friends who drive drive those trucks, we are glad to be of service".

This is a flip from the "Parking solution" post posted by me earlier. This is what I'm talking about. We are people who have needs and wants and deserve to be treated fairly.

Jefferson3000 · Mar 10, 2007

Yep. I love me some Cracker Barrel as well. They are always acommodating to trucks. Plus the food is just good.

Drive Safe!

Jeff

Driver for 15 years
O/O for 13 years
OOIDA #829119

wheeljam · Mar 10, 2007

We have stopped at a few Cracker Barrels across this country. We have never been turned away from one of them. There food is great and resonably priced. The plus side is their menus are sssoooo different from the trucks stops, which is a welcome change.

cheri1122 · Mar 10, 2007

That wasn't being treated fair, it was above & beyond! Thanks for letting us know that there are some great people out there, it helps on the days when we don't run into them.

fastman_1 · Mar 10, 2007

Now how about telling us which one so when we are in That area we can Stop by.

Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones
Home is Wherever you Park.
The Price of Freedom is Written on the Wall.

Turtle · Mar 10, 2007

Oooh, Good idea. Yeah, which one? They're all great, though. Good food, good people.

California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, those people out there have no idea what they're missing.

LDB · Mar 10, 2007

I enjoy them too. I stopped yesterday on Brooks Road just south of Louisville. The food was great as usual but all the spots marked RV were taken by jerks in cars.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB, OOIDA Life Member 677319
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
Highway Watch Participant, Truckerbuddy
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

Coco · Mar 10, 2007

I agree Leo, the RV/Bus parking is usually occupies by cars. We stopped at the one in Jackson TN off I-40. Stop in and tell Manager Vicki Hi!

fastman_1 · Mar 11, 2007

Oh Yea I like that one Let me park my little B unit there for 3 days.

Owner/Operator since 1979
Expediter since 1997
B Unit Semi Retired
Somedays are Diamonds and Somedays are Stones
Home is Wherever you Park.
The Price of Freedom is Written on the Wall.

Coco · Mar 17, 2007

We arrived home on Wednesday to find a FedEx package stuck inside the door. In it was my purse with the cellphone, credit cards, cash and ID, safe and sound.

FireGears · Mar 17, 2007

Well..!!!!
How dare FedEx just place this package full of valuable items
"inside the door"..!!!

That's not secure..!!! Someone could have ripped you off.

Here is what I'd do...

I'd place a dozen or so pick-up orders with FedEx.
Then, when that irresponsible driver comes to get the items
you cancel the orders and tell him,

"That's the business you WOULD have received had you not been so careless..!!!"

This will send the correct message to management..!!!!!

Show them who's boss, Coco..!!!!

Sound silly... probably is (and was...)

Keep Smiling

Coco · Mar 17, 2007

I have no problem with Fed Ex leaving anything inside my storm door. Besides my neighbors new exactly what time it arrived. We live in a small town where if you don't know what happened someone else does.

nightcreacher · Mar 18, 2007

To bad non of you drive t/t.Cracker Barrel doesnt want to see any one of us in their parking lots,so even if they are next to a shopping center,I wont go.Sure ,their lots aren't very big,but early in morning or later in evening,when they are not busy,and there is room for a couple t/t's to park,we have been asked to leave.
great story,I once had a truck stop do that very same thing with my wallet,that was found in the parking lot,it's not so much of the place of business,but the management,and in your case she did great,but I'm still not going to Cracker Barrel.

RLENT · Mar 18, 2007

How dare FedEx just place this package full of valuable items
"inside the door"..!!![/b]

I dunno whether you're just kidding ....... or actually are serious .......

