Memo to Shippers and Consignees: Get Your Shipping/Receiving Ops in Shape

November 7, 2007

Sounds like an ongoing point of contention here- shipping and receiving operations are not efficiently set up to ship and/or receive. Can the contract between the receiver and shipper be made any clearer?

Truckers are not responsible for loading or unloading. The recipient or shipper is. That is, or should be, spelled out in each and every contract, and highlighted. Companies need to get the word out to their dockhands. It is not the trucker's responsibility to unload, or to suffer the results of the recipient's or shipper's personnel problems.

Why should a driver be forced to spend his or her time and energy doing the work that shipping department employees should be doing? Being delayed by mismanaged or under-managed shipping departments costs drivers in time and rest, and ultimately money. The stress of dealing with uncooperative or unprepared shipping departments is down right unproductive. Recipients or shippers need to be aware that results of their inadequate management will only result in higher shipping costs. Imposing fines or adding surcharges might be one way to deal with this.

In light of the planned decrease in driving hours and increased rest times, drivers are being increasingly stressed. There is no good reason for drivers to be delayed for hours because the receiving preparations are not adequate. Simply, it doesn't make sense to waste hours, energy and money doing someone else's job.

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