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little d

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For those that don't know what cross dock is; Management wants to eliminate Stackers (those who bid loading trailers), they want Checkers (those that bid to unload trailers) to load their own freight onto the out bound trailers. To a point we have always done this, IF and that is a very big IF, the freight is compatible.

Here in KC, management is pushing cross dock to a point of stupidity at unheard of levels. It started at something like 60% and the last I have heard, they wanted like 75%. Although they don't give us #'s on claims anymore, we see day in and day out the number of salvage trailers that are going out the gate and City Drivers that go to RSO tell us that on average, on any givin day, there are between 15 to 30 salvage trailers there waiting to be unloaded.

Overloaded trailers that were once the exception are now the norm, wasting countless man hours for Dock Checkers/Stackers re-working loads, City and Road Hostlers hooking, breaking down, putting back to the dock and re-hooking sets and Road Drivers waiting on trailers that should have been loaded right in the first place.

Someone that I know and respect put it best: My wife gave me a grocery list and sent me to the store. After getting everything on the list, at the check out, I told the clerk that I wanted everything coming off of the belt to be sacked up right then and there. When I got home, the wife threw a fit because the bread, cookies and chips were crushed and the milk and OJ had broken because they broke the bag. I replied, but honey, look at how efficient I was.....
 
At 205/BUF we strip our own freight and load our own freight. Am I missing something here? We are building TRAILERS, not ROCKETS. We manage to crank out some of the best numbers in the system doing it this way. Very few overloads to speak of.
 
It does seem idiotic at times, but that's what a "cross dock" is, the freight never hits the floor, out of one trailer and into another.
 
Management wants to eliminate Stackers (those who bid loading trailers), they want Checkers (those that bid to unload trailers) to load their own freight onto the out bound trailers. To a point we have always done this, IF and that is a very big IF, the freight is compatible.
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Let me see if I understand the problem: The 'checker' will be unloading outbound from city peddle trailers and loading it to ride on an outbound trailer but needs a good mix of freight (top freight+skids to do it right.

Sounds like a pretty routine task for a checker with a little creativity and experience. I assume the checker has a variety of trailers with a variety of freight to strip and load onto the outbound trailer. He would need to be familiar with all the freight on those trailers that will be unloaded so he may go from trailer to trailer to pick and choose freight that could be stacked and loaded out now rather then having to temporarily stage freight until he needs it. Improper stacking and not using dunnage is costing tens on millions of dollars every year..close to a billion dollars each decade
vulcan.gif
 
facts are that cross loading like the bean counters want does 2 thing, load factor drops and damages go up.
 
heres what happen

Its an art to properly loading to ride a trailer, load factor, cubing out and making it scale is sometimes a challenge. When there are too many hands or people trying to justify their position & call the shots when they never had any real experience moving freight here lies the problem.... what happened to that 1-10-100 rule we used to live by:confused::shrug::shrug:
 
screwy louiey said:
Its an art to properly loading to ride a trailer, load factor, cubing out and making it scale is sometimes a challenge. When there are too many hands or people trying to justify their position & call the shots when they never had any real experience moving freight here lies the problem.... what happened to that 1-10-100 rule we used to live by:confused::shrug::shrug:
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That rule died with EEFB and RDWY. :(
 
screwy louiey said:
Its an art to properly loading to ride a trailer, load factor, cubing out and making it scale is sometimes a challenge. When there are too many hands or people trying to justify their position & call the shots when they never had any real experience moving freight here lies the problem.... what happened to that 1-10-100 rule we used to live by:confused::shrug::shrug:
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Your last four words answered that" we used to live by"
 
I prefer loading my own trailer. I try to have a plan for unusual freight.
Different people have different styles.
One guy loads, he is then responsible for poor loading.
Trailers loaded by multiple people show their own results at destination.
I have fought this issue with various supervisors and end up doing what I know is best.
When load factor is good and claims are low, there should not be direction given from bean counters and inexperienced supervisors.
Sorry you have to listen to boneheads without a clue.
 
little d said:
For those that don't know what cross dock is; Management wants to eliminate Stackers (those who bid loading trailers), they want Checkers (those that bid to unload trailers) to load their own freight onto the out bound trailers. To a point we have always done this, IF and that is a very big IF, the freight is compatible.

Here in KC, management is pushing cross dock to a point of stupidity at unheard of levels. It started at something like 60% and the last I have heard, they wanted like 75%. Although they don't give us #'s on claims anymore, we see day in and day out the number of salvage trailers that are going out the gate and City Drivers that go to RSO tell us that on average, on any givin day, there are between 15 to 30 salvage trailers there waiting to be unloaded.

Overloaded trailers that were once the exception are now the norm, wasting countless man hours for Dock Checkers/Stackers re-working loads, City and Road Hostlers hooking, breaking down, putting back to the dock and re-hooking sets and Road Drivers waiting on trailers that should have been loaded right in the first place.

Someone that I know and respect put it best: My wife gave me a grocery list and sent me to the store. After getting everything on the list, at the check out, I told the clerk that I wanted everything coming off of the belt to be sacked up right then and there. When I got home, the wife threw a fit because the bread, cookies and chips were crushed and the milk and OJ had broken because they broke the bag. I replied, but honey, look at how efficient I was.....
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i got a good chuckle on the grocery store bit. BRILLIANT! lmfao.
 
little d said:
For those that don't know what cross dock is; Management wants to eliminate Stackers (those who bid loading trailers), they want Checkers (those that bid to unload trailers) to load their own freight onto the out bound trailers. To a point we have always done this, IF and that is a very big IF, the freight is compatible.

