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XPO | Damaged freight

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BIG HAMMER

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I continue to hear stories that we are losing customers because of a lot of damages. To much freight getting jammed into trailers without the use of dunnage. Back in the days we did not have load racks and had to build good loads using the dunnage -- so I know it can be done. Two guys from corporate was in Chicagoland this week and heard them state we are destroying the customers freight system wide - I heard 20 mil paid out so far in claims. What is everyone else hearing at their terminals?
 
About two weeks ago at Nat we had about 12 big wigs that gave a big meeting and stayed around on the dock a week saying the same thing! I know for a fact our damages come from the lack of training and the high turn over rate. When I started they had a guy who had only been there a week train me. True story! today I seen 3 new hires being trained by guys who have been working for us less then a month!
 
I see things on the dock daily that make me wonder how anything could make it to it's destination still intact. Several times a week I am actually embarrassed at the condition of freight that I have to deliver. :gasp:
 
I know new hires are a problem.However,i've stripped freight off trailers that i know were loaded by guys with lots of experience and knowledge and it still is damaged. With tonnage levels down why are we damaging any freight at all? I am tired of being embarrassed on a customers dock by are now famous conway blue shrink wrap. Any constructive insight by our linehaul guys (i'm city)would be appreciated.
 
Don't just blame the new hires... I see the same names every night on manifests where every or almost every shipment is damaged... It's just as much people simply not caring as lack of training. We are paying millions out in claims due to our simple lack of respect for our customers freight. I do see alot of the "Blind leading the blind" but I see even more "I just don't care" everyday... It's alot more additude than it is inexperience... Someone who has very little knowledge of how to properly load will do a better job than someone who knows exactly how to load but doesn't care...

Just my thoughts...

MG
 
Half that equation would be lessened if CON-WAY hired experienced drivers instead of having that " we'll mold them " idealism and hire people with absolutely no knowledge of freight. I've witnessed this hiring practice first hand. So in closing, if CON-WAY takes care of it's employees they will take of the company they work for. Apparently the attitude of I don't care has merit to how the driver is treated. It all has basis to encouraging a positive or negative attitude. Just my thoughts.
 
Well, I respect your thoughts 1t regrading hiring experienced drivers. But times have changed though as far as availability goes. At my terminal we don't have experienced LTL'rs knocking down the door.

I really can't blame the damages on our "superior" management team. MG hit the nail on the head - it is a simple matter of respecting our customers freight. Do we have management issues in this company - you BET!

In broad terms, we sure don't show how much we respect our customers freight these days. I remind myself everyday what my trainer told me when I started with the company many years ago and it still holds true today, no matter what company you work for - "When your out of customers -your out of business".

As MG stated it is all about attitude. The customer provides us with our livelihood each week, and it is sad that our respect is shown by destroying their freight.

I am not afraid to step in and stop someone from doing the wrong thing. What I see is that there are two many seasoned drivers who really know how to load it right, but have lost respect for their paycheck - or don't step in to correct the newbie so it gets loaded right. It is embarrassing facing the customer when the freight is destroyed - I've been there many times over the years and it is not pleasant!

When I take the time to stop and explain how to load a shipment correctly to the newbie, I am making a very small invest in yours and my future paycheck.

YB - what you are saying is a direct reflection on the management mentality. If a newbie is training the newbie more often than not the outcome will not be in our favor and it leads to frustration of our new team member. I think we have a decent training program if it is implemented properly - but most often management only looks at the numbers and short cuts the program. The sad irony is, the money they think they save by quickly rushing our drivers through their training is quickly lost due to the mistakes created as a result of poor training.

Based on what I heard - we have 20 million reasons to help one another these days! I hope there are some veteran drivers who read this thread - and GET INVOLVED and START CARING about what is happening. Look at it this way guys, what you do have power to control -- is your business.
 
BIG HAMMER said:
Well, I respect your thoughts 1t regrading hiring experienced drivers. But times have changed though as far as availability goes. At my terminal we don't have experienced LTL'rs knocking down the door.

I really can't blame the damages on our "superior" management team. MG hit the nail on the head - it is a simple matter of respecting our customers freight. Do we have management issues in this company - you BET!

