HELP! Need the knowledge of truck drivers/stockroom/delivery people

[ShinyGreenApple]

My Dad delivered a load of buns to a popular burger chain on Saturday. They are refusing to accept the load because the seal on his trailer was missing. From this, they drew the conclusion that Dad broke the seal himself, opened the trailer, and 'contaminated' the load. He says the seal was on when he looked at the last stop before he got to the destination.

They are wanting to fine his company for $50K as well as the charge to incinerate the 'contaminated' food. Dad could very well lose his job and face freaking lawsuit charges. He's been a driver for over 25 years and been with this company for over 15. He'd never tamper with a load, and yet his company is saying that his is entirely his fault and that he or someone must have broken the seal while he stopped here for a few hours Friday afternoon. He has been sitting at this facility since 7:30 Saturday morning.

Anyone with experience in this field, what's the policy on load seals? If they try to pin this on him, we're getting a lawyer. We just really didn't need crap like this to happen right now.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I can tell you that no seal on our DC trailers=problem. Big problem. It could mean contamination as in your dad's case, or it could mean stuff that should be on the trailer might not be, due to theft or whatever other reason, and thus we'd have shrinkage issues. We might have to do the same thing the restaurant did and refuse delivery.

Shit, our trailers used to be padlocked shut in addition to having a plastic seal on them. The truck driver would remove the lock before leaving the store. One time he didn't, and we had to spend about two hours bashing the lock with various blunt objects to get it off.

Additionally, all our seals come with a number on them. There is also a piece of paper (bill of lading?)the driver gives us that has the seal number on it, along with the number of cartons, weight of the freight on the truck, amount of hazardous material on the truck, and so on. If the number on the seal does not match the number on the paper, we have to submit a report to the DC about it. In fact, every so often the DC will send us a trailer where the numbers on the seal and the paper don't match up, just to see if we send the proper report up.

Knowing what I do about our receiving procedures, I don't think I can say the restaurant is overreacting. There are probably very specific rules about deliveries and seals that have to be followed no matter what since this is foodservice we're talking about. It sucks that your dad wound up in the middle of this, and I hope he doesn't end up being the fall guy in all of it.

[ShinyGreenApple]

Crap. Thanks for the reply though, Irv. I guess the part that ticks me off is that they are accusing him of tampering with it. Also, that they're taking so stinking long to make a decision. It's been almost three days now, for goodness's sake. He hasn't been able to leave to go get some decent food or anything.

The freight has been inspected, no packages are torn and nothing is missing. I know how they are about torn packages and such, it's how we've ended up with large amounts of a lot of strange things (toilet paper, two crates full of Reese's cups, etc). I understand that they're not taking the load. But how this falls back on the driver, I don't understand. Dad ruined his back in '86 and can't abide heavy lifting, he has nothing to do with the loading process of his trailers. But like I said, he did check the seal on his last stop before Orlando, and it was there.

It just amazes me that a restaurant chain whose stores are typically filthier than a cinema floor and most employees have negative IQ levels is worried about this -_-

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

But how this falls back on the driver, I don't understand.

Probably just because he's the one who shows up along with the load.

[HYHYBT]

I worked for a "popular burger chain" for 14 years, managed for 11, often accepted and counted the deliveries, and never heard of sealing the truck. The pallets would be shrinkwrapped, or the buns in their wrappers on stacked bun trays, but that was it.

[drunkenwildmage]

I'm with you HYHYBT.... I worked a fast food place(think clown) with unloading, and stocking, worked as a manager for a regionalpizza chain and worked in retail for a while, and never heard of trucks being sealed... When I worked retail, depending on the vender, some pallets where wrapped in plastic but nothing for the whole truck.

[Samaliel]

Probably just because he's the one who shows up along with the load.

Yeah, it definitely looks like a "shoot the messenger" kind of thing. But I have to admit I'd wonder how that seal came off too...

[RayvenQ]

What do these seals look like? plastic strips? zip ties?

[Rapscallion]

Yeah, it definitely looks like a "shoot the messenger" kind of thing. But I have to admit I'd wonder how that seal came off too...

Most likely some criminals looking to see what's in there and then deciding it's not worth their while.

Rapscallion

[protege]

What do these seals look like? plastic strips? zip ties?

If they're like the ones I've seen on boxcars, they're not very substantial. Nothing more than a thin band of aluminum, stamped with the railroad's reporting marks and a number. This little item is then wrapped around the door handle. However, a cheap pair of bolt cutters is enough to remove it.

If that's the case, it looks like someone broke into the truck, saw what was in there, and decided not to steal it. They were probably looking for higher-ticket items--things like electronics, auto parts, etc.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

What do these seals look like? plastic strips? zip ties?

Ours do, pretty much. They're like big green plastic zip ties with a barcode label on them.

As to the fine the restaurant wants to hit the delivery company with--there might be a contract allowing for that. I just thought of that today while at work.

[Primer]

Count me in with the folks that received bags of buns on trays, where the only "seal" was the twist tie on the bag.

[TheSHAD0W]

Unless the company has specific evidence your father is the one who broke the seal, I doubt he can be held responsible for fines or other charges. It could indeed impact on his employment, though.