To my truck driver friends

[salutethehill]

The time has come to no longer ask for directions to my office, as you do 3-4 times/week. This is 2015, and my facility is clearly marked on every GPS across America. It befuddles me that you can continue on doing what you do for a living without a GPS. Big man won't buy you one? I know what you make. Go to WalMart and get one for a hundred bucks. It will change the way you view your job. And don't ask me for directions and then come rolling up in here talking on your smart phone. They have a GPS built in.

And while we're at it, quit asking to use my pallet jack. We are a small business, and them suckers ain't cheap. Yellow Freight is a million times the size we are...they can swing for a pallet jack. Every pump you make is one less pump for us, and we actually feel $2,000.

/rant

 

[golfballs]

prayers sent

 

[salutethehill]

prayers sent

thx brotha

 

[MG1968]

I've seen GPS get things wrong plenty of times. Even a GPS designed specifically for trucks that takes into account things like low bridges and neighborhoods.

Not every truck driver is tech savvy. Many I know are still using flip phones and have only just begun using bluetooth headsets.

So cut them some slack and don't hold their company's decisions against them (re, pallet jacks). We're all just trying to do our jobs and the last thing we need are customers with bunched up panties.

 

[vol_in_ar]

As long as you giving them access to pallet jacks, throw in some load locks for them too.

I do think they should have access to your MHE, if they are delivering into your facility

 

[salutethehill]

I've seen GPS get things wrong plenty of times. Even a GPS designed specifically for trucks that takes into account things like low bridges and neighborhoods.

Not every truck driver is tech savvy. Many I know are still using flip phones and have only just begun using bluetooth headsets.

So cut them some slack and don't hold their company's decisions against them (re, pallet jacks). We're all just trying to do our jobs and the last thing we need are customers with bunched up panties.

You can "just try to do your job" all day long, but without adequate equipment, it'd all be for naught.

We install medical equipment. We would never dream of showing up at a job without our tools. If we did, we'd be out of business quickly. Many businesses operate like this. I guess trucking companies are expected a free pass here?

You know who else isn't tech savvy? My grandma. She uses a GPS. "Tech savvy" is a terrible excuse.

 

[MG1968]

You can "just try to do your job" all day long, but without adequate equipment, it'd all be for naught.

We install medical equipment. We would never dream of showing up at a job without our tools. If we did, we'd be out of business quickly. Many businesses operate like this. I guess trucking companies are expected a free pass here?

You know who else isn't tech savvy? My grandma. She uses a GPS. "Tech savvy" is a terrible excuse.

Again, sometimes GPS systems are unreliable, I've detailed a couple of reasons. Maybe your company is in the middle of a big industrial park with wide streets and easily accessible docks. Many aren't. I've had to back a 53' trailer off of a residential street up to a dock that was 50' from the sidewalk. Do the math. A GPS can't tell you things like that.

If you do as much business with Yellow as you claim, call them and explain that you are not in the business of providing your pallet jacks for outside deliveries and that their drivers are to bring their own. There is an easier solution than *****ing on an internet forum.

 

[gordonr24]

You mean truck drivers don't use a GPS? That dumbfounds me.

 

[hog88]

You can "just try to do your job" all day long, but without adequate equipment, it'd all be for naught.

We install medical equipment. We would never dream of showing up at a job without our tools. If we did, we'd be out of business quickly. Many businesses operate like this. I guess trucking companies are expected a free pass here?

You know who else isn't tech savvy? My grandma. She uses a GPS. "Tech savvy" is a terrible excuse.

If you're that unhappy with you're carrier, haul your own ****. Problem solved.

 

[MG1968]

You mean truck drivers don't use a GPS? That dumbfounds me.

Many do, and more and more trucks are being equipped with GPS from the factory. That doesn't change the fact that there may be other factors involved that render using a GPS pointless.

 

[hog88]

Again, sometimes GPS systems are unreliable, I've detailed a couple of reasons. Maybe your company is in the middle of a big industrial park with wide streets and easily accessible docks. Many aren't. I've had to back a 53' trailer off of a residential street up to a dock that was 50' from the sidewalk. Do the math. A GPS can't tell you things like that.

If you do as much business with Yellow as you claim, call them and explain that you are not in the business of providing your pallet jacks for outside deliveries and that their drivers are to bring their own. There is an easier solution than *****ing on an internet forum.

Love it when someone *****es about drivers not having MHE. That's the carrier, what does he expect the guy to do, supply his own pallet jack?

And to the GPS, we supply our drivers with the Qualcomm GPS system and a portable truck specific GPS. Many times both get it wrong and neither can tell the driver the best way into the facility.

 

[salutethehill]

Again, sometimes GPS systems are unreliable, I've detailed a couple of reasons. Maybe your company is in the middle of a big industrial park with wide streets and easily accessible docks. Many aren't. I've had to back a 53' trailer off of a residential street up to a dock that was 50' from the sidewalk. Do the math. A GPS can't tell you things like that.

If you do as much business with Yellow as you claim, call them and explain that you are not in the business of providing your pallet jacks for outside deliveries and that their drivers are to bring their own. There is an easier solution than *****ing on an internet forum.

Easier? Maybe. More entertaining? Not at all.

Have YOU ever tried calling Yellow Freight and getting a hold of someone? By the way, I worked at YRT several years ago, while I was also working my current job, and I did mention these issues in a very non-imposing way. Nobody cared. It is what it is...unprofessional.

