Truck order not use - TONU

[hwyops]

Has anyone come across one of these .

Carrier arrives on a Friday at 14h00 for a p/up and the freight isn't ready. Not for a week! Carrier charges the full value of the lost space in the van and drivers home vs. laying over until Monday for potential backhauls along the route. We're talking about $2000 CAD

1st time it happens to me so I'm a little shocked. The fact is customer gave us miss information which was not verified with the shipper 24 hours in advance. There's blame there for sure but $2000 ?

Any feedback is good feedback

Cheers!

 

[TransAction]

We've run into the same thing on 2 occasions. First time we paid, this was many years ago. After a little more experience, we asked the carrier supply their terms and conditions where it states if a load is missed due to whatever reason we are liable for the full cost of the load. I am certain that most shippers and or brokers would not agree to such terms as we all know there are so many scenarios where this could occur.

The other issue is that the carrier simply demanded this amount without negotiation, etc, it was more of the approach here. We will gladly put our shoes into our carriers and try to come up with a fair solution in this case. When you are dealing with smaller carriers, this is of course a higher risk to them if a load is cancelled as they simply can't recover so easily compared to a carrier whom has a large fleet. The question is, is this our liability that your business is structured as such?

Another consideration is we all have our ups and downs in this business, whether a broker, carrier or direct shipper sometimes we win and sometimes we loose. We all take on certain liabilities and this is one of them. I also pose the question in these instances; what about when we book an outbound load with you where you already have an inbound that is within 10 km's away and you are making bank off of that one and it works out perfectly? Do you call me and say, hey, this one worked great for us so we are going to credit you $$$. We all know the answer is no.

 

[loaders]

If a carrier was to cancel on me at 4:00 PM on a Friday (oh, and let’s make it a long weekend just for fun) and in order to re-cover the load, we had to pay another guy $500 extra, can I bill the cancelling carrier this additional amount? I mean, what’s good for the goose, surely is good for the gander, isn’t it? Just saying.

 

[HTSTrans]

Every situation is different, and when events like this occur, I believe that all parties need to work together to come to a reasonable solution that mitigates the impact of the event. In addition to the points offered above, from the carrier’s perspective:

- you bought the space on the truck

- the carrier made service commitments to you and his other clients with freight on the truck

- the commitments he made were based on the commitment that you made to him

- at 2pm on a Friday afternoon there are limited possibilities to replace the cancelled shipment

- the truck arrived at the shipper to load the product, so the only the only cost that the carrier didn’t incur is the time he saved by not delivering to your consignee

The carrier essentially incurred the same costs to move the truck whether your shipment was on it or not, and he is short $2000 in revenue.

If you were one of the other clients with freight on the truck, how would you look at the situation if the carrier held the truck over the weekend, delaying your shipment?

If you were the driver / owner operator, how would you look at the situation if you were faced with sitting for the weekend, away from your family / home with no revenue when you were planning on working all weekend?

 

[ralphthetrucker]

Does nobody make phone calls anymore to ensure everything is ready? The broker is to blame if they didn't call before booking the truck. The carrier AND the driver aren't without fault either for the exact same reason. It seems a 1 minute phone call might have prevented all of this from happening.

 

[Freight Broker]

That's true most of the time. But sometimes shipper will say order is ready when it is not due to lack of communication among the shipper's staff.

 

[markhamboy]

Does nobody make phone calls anymore to ensure everything is ready? The broker is to blame if they didn't call before booking the truck. The carrier AND the driver aren't without fault either for the exact same reason. It seems a 1 minute phone call might have prevented all of this from happening.

So true. I do . I make sure all ducks are lined up.

 

[chica123]

I agree with Ralph. There are many brokers out there that call and make sure all details are worked out before booking a carrier...ie will the freight be ready at said time, do they have a dock, do they have customs docs? Then there are the brokers that don't do this. We all run across this situation from time to time and it leaves us holding the purse most of the time. I don't like assuming the job of the broker and making the call to confirm these details, but I do know that I can't trust all brokers to do this ahead of time. In my opinion, brokers should step up to the plate in this aspect and save everyone the wasted time and money. HTST Trans summed it up very well. Have a super day, all!

 

[Nawk]

Oy, brokers need to (before each order is dispatched)... Call both the shipper and consignee;

• Is the shipment ready.
• What are the shipping / delivery hours.
• Do you have a dock
• Can you fit in with a big truck (53)
• Do we need an appointment
• Confirm Skid count & weight

It's really not that difficult.

Try this for each and every shipment you dispatch and you'll find that there will be a lot less Friday afternoon bombs going off in your world.

The added bonus here is... instead of sending Emails. Making phone calls, talking to your shippers, consignees helps you to understand their challenges... lets you know how their day is going and you build a stronger "relationship" with both your shippers and consignees.

If you as a broker... don't have the time or can't be bothered to do the above... This is what happens.

end rant

 

[Freight Broker]

Most of us do make phone calls.. trouble is the information we get is sometimes, nevertheless incorrect.. and that ends up reflecting badly on us. Smart brokers do more than just call to verify.. they know exactly who at their respective customers can be relied upon to provide accurate information.. Fact is most people aren't worth their weight in ballast on a sinking ship... it is thus really important to have one or two good contacts among the zombies who can be counted on..Case in point.. at some of my own accounts I don't even bother with the traffic manager or even with the shipper when I know that Jill in accounting is the only one there who knows or cares.. Sometimes not easy to figure out where the live brain cells are in any given organization... and often the people with titles who you'd expect to know better are useless toxic deadweight.