In case it's the latter, let me enlighten you:

Fedex Home Delivery, which is a division of Fedex Ground, is what I will reference since that is what I am most familiar with. Ground's procedures are very similar. And I'm sure it's somewhat similar with Federal Express to some extent, although they are actually company employees, not independent contractors - so it's not quite as bad. At least they get paid for their attempts, being hourly employees (although the "Express" division is having other problems right now - primarily having their business eroded by Ground as Ground's package system has gotten faster and more efficient)

When a package gets assigned to a FHD contractor route, the contractor is required to attempt to deliver the package at least three times. However they only get paid to deliver it once - they get paid nothing really, for any attempts that are not successful - including if they make three attempts and the package is never delivered.

How would you like to be in the situation oof traveling to your consignee multiple times, on different days, trying to deliver a package and not getting paid for each attempt and possibly not getting paid at all after three attempts if no delivery was ultimately made ? Not a real pretty picture is it ?

To overcome the potential problem this creates FHD has what is called a "Driver Release Program" I suspect other similar companies (UPS, DHL, etc.) have similar programs. This allows the drive to "release" the package for any packages that are not "Signature Required" specifically and leave it, if no one is there to sign and accept it. It requires that the package be left in a reasonably secure area, preferrably out of plain sight of passersby. Additionally a driver can leave a door tag for the recipient to sign stating that it is ok to leave the package and releasing the driver and FHD from any liability.

Driver releasing packages at private residences is often fairly safe, depending on the neighborhood. Doing so at apartment complexes isn't and most of the drivers I know simply won't do it - so if you have alot of apartment buildings on your route you can figure that you are going to be going back at least once - if you left a door tag to be signed the first time - or at least twice if the recipient wouldn't sign the tag to try and put the package into someone's hands. Most of the contractors I know are genuinely concerned about making sure the packages get to the recipient - and will often go back more than three times - and the cost of them doing this is paid for out of their own pocket because they aren't compensated for it. (I had one I did about a month ago that was like the 7th or 8th time - and I still wasn't able to deliver it. It got returned to the shipper at that point.)

The potential loss liability is shared between the contractor and FHD. The contractor is responsible for the first $100 of value I think and if it's any greater than $100 FHD picks up the tab on the rest. Now consider that the contractor probably gets paid at most a couple of dollars (say $5 max) to make the three attempts at a given stop.

You can see real easily that the contractor is probably motivated to ensure that he doesn't have alot of valid claims - it has a tendency to eat up any profits real quick.

Beyond that, unless the shipper happened to mark the original package "Important - Valuable Items - Contains Coco's purse and credit cards" (which itself would be an invitation to disaster) the drivers don't have a clue as to what is in the package and whether it's valauble - or just the kid sending home his dirty laundry from college to have mom wash it.

It never ceased to amaze me when I was delivering myself, how many recipients would ask "What's that ?" or "what's in in the package ?" ........ it was truely a hoot (like I was Superman with x-ray vision or something.)

So long story short - if drivers weren't able to release packages and leave them, you would probably have at least a 65% to 80% decrease in package volume - and the system itself would no longer even be viable at the current rates charged to deliver a package.

FireGears · Mar 18, 2007

Hi Relent,

Yes, I was kidding...

Actually, I was using humor to take a shot at Coco's
response to the situation as outlined
in her EO posting titled... "Parking Solution [View All]"

I felt she was being rather myopic and self-righteous.

I would not advicate this type of response...
to either delivery-folks or over a parking dispute.

I'd never "shoot the messenger"...
I'd attempt to meet, call or write the person in authority.

Or just laugh it off and move on....
Life is too short for tantrums and other petty behavior...

Keep smiling..!!!

RichM · Mar 18, 2007

No need for you to take of on Coco. The parkin issue was another thread about a differnt subject,parking. This was was about some decent folks doing what was right.

FireGears · Mar 18, 2007

Hi RichM,

It was just a gentle analogy which I though might
bring Coco a new insight concerning the other thread.

I think it's great that there are still folks who will
do the right thing...
And we would not want to make their life more complicated
for doing just that, would we...????

That's the point of this thread
Just though it might also apply to the other thread..

It was never my intention to "go of" (go off) on anyone..
Just wanted to present another possible point of view.

Keep smiling...!!!!