How a customer can ban YOU!

[sms001]

Welcome aboard Zheuse.

I certainly commend your patience. Like others, I have to wonder how many other companies, through miscommunication, laziness, or sheer time constraints, have caved to this extortion. (And that may explain the well informed officer as well - maybe he's been down this road before?)
Although you can't blacklist the shipper, I do hope you let them know that one of their customers is essentially calling them liars and playing games with their merchandise.

[Argus]

I wonder how many companies have been scammed by this company and why no one has sued them for the double payments?

How many: Probably enough for the receiver to have done that one-pallet unload before.

Why no one has sued: For $180? That probably won't cover the driver time they lose while playing witness.

However, any driver going to the receiver mentioned above is told that they have 2 hours to unload or the driver can close the doors and leave with the trailer.

How much have they been briefed on your encounter? Also, it probably wouldn't hurt to ensure that the pre-paid lumper fee is absolutely clear on the BOL, in case the next cop isn't as familiar with such paperwork.

Good thing the DC didn't have dock locks - one of those could have prevented the DIY unloading.

I imagine the cop who understood the BOL would have had an interesting reaction to coming back out, seeing that lock, seeing the absence of unloading activity, and seeing the signed BOL.

[XCashier]

That DC is absolutely appalling and dishonest, and treated you horribly. I hope your boss informed the client about their antics. I would think the client wouldn't want a DC like that sullying their reputation and would dump them like a bag of garbage.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I wonder how many companies have been scammed by this company and why no one has sued them for the double payments?

1, Probably enough that the DC made a regular practice of double-charging on lumpers and doing the one-pallet unload. And the trucking companies may have figured it was cheaper and easier to pay the fee twice than sit there and argue.

2. The dollar amounts probably aren't enough to warrant it.

[Moosenogger]

Awesome story! I love how the witch behind the window went white after you threw her own threats back in her face. I bet their little scam has worked wonders before you showed up. Too bad more truckers aren't aware of their rights and responsibilities.

[KhirasHY]

It's always nice to see something like this get thrown back in the faces of the assholes who are inviting karma. In a perfect world, the shipper (and all similar shippers) would all blacklist them, or start charging them exorbitant prices until they went under...but alas, no perfect world yet.

Good way of handling the mess though.

[pzychobitch]

HOLY SHIT! WOW! that's all I can honestly say.. Holy fucking shit.. Sorry you had to deal with all that.

[wolfie]

Simple way to keep this consignee from double-billing for lumpers: shipper stops pre-paying lumpers on loads going there. If they're going to insist on being paid for the lumpers at the time of delivery, there's no point in paying earlier. Of course, the freight contract with the shipper would need to include a provision that the lumper fee charged at the consignee would be "passed through" and added to the freight bill.

[emax4]

This story is so much full of win!!!

[Rantsylvania 6-5000]

Holy. FUCK. It sounds like you delivered to Walmart. That's how they treat everyone who deals with them. I'm glad you turned the tables on them!

[Zheuse]

It wasnt Wallyworld. It was a close name though. Walmart is easy. $50 Lumper fee and done. My company usually drops trailers and doesnt wait for unloading at Walmarts.

[PepperElf]

Although you can't blacklist the shipper, I do hope you let them know that one of their customers is essentially calling them liars and playing games with their merchandise.

That's a good point. Letting them know that one of their customers is in effect trying to scam and collect extra pay for something that's already paid for.


Perhaps something along the lines of, "you're one of our favorite customers (or whatever other niceties you want to use). However you may want to know that your Distribution Center is trying to extort drivers for more money on contracts that are already paid for in full, as stated in the BOL. The last driver we sent had the cops called on him for refusing to pay."

Actually you - or your company - could perhaps even press charges against them cos the DC did in fact call 911 with false claims against you, no? (although I understand if you don't want to burn bridges too)

[jadabella]

I'm slow on the uptake, it took me a few minutes to realize that the 2nd lumper fee was probably lining the personal pockets of the witch and her flying monkeys, not going to the company's bottom line.

If the DC is part of a big organization, it might be a good idea to send the details of the encounter to their corporate or legal departments. Most companies actually do take a dim view of employees extorting money for personal rather than corporate gain.