Appointments in the LTL trucking industry

What are your thoughts on appointments in the LTL trucking industry? What challenges does this create and what are some possible solutions?

What are you talking about? Hair appointments? Delivery appointments? Presidential appointments? Please elaborate.

Guardrail

A full 53 can do some "damage" to a warehouse. 2 pallets won't.
It's absolutely stupid and a waste of money to require LTL appts.
My company charges quite a bit for the service. But if I was running a warehouse, I would keep the TL, LTL, and parcel separate and load and unload accordingly.
Most of my appointments don't honor the appointment time.

Pick up and delivery appointments

roadscholar88 said:

What are your thoughts on appointments in the LTL trucking industry? What challenges does this create and what are some possible solutions?

Click to expand...

my thoughts are...if a warehouse MAKES THEM, they OUGHT TO HONOR THEM......

since that cannot be "realistically done", then a "window" of time should be allowed.

i did so little LTL in my earlier years, most places always had a door open for such deliveries anyhow.

when i did TL, and if i was at a door, and no matter the amount of freight left to unload, i was told to MOVE for THAT delivery.....

but thankfully, those warehouses were at times, "one shot deals", especially after anyone of us biotched to dispatch.....

my solution..??

go line haul, drop and hook only.......

I think they are ridiculous. There are places that wont take 1 skid without an appointment, or if you are late.

Big Dave said:

Most of my appointments don't honor the appointment time.

Click to expand...

.357 said:

I think they are ridiculous. There are places that wont take 1 skid without an appointment, or if you are late.

Click to expand...

There is the problem. Places that require an appointment will get all jacked up if you are 5 minutes late, yet when you show up on time or a few minutes early they make you wait.

Sometimes they make you wait for hours.

And they treat you like a turd.

And if you complain you get no respect, and will even catch more crap. They will even call your carrier and make up stuff about you and then you get crap from your boss.

I was fortunate that flatbed work rarely requires appointments, either loading or unloading. Most places are happy to see you, as they either have stuff that is taking up room they want to get out of the way, or they have a job they are working on that requires the stuff you have on your wagon.

I did have the occasional load that required a crane to load or unload, and crane time is expensive. But I never had an unreasonable expectation regarding arrival times for crane appointments.