Something I learned at YRT...freight doesn't magically appear in trailers as they are driving down the road. The delivery guys actually had a list of stops for all of their deliveries before they even left the dock. Did you know there are other tools, like Mapquest and Google that can also give you directions, should you not have a GPS available. Heck, you can see a satellite photo AND street view photo of MOST of your stops if you wanted to. I know this is ridiculous. Who has the time for that, right? Almost as ridiculous as the GPS argument. I'm in regional sales...I drive a lot. My GPS will steer me wrong less than 10% of the time. Probably not even close to 10%.

Oh, and we get deliveries from plenty of companies, including Yellow. I wouldn't say we do a lot of business with Yellow, I just used them as an example.

 

[salutethehill]

Love it when someone *****es about drivers not having MHE. That's the carrier, what does he expect the guy to do, supply his own pallet jack?

And to the GPS, we supply our drivers with the Qualcomm GPS system and a portable truck specific GPS. Many times both get it wrong and neither can tell the driver the best way into the facility.

It's LTL freight. Usually a skid or 2 at a time. 4x4x4. Is the carrier not responsible for getting it to the back of the trailer? Is the driver not a representative for the carrier? I never really understood the whole driver/employee/company separation when I worked at YRT. Must be a union mentality.

 

[hog88]

Easier? Maybe. More entertaining? Not at all.

Have YOU ever tried calling Yellow Freight and getting a hold of someone? By the way, I worked at YRT several years ago, while I was also working my current job, and I did mention these issues in a very non-imposing way. Nobody cared. It is what it is...unprofessional.

Something I learned at YRT...freight doesn't magically appear in trailers as they are driving down the road. The delivery guys actually had a list of stops for all of their deliveries before they even left the dock. Did you know there are other tools, like Mapquest and Google that can also give you directions, should you not have a GPS available. Heck, you can see a satellite photo AND street view photo of MOST of your stops if you wanted to. I know this is ridiculous. Who has the time for that, right? Almost as ridiculous as the GPS argument. I'm in regional sales...I drive a lot. My GPS will steer me wrong less than 10% of the time. Probably not even close to 10%.

Oh, and we get deliveries from plenty of companies, including Yellow. I wouldn't say we do a lot of business with Yellow, I just used them as an example.

Yes, a few times. Problems were resolved quickly.

 

[golfballs]

OP when he leaves work tonight:

 

[MG1968]

Easier? Maybe. More entertaining? Not at all.

Have YOU ever tried calling Yellow Freight and getting a hold of someone? By the way, I worked at YRT several years ago, while I was also working my current job, and I did mention these issues in a very non-imposing way. Nobody cared. It is what it is...unprofessional.

Something I learned at YRT...freight doesn't magically appear in trailers as they are driving down the road. The delivery guys actually had a list of stops for all of their deliveries before they even left the dock. Did you know there are other tools, like Mapquest and Google that can also give you directions, should you not have a GPS available. Heck, you can see a satellite photo AND street view photo of MOST of your stops if you wanted to. I know this is ridiculous. Who has the time for that, right? Almost as ridiculous as the GPS argument. I'm in regional sales...I drive a lot. My GPS will steer me wrong less than 10% of the time. Probably not even close to 10%.

Oh, and we get deliveries from plenty of companies, including Yellow. I wouldn't say we do a lot of business with Yellow, I just used them as an example.

While we're on the 'who has time for that' line of thinking, what's so bad about answering the phone and taking 5 minutes to give a driver specific instructions on how to get to your business? If you think a driver should spend a bunch of time downloading satellite photos and researching what kind of donuts you prefer, then you should be expected to answer the damn phone and act like a professional as well.

So, keep on complaining.

 

[salutethehill]

OP when he leaves work tonight:

 

[hog88]

It's LTL freight. Usually a skid or 2 at a time. 4x4x4. Is the carrier not responsible for getting it to the back of the trailer? Is the driver not a representative for the carrier? I never really understood the whole driver/employee/company separation when I worked at YRT. Must be a union mentality.

A driver isn't going to buy his own personal pallet jack, so if it's an issue take it up with the carrier, not the driver.

As a consignee you can always direct your suppliers as to what carriers you will accept.

 

[Biopsyman]

How does explain truckers taking up the left lane for miles going 2-3 under the speed limit riding along side another slow truck?

 

[hog88]

How does explain truckers taking up the left lane for miles going 2-3 under the speed limit riding along side another slow truck?

It's a game. They get points for how many cars they hold up and for how long. When you play a game don't you play to win?

 

[golfballs]

just drive around them on the shoulder

 

[Toujours Pret]

I've seen GPS get things wrong plenty of times. Even a GPS designed specifically for trucks that takes into account things like low bridges and neighborhoods.

Not every truck driver is tech savvy. Many I know are still using flip phones and have only just begun using bluetooth headsets.

So cut them some slack and don't hold their company's decisions against them (re, pallet jacks). We're all just trying to do our jobs and the last thing we need are customers with bunched up panties.

Wasn't blindly following GPS sending an absurd number of trucks up Deal's Gap?

 

[Biopsyman]

It's a game. They get points for how many cars they hold up and for how long. When you play a game don't you play to win?

I hate that game

 

[golfballs]

 

[loggervol]

most company trucks are equipped with lap tops. not all. and, most of the time, good directions are hard to come by. most drivers are told where to go but the directions given by the company are crap.