Here in KC, management is pushing cross dock to a point of stupidity at unheard of levels. It started at something like 60% and the last I have heard, they wanted like 75%. Although they don't give us #'s on claims anymore, we see day in and day out the number of salvage trailers that are going out the gate and City Drivers that go to RSO tell us that on average, on any givin day, there are between 15 to 30 salvage trailers there waiting to be unloaded.

Overloaded trailers that were once the exception are now the norm, wasting countless man hours for Dock Checkers/Stackers re-working loads, City and Road Hostlers hooking, breaking down, putting back to the dock and re-hooking sets and Road Drivers waiting on trailers that should have been loaded right in the first place.

Someone that I know and respect put it best: My wife gave me a grocery list and sent me to the store. After getting everything on the list, at the check out, I told the clerk that I wanted everything coming off of the belt to be sacked up right then and there. When I got home, the wife threw a fit because the bread, cookies and chips were crushed and the milk and OJ had broken because they broke the bag. I replied, but honey, look at how efficient I was.....
Click to expand...

We are supposed to cross-dock our freight. Some do and some don't.
I normally cross-dock 90% of my freight and work in docked freight if possible. We do get alot of odd shaped manufacturing freight.
Today though, it is only about "numbers." Management logic is as follows. 10 employees. 5 bills per hour. 10 hours a day. 500 bills moved.
I'm sorry to say, it NEVER happens. Then management lashes out angrily with their hostile prison attitude and informs us "no more talking!"
I assume management forgets about the sacrifices we all gave, not to mention the worthless Fidelity YRCW stock.
 
hanalad said:
I'm sorry to say, it NEVER happens. Then management lashes out angrily with their hostile prison attitude and informs us "no more talking!"
I assume management forgets about the sacrifices we all gave, not to mention the worthless Fidelity YRCW stock.
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Most had the good sense to save their job. Today's tip: When working the dock never walk around carrying nothing..at least be pushing a cart or hand truck even if nothing is on it..if you're on a forklift and have to wait to go into a trailer don't fall asleep. Be productive and most importantly be quiet
 
SCRABBLE said:
At 205/BUF we strip our own freight and load our own freight. Am I missing something here? We are building TRAILERS, not ROCKETS. We manage to crank out some of the best numbers in the system doing it this way. Very few overloads to speak of.
Click to expand...

Numbers are fine, and, not to point any fingers, but what does the freight look like at the other end?
Our shift works both IB/OB freight. No "whiskered varmit w/tail" here, but I have seen supervisors take tons of pictures.
I would be very interested to see exactly, what a trailer I load, looks like, at the opposite end when the door is opened.
I could spend a whole hour here explaining what works, what doesn't work, lack of training, incompetent management and their pet peeves.

I would also like to add, first and foremost, is protecting the customer's freight.
What customer will keep on using us if the freight is constantly damaged?
 
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hanalad said:
I would be very interested to see exactly, what a trailer I load, looks like, at the opposite end when the door is opened.
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Hey Albag, remember I askeded you 'bout this a while ago, regarding loads from SoCal to 135?

Maybe some breakout guy should take a pic on his phone and send it back to hanalad and let him know how good his load rides on the train?
 
I can do that. I normally do not load 135 but will volunteer for the task one night.
I will note the trailer# and take a picture after I'm finished.
 
Elwood said:
Hey Albag, remember I askeded you 'bout this a while ago, regarding loads from SoCal to 135?

Maybe some breakout guy should take a pic on his phone and send it back to hanalad and let him know how good his load rides on the train?
Click to expand...

I'd love to help. But I'm a Chicago (309) road driver. But I'll talk to some buddies who work the dock.
 
Joe the plumber said:
Most had the good sense to save their job. Today's tip: When working the dock never walk around carrying nothing..at least be pushing a cart or hand truck even if nothing is on it..if you're on a forklift and have to wait to go into a trailer don't fall asleep. Be productive and most importantly be quiet
Click to expand...

I don't have the slightest problem of a "fair day of pay for a fair day of work." IF MANAGEMENT ALLOWS ME!
That means, leave me alone. My talking is minimal and I prefer to accomplish a quality job over a quantity job!
So read again, my post which you only half-copied/pasted. Numbers. The customer is no longer King. Or Queen.

Here is a good article from 2007 concerning "A fair day's pay for a fair day's work"
A fair day's pay for a fair day's work - The Times-Gazette - Hillsboro, OH
 
To cross dock as managers said " we are going to have to deal with some re-works " now I will tell U in a cross dock operation U will suffer in other areas of your dock operations. Load factor, Damage Claims, Lost Freight, just to name a few. Its possible to succeed in cross docking freight but management must accept some negativity & drawbacks as a result of this practice also.......give & take on both sides.......U can't ask for something / get it/ then complain about the results U get doing exactly what U asked for. We need more communication from dock workers & management with open minds to ideas to better run this operation more efficiently & cost effective.
 
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