SEFL | Junk Freight

Were not making a profit right now. Freight has picked up at my barn but were are getting in some real ugly freight lately. Lets all hope this gets better in the near future.
 
sabresfan is right, how can we be making a profit with the claims that we are getting, use to i maybe would get 2-3 exceptions a week. now its like 2 a day for damaged freight. there are plenty more drivers who say the same.
 
Our os&d bay is full. The biggest problem I have is when we get in an L53 there are no Lbars used during the loading of the trailer. Call me crazy but who is supervising when this goes on. This ecomomy should be a perfect training period on how to load,block,brace and dunnage freight correctly. When things pick back up it would be great if people had a better understanding of this. If you load a trailer properly it can be done faster and with less claims. On the inbound side a properly loaded trailer takes less time to break, less pictures, less recouping, less stuff for the clerks, drivers and most importantly CUSTOMERS to deal with. Sorry for the long rant but it was a junk freight week.
 
I remember a few years ago sefl quit hauling junk freight because of claims, but it's a different invirament now. Thank God we have freight. By the way, we are #2 on profitability right now, in ltl anyway. That is great considering we haven't had a layoff or cut in pay and benifits.
 
We are making a profit & taking advantage of some good past decisions. Two years ago pre-bought tractors, ended up be a great decision. Today, we have new equipment without spending. Have cut major daily expenses. Our employees are multi-tasking, may not be the greatest, but no layoffs, no pay cuts.
 
sabresfan is right, how can we be making a profit with the claims that we are getting, use to i maybe would get 2-3 exceptions a week. now its like 2 a day for damaged freight. there are plenty more drivers who say the same.

I have come into contact with shippers or residents trying to ship materials that screamed claims.I refused to make these pickups based on the loss we will end up paying out. I have also been sent out with freight that I knew was not going to be accepted based on the condition of the shipment. We drivers must step back and decide if that shipment you are about to pick up will travel through out our system intact and deliverable based on the way it is packaged. If not, give the shipper the opportunity to repack the shipment so it is ready for transit. If they refuse, tell dispatch that this pickup is a claim waiting to happen. EBAY pick ups are the worst. I have car engines sitting on pallets with cable ties holding them down, leaking gas and oil on the trailer floor and I am suppose to deliver that mess! What are you thinking when that was picked up. Just because it is ugly freight, does not mean we need to take a loss on it. Any freight is good freight does not apply here!!! We know how freight reacts when in transit, use that knowledge to save us paying claims and putting that driver in a situation that you will say-"I am glad I won't be that driver who has to deliver that day killer of a drop". Then that pickup needs to be reevaluated.
 
I agree girn, we are seeing freight come in with nothing to protect it from even the most minor of scratches. Ac units that have been around awhile are a dead give away for this. It seems all these shippers are trying to do is get sefl to pay for their freight thats either not selling or already partially damaged. It's sad we even have consignee's that we make the last stop on the p&d route because we know they will either refuse or try to get a claim for stuff thats not damaged or say they didn't order it. All this in an attempt to get us to handle it multiple times to find a claim. The sad part is when we finally deceide to not do business with this customer anymore they will have made a nice buck off us and another carrier will gladly take our place to start the game all over.
 
in our meeting this morning it was said that our O/R was around a .98 for the month of april. can't remember if that was for the company as a whole or just our terminal. oh well, at any rate, that's good news. but you guys are right, we had a finished truck bumper come into our terminal for delivery that was in nothing more than plastic wrap. no cardboard to protect it at all. why in the world would a shipper send something out like that and why would a driver pick that up other than it was loaded on a dropped trailer SLC
 
too much agravation when you have damaged freight, it takes extra time at that stop, then they call you in the office, and ask you what took so long at this stop. you cant win for losing.
 
we have to haul what we can now.......dont really like it....but thats the facts for now....