In broad terms, we sure don't show how much we respect our customers freight these days. I remind myself everyday what my trainer told me when I started with the company many years ago and it still holds true today, no matter what company you work for - "When your out of customers -your out of business".

As MG stated it is all about attitude. The customer provides us with our livelihood each week, and it is sad that our respect is shown by destroying their freight.

I am not afraid to step in and stop someone from doing the wrong thing. What I see is that there are two many seasoned drivers who really know how to load it right, but have lost respect for their paycheck - or don't step in to correct the newbie so it gets loaded right. It is embarrassing facing the customer when the freight is destroyed - I've been there many times over the years and it is not pleasant!

When I take the time to stop and explain how to load a shipment correctly to the newbie, I am making a very small invest in yours and my future paycheck.

YB - what you are saying is a direct reflection on the management mentality. If a newbie is training the newbie more often than not the outcome will not be in our favor and it leads to frustration of our new team member. I think we have a decent training program if it is implemented properly - but most often management only looks at the numbers and short cuts the program. The sad irony is, the money they think they save by quickly rushing our drivers through their training is quickly lost due to the mistakes created as a result of poor training.

Based on what I heard - we have 20 million reasons to help one another these days! I hope there are some veteran drivers who read this thread - and GET INVOLVED and START CARING about what is happening. Look at it this way guys, what you do have power to control -- is your business.
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WOW Very well said and I very much agree with you :USA:
 
BIG HAMMER said:
Well, I respect your thoughts 1t regrading hiring experienced drivers. But times have changed though as far as availability goes. At my terminal we don't have experienced LTL'rs knocking down the door.

I really can't blame the damages on our "superior" management team. MG hit the nail on the head - it is a simple matter of respecting our customers freight. Do we have management issues in this company - you BET!

In broad terms, we sure don't show how much we respect our customers freight these days. I remind myself everyday what my trainer told me when I started with the company many years ago and it still holds true today, no matter what company you work for - "When your out of customers -your out of business".

As MG stated it is all about attitude. The customer provides us with our livelihood each week, and it is sad that our respect is shown by destroying their freight.

I am not afraid to step in and stop someone from doing the wrong thing. What I see is that there are two many seasoned drivers who really know how to load it right, but have lost respect for their paycheck - or don't step in to correct the newbie so it gets loaded right. It is embarrassing facing the customer when the freight is destroyed - I've been there many times over the years and it is not pleasant!

When I take the time to stop and explain how to load a shipment correctly to the newbie, I am making a very small invest in yours and my future paycheck.

YB - what you are saying is a direct reflection on the management mentality. If a newbie is training the newbie more often than not the outcome will not be in our favor and it leads to frustration of our new team member. I think we have a decent training program if it is implemented properly - but most often management only looks at the numbers and short cuts the program. The sad irony is, the money they think they save by quickly rushing our drivers through their training is quickly lost due to the mistakes created as a result of poor training.

Based on what I heard - we have 20 million reasons to help one another these days! I hope there are some veteran drivers who read this thread - and GET INVOLVED and START CARING about what is happening. Look at it this way guys, what you do have power to control -- is your business.
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Very good.I am working on a letter to sent about this subject.It would help if we put Q.C.'s back on the docks to stop to damage before it happens.All new supervisors most spead a week at a F.A.C. to see whats happening to the freight.not just looking at it ,But working it.Thats just a start.
 
GFY - I completly agree with you. There are many supervisors who THINK they know how a trailer should be loaded - but DO NOT have a clue in reality.

New supervisors receive no training on how a trailer should be loaded. Heck, as far as that goes we have some that do not even know how the forklift attachments work!

If they don't know how to load properly - they are not going to correct loading problems because they don't know what they are looking for.

Thats where our DSR training program falls short also in my opinion. No hands on training so the new person knows what to do when loading. Just throw them to the wolves and stamp them certified because they watched a stack of videos (14 I think) that would choke an elephant.

I say throw the supervisors in an empty shut the door and pull it around the yard a couple of times so they understand how freight moves around in a trailer!

I was told by a QC in St Louis they are wrapped up installing some new program until next year as trainers. So your idea is good, but his hands are tied until next year.
 
