"David G. Nagel" wrote in message
...
B A R R Y wrote:
J. Clarke wrote:

Standard operating procedure. If you don't have a loading dock and a
forklift then make sure that it's absolutely clear how the load will
be gotten off the truck _in_ _advance_.


Better mail order houses will explicitly state at time of order that
the
truck driver will not unload, and lift gate or straight truck service
may cost more.

The beef is with the machine dealer, not the trucking company.


Gentlemen;

It is usually a union thing. Most if not all trucking company drivers
are members of the Teamsters Union.

Dave N


Well yes,......and no.

There has always been a thing called "tailgate rule", which originated in
Teamster Work Rules. Driver was obligated to only move the cargo "TO" the
tailgate, customer required to unload to dock, second vehicle, whatever.
Customer had a certain contracturally specified time to remove freight
before demurrrage charges commenced. That has changed in the 70's, though.
Even then, most drivers would help get the stuff off, because it meant that
they could go on about their day, maybe even finish early, or (better yet)
finish their shift at the coffee shop, instead of waiting out in the weather
for some guy to find and finagle a forklift.

Some purchase orders, some delivery orders specify now to offload only to
dock, some specify how cargo is to be stacked, whether shrink-wrapped, or
whatever. Palletized ? - that's an option, often left unstated. Depends a
lot on what the freight is, however. And "regular customer" earns a lot of
consideration, too.

What it boils down to now is that just about each delivery has its own set
of rules. "Caveat emptor" is a safe policy. Specify it beforehand, and
you'll probably get just what you require. Be prepared to pay for the
*service*, as well as the product.

*************

In the early 70's I drove a flatbed tractor-trailer for a truck-assembling
company, picking up freight which was owned by that company, off the docks
at South Clinton St. in Baltimore.

Needing to make three turns daily, I always took two ten-dollar bills,
loading two truck-bodies each trip. Yes, I listed it in petty cash as
"grease", I left it on the clipboard under the pier's copy of the Loading
Manifest/Receipt of Freight form. Not saying it was a fair arrangement,
but it worked. Everybody was satisfied. Half of the $$ went to the forklift
driver, the other went to his supervisor, for essentiallly allowing the deal
to operate as it did.

Being liberal with $$ helps, being a nice guy does, too. Being aware ,
reading the fiene print of the contract is probably a good idea too.

Flash