RACEHORSE I DISAGREE WITH YOU HERE. We can't accept a PICKUP just because it's a pickup. A pickup that will cost hundreds and or thousands of dollars in a claim based on it being a pickup is stupid at best!!! If you wouldn't ship it in that condition why accept it???? Use your head!!!! We need to cut our loses when we can!!!! You encounter a pickup where you think it will cost us more in claims than we will get in costs to deliver it why on GOD'S given earth would you accept it??????????????????? Are you the person who is picking up those leaking unsecured engines that I am encountering on my trailer???? Become part of the solution not the problem!!!! Any freight, is good freight, is non applicable here!!!! If you would not ship it that way, why accept it that way???
 
RACEHORSE I DISAGREE WITH YOU HERE. We can't accept a PICKUP just because it's a pickup. A pickup that will cost hundreds and or thousands of dollars in a claim based on it being a pickup is stupid at best!!! If you wouldn't ship it in that condition why accept it???? Use your head!!!! We need to cut our loses when we can!!!! You encounter a pickup where you think it will cost us more in claims than we will get in costs to deliver it why on GOD'S given earth would you accept it??????????????????? Are you the person who is picking up those leaking unsecured engines that I am encountering on my trailer???? Become part of the solution not the problem!!!! Any freight, is good freight, is non applicable here!!!! If you would not ship it that way, why accept it that way???

girn......thanks for your..........azz chewing man....i have called in and described want is being shipped....in the passed they tell me to use my on judgement....i would not pick it up...tell the shipper and so on.....son i know a little about freight....if the man tells me to pick it up....i pick it up....no it aint me picking up your engines...maybe you should not tell me...tell your tm....let him make that decession....he can call other terminal and let sales get involved..girn lighten up some.....we are on the same ship.....
 
girn......thanks for your..........azz chewing man....i have called in and described want is being shipped....in the passed they tell me to use my on judgement....i would not pick it up...tell the shipper and so on.....son i know a little about freight....if the man tells me to pick it up....i pick it up....no it aint me picking up your engines...maybe you should not tell me...tell your tm....let him make that decession....he can call other terminal and let sales get involved..girn lighten up some.....we are on the same ship.....

Racehorse I do owe you an apology! I am sorry. And you are right we are on the same team. Sometimes I get passionate on my convictions and do not convey them the way I would like to.
 
i know sometimes if you refuse to pick something up, the dispatcher and tm, will have you in the office the next morning and ask why you didnt. like i said you cant win or losing.
 
girn....its all good brother....and mike are you calling in to let them know first....thats just info they need.....dont take it so personal man...let sales go by and see the stuff...:shift:
 
look guys, I run a pup route and come into contact with these "claims waiting to happen" pickups all the time. All we have to do is follow a few simple steps and we can pick the frt up and not have a claim. 1. Notify your dispatcher and let them know what is going on, 2. Call OSD and get an exception prior to leaving and write it on the bill , 3. Write on the BOL, " Southeastern Freight Lines is not responsible for any damage to freight (cite what is damaged), this freight is damaged upon pickup". I know this is all time consuming but its the only way to do it right and cover all the bases. Also one more thing, If all it takes is some more shrink wrap or another strap or tape or even a recommendation to the shipper to protect it better, do it. Chances are they don't know the packaging is insufficient. Follow these steps and not only do we get the freight, but we probably get a customer for life because we impressed them with all the assistance and professionalism in the pickup!
 
I could not agree more. It takes two minutes to save two thousand dollars. If the shipper wants to give you a hard time then just use the good old non confrontation policy. Sir we do not argue with customers please feel free to talk to my dispatcher/supervisor/ or preferably the os&d associate. A majority of the time they will tell you not to pick it up or by going this route you covered your tail. Let the people who get paid to make the big deceisions make the potentially big $ deceisions. I called in for an EA# a long time ago and was told I did not need one. The consignee filed a shortage and I was called to the TM's office. Told him I tried to get an EA but was basically blown off and I never had to hear another word about it again. They got reamed a new one for this but don't allow yourself to get reamed. Watch your back and do the right thing and everything usually will go easier in the long run.
 
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