Trucking Bandit said:
GFY - I completly agree with you. There are many supervisors who THINK they know how a trailer should be loaded - but DO NOT have a clue in reality.

New supervisors receive no training on how a trailer should be loaded. Heck, as far as that goes we have some that do not even know how the forklift attachments work!

If they don't know how to load properly - they are not going to correct loading problems because they don't know what they are looking for.

Thats where our DSR training program falls short also in my opinion. No hands on training so the new person knows what to do when loading. Just throw them to the wolves and stamp them certified because they watched a stack of videos (14 I think) that would choke an elephant.

I say throw the supervisors in an empty shut the door and pull it around the yard a couple of times so they understand how freight moves around in a trailer!

I was told by a QC in St Louis they are wrapped up installing some new program until next year as trainers. So your idea is good, but his hands are tied until next year.
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I know,I feel sorry for the Q.C..They for the most part aren't allowed to there jobs.Acting supervisor,goofier,repair man and on and on.
 
The way I see it,I know it isn't right but drivers don't care becouse management don't care about us. Part of it is also bad attitudes. employees don't go to work with a bad attitude. Alot of times it starts as soon as he pulls into the gate at his own terminal. I feel our behavior is a direct reaction of how we are treated. It's not fair to the customer as managment has told me nothing is fair
 
dodge ram said:
The way I see it,I know it isn't right but drivers don't care becouse management don't care about us. Part of it is also bad attitudes. employees don't go to work with a bad attitude. Alot of times it starts as soon as he pulls into the gate at his own terminal. I feel our behavior is a direct reaction of how we are treated. It's not fair to the customer as managment has told me nothing is fair
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we our a reflection of our leadership.Attitudes is a big part of whats going on.It starts at the top and works its ugly way down.
 
i just don't understand. loading a 1200pd skid on top of a 200pd skid,loading a skid of insects into a trailer while they are spilling out,etc,etc.How is that a reflection of mgmt attitude. as far as i'm concerned it's the attitude of the driver that should be in question. please let's stop blaming mgmt for all the problems of damaged freight THEY ARE NOT LOADING IT,WE THE DRIVERS ARE ,wheather you run linehaul or load the city runs(which i do). the only thing i can control in this company is my attitude and do what i was hired to do 10+years ago.Move,load and deliver freight the best I can as a reflection of who i am not the company i work for.
 
dodge ram said:
but we get bent over in the processs
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You and I only get bent over if we let them do it.If we all for one week did everything by the book.PTI,speed limit and so on,they wouldn't know what to do.We have to many lunch room hero's to do it as collective team to work.We should call it the power of the spine
 
Put QC's back doing the job they are supposed to do, not what they are using them for supervisors.Make the supervisors do there job instead of collecting a pay check.most supervisors see the damage happen but does nothing about it.SUPERVISORS STAND UP AND DO YOUR JOBS. But ultimately its our job to take the lead and stop the damage by showing the new drivers as well as the veterns the way to load freight.WE MUST REMEMBER THE CUSTOMER IS THE ONE THAT SIGNS ALL OF ARE CHECKS,AS WELL AS FAT BEARDS CHECK.
 
sounds like everyone agrees that our "values" have taken a backseat to other priorities. Such a huge subject! Hey, we could start a target group to work on this, maybe call it the Values Task Force! naaa, it would never work, we're paying guys to move freight, not to offer their years of experience to help improve the process.

Try this... accountability and due process.
#1, find the cause of the claim and correct it NOW. A letter of instruction should be a tool of education not punishment.
#2, Show a new guy a picture of what the freight looked like 200 miles after he loaded it, and how to do it better next time! This is teaching and mentoring. He made the effort to load it right. Make the effort to teach him right!
#3, After sixty days, have the new guy work the inbound dock for a whole week to see this aspect of how and why we move the freight.

insanity (noun) doing something the same but expecting a different outcome.
How many daily/weekly moves to you guys see that continue to show up damaged? STOP THE MADNESS
Let's post this number on the wall in the driver's room and demand follow-up on all documented damages
1-800-XGO-VTFs(taff)
 
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