 

[markhamboy]

Oy, brokers need to (before each order is dispatched)... Call both the shipper and consignee;

• Is the shipment ready.
• What are the shipping / delivery hours.
• Do you have a dock
• Can you fit in with a big truck (53)
• Do we need an appointment
• Confirm Skid count & weight

It's really not that difficult.

Try this for each and every shipment you dispatch and you'll find that there will be a lot less Friday afternoon bombs going off in your world.

The added bonus here is... instead of sending Emails. Making phone calls, talking to your shippers, consignees helps you to understand their challenges... lets you know how their day is going and you build a stronger "relationship" with both your shippers and consignees.

If you as a broker... don't have the time or can't be bothered to do the above... This is what happens.

end rant

You are right. We as brokers should be doing what you out lined. Which I do. can't speak for the others.

BUT THEN.... HERE COMES THE BUT BUT.

Carriers also have to do their part as well.

When excepting our confirmation

Be on time pick up. Don't call us that you are running late at noon when you should have been at the pick up point at 9 am.

If you can't pick up or deliver call us. Don't wait till we call only to find, We will deliver tomorrow. (which by the way it just happened last week. the excuse was, the city driver didn't show up t work)

and I can go on and on.

BOTTOM LINE:

We have to work together so we can service our customer and get paid on time.

 

[loaders]

Sometimes, in spite of everyone's efforts, a shipment just doesn't get finished by the time the truck arrives to load. It could be for any number reasons, parts shortages, machinery breakdown, etc., etc. Just like transportation, manufacturing doesn't run like a well oiled Swiss watch. I cannot believe that any shipper would knowingly relay information about the readiness of a shipment that he knew to be false, there is nothing to be gained.
In the case of the original poster, a heart-to-heart talk with his customer, and a discussion with the shipper, might result in there being a few more dollars available to be offered to the carrier, over and above a typical Truck Ordered Not Used. Should the carrier be entitled to the revenue the shipment was generating, no, but in this case there was misinformation furnished that should result in some extra compensation.

 

[MikeJr]

Roadrage#5,

You'll see a lot of different thoughts on this. In the end there was a communication breakdown that caused this issue. Some say it's neglecting to request the information from the shipper (broker and carrier), but as some members have already stated, most of us call ahead. It's part of the value we all add to the transaction. If I was a shipper and I had an issue on site (like a machine break down) that prevents me from getting a shipment ready I'd call the machine fixer first then the guy who arranged my 2:00PM pickup this afternoon second.

Weigh all the details about what happened, the carrier relationship, the customer relationship and make your decision from that. I've been in this situation (thankfully rarely) and have had customers understand 'you booked this seat on the plane, there are no refunds as there is no time to fill your seat. It sucks, but you're going to need to cough it up'. I've also been in the 'you have a 15% cancellation rate and I've never asked you to pay for my increased costs, why would I help you here'? Sometimes a number in between can satisfy both parties while each of them feels that there is some give in their direction.

Hope it works out for you,
Mike

 

[Gord M]

The carrier is lucky to get $250, if anyone pays you more then hang on to that Freight Broker because they are good people. Shippers are idiots sometimes, so stupid they forget to tell people a load wont be ready. Sometimes they put the wrong load on a truck, "oops can you bring that load back please" and don't realize until you are five hundred miles away. Truth is we are at the mercy of the shippers and consignee's, penalize them too much for their mistakes and they don't want you next time. Its not easy being a great carrier!

 

[chica123]

Here is a funny tidbit, Nawk. I have called ALOT of places over the years. I am sure you have too. When a place looks like it is obviously not set up for highway trucks and 53 foot trailers, I pose the very question you suggested, can you fit a highway truck and 53 foot trailer? I have NEVER, not even once single time had anyone say "no you can't"..lol. Sometimes they have no idea that a highway truck needs more space than a city truck etc. But it is unbelievable that nobody has ever said that. They have all pretty much said," oh well if you have a good driver" or "every one else can do it". But not one single place has ever told me that they can't fit a "big truck"....lol. Several years ago I decided it was better to just Google the place. I do the street view, the aerial view..every single time we get an order to go to a new place. I don't trust anyone but myself or the driver to tell me now.

 

[Nawk]

Here is a funny tidbit, Nawk. I have called ALOT of places over the years. I am sure you have too. When a place looks like it is obviously not set up for highway trucks and 53 foot trailers, I pose the very question you suggested, can you fit a highway truck and 53 foot trailer? I have NEVER, not even once single time had anyone say "no you can't"..lol. Sometimes they have no idea that a highway truck needs more space than a city truck etc. But it is unbelievable that nobody has ever said that. They have all pretty much said," oh well if you have a good driver" or "every one else can do it". But not one single place has ever told me that they can't fit a "big truck"....lol. Several years ago I decided it was better to just Google the place. I do the street view, the aerial view..every single time we get an order to go to a new place. I don't trust anyone but myself or the driver to tell me now.

God bless google streets huh ? It's almost always open on one of my screens too. I use it... combined with a phone call and the info the customer has provided and most (there will always be exceptions of course) of the time problems are avoided.

 

[Freight Broker]

I do the google streets thing too. I alwaysd ask if the yard is LEVEL as well..even a slight slant or dropoff can cause major headaches..

 

[dad2andrew]

Paved/Concreted yard or sloppy sticky gravel complete with potholes/craters.

 

[loaders]

I have to be honest, this thread is starting to get a bit "whinny". We all can agree that transportation can be a real "bitch" of an industry, what with bad information, lazy shippers, difficult freight, inefficient customs brokers, last minute freight cancellations......, the list of problems is virtually endless. In spite of all these problems, the good carriers and the good brokers seem to be able to make it work. I suppose it doesn't hurt anyone if we all occasionally feel like venting a bit about these shared challenges, but today I have grown somewhat tired of it.