The point seems to be that you consider yourself so d*****d important you can't be bothered being courteous and helpful.

"...Tectonic Pkwy in NY..."

LOL! Also know as the Catatonic Parkway, or for those
of you who like to travel backwards in time, the
Tachyonic Parkway!

Jim (who right now is sitting where he can just about see
the taconic parkway from his computer)

One of the major problems is the directions you give the trucking company don't get to the driver. They will have directions like just before you get to some motel or landmark or if you see so and so you went too far when actually all the driver needs is a good address and the nearest cross street. The name of the street, not second street to the left or right as they will invariably leave one out. Dispatchers think we are riding bicycles. Rant over Kenny

I've relayed this story before..........am workin some stupid serious,high dollar Historic Pres. gig.Need some river sand,but for whatever reason the truck can't deliver 'till we're all gone.Soooo,I leave this HUGE AZZ sign....PUT SAND HERE.....Yup,get there Mon. am and sand is somewhere that it AIN'T sposed to be.I'm livid....call the folks and am slam goin off on them for being so Gauldang stupid,questioning how this stuff happens.Their response....truck driver can't read.

Hey;
just be glad they're phoning before they get into trouble somewhere - like with your load jammed under a bridge or up some oneway street with no turnaround. They're just trying to be responsible and not get in somewhere they shouldn't be.
Town I live in can be horrible to get around in if you're not familiar with it. NW, SE etc gets mixed up lots on packaging. They've got to stick to designated truck routes as well.

I live on Road 9 near the county line, when you cross into the line into the next county the name changes to Bliss Road. Our GPS says we live on Hemlock Road I have never seen a map with that name, it's not on the county survey maps and it's not on any street sign. Yes you might want to call for directions.
Zoom

I could blow that statement so far out of the water it's not funny, by posting numerous examples where I have gone way beyond the call of duty to help out truck drivers in the past. Some examples in posts here on PM from years ago... some complete with photos....like where a machine (not mine) fell off the trailer due to the truckers stupidity[not tied down while he was backing up] and I spent an hour pulling it upright and back on trailer for him...after hours, when I should have just gone home.

As I said, if the trucker makes some effort, I am accomodating....but this thread is about those that are making zero effort to find me other than expecting me to spell it all out for them.

But it's just not worth the trouble...you are going to believe what you believe no matter what.

Well - on that note:


I always give directions from the stop light (only 1) uptown.

One time I had a guy ask how to git here from Detroit! (2 hr away)




------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

I have to admit I've never had a single driver call me for directions ... ever ..!!

And I do live out in the sticks, well a small town in the sticks, and run a business so things are coming and going all the time.

I can only think you are placed somewhere hard to find ..... can you give me directions please ?

As already mentioned, that is part of the point..I'm ridicuously easy to find...one exit ramp off interstate, go 5 miles west, turn left into industrial park, go to end of road, look to right and that's me.

I can understand how frustrating it is for companies that require trucking. The main reason for a lot of the stupidity these days is due to immigrant and "school taught" drivers. I've been trucking for over 20 yrs (lately to supplement my shop) and things have changed drastically in that time.

Years ago, you became a truck driver because your dad was one or you came off a farm where you were used to handling trucks and equipment. Nowadays, any screwball can go to school for 6 weeks and "be a professional"!

In defence of the few good drivers that are left out there, dispatchers are notorious for giving drivers wrong directions or not giving any at all. GPS systems are sometimes outdated or just plain wrong for truck routes. Roads change, truck routes change, construction may be going on etc.

I always call ahead (on my own dime) to businesses that I havent delivered to before, to confim delivery times and directions out of common courtesy. You would be suprised at how many places use one address for billing and another for delivery. Also, a lot of places say "Oh yeah! We get trucks in here all the time" Then I show up with a 80' 18 wheeler and get "Oh! I thought you had a bodyjob!"

At one time I drove LTL and while this would be far to long to list all my thoughts I will list a few. Yes there are stupid truck drivers as well as stupid customers, I've called and got wrong directions from customers that for some reason don't know their left from their right. Customers that give me directions but forget about highth/weight restrictions, A phone call also advises me if they are even avalible to accept the delivery. I usually asked about the ability to even turn around at the delivery location. This could go on and on but if you've never driven a tractor trailer then you don't know shite about how difficult that job is. I've run heavy equipment for most of my life with equipment weighing up to 2000 tons. By far, Driving an 18 wheeler is the most stressfull job I've ever had. For what your responsable for and the risks of being sued for one mistake in a court of law, It amazes me that anybody would even do the job. A**hole customers with no patience do not help. So your g**dam busy, Well so is that driver, They get paid by the mile, Mistakes that slow them down directly affect their wages. If the drivers in North America ever get it togeather and start chargeing what they should be, You will all consider that you were getting almost a free ride for far too long. Thanks Don, You've now pissed me off for the rest of the day. While I'm not a proffesional machinist a few more moronic statements like your original post on this subject will force me to go elsewhere. No big deal for you, But I am sure your advertisers do check in on this board from time to time. Membership numbers would directly affect your ability to charge for advertiseing.

Pete

Did you read all my posts in this thread or are you just having a knee jerk reaction to the initial post ? Your reaction is insulting when I think of all the times I've done way more for truckers than their average pickup...I know because many have told me so. I've lifted them up on pallets to help tarp machines, I've helped them with the tarps, I've moved goods on their trailers to rearrange for where they want to put my machine...just all sorts of things....in the rain, after hours...even met a truck or two here on a Saturday before.

Frankly I find it astounding that some of you STILL can't understand the critical nuance between drivers wanting you to provide ALL the directions versus drivers that try to read a map first and call to CONFIRM the directions. Confirming is good, doing nothing and wanting you to provide ALL the nav info is just slack.

Re membership numbers, has nothing to do with ad rates...mostly based on unique visitors and length of time visitors spend on the site. Vast majority of "unique visitors" are not PM members.

I've actually driven a truck to your facility (nice facility, BTW) and my GPS wanted me to keep going down the dirt road at the end pavement. That might be the first time I've ever called somebody for directions while I was actually already there. You were pretty cool about it.

Oh man, Milacron, I feel your pain! Start rant:

We are a plant out in the sticks, and our mailing address is from a post office in a town about 20 minutes away by truck, AND the car-directions you will get from many GPSs coming from one direction will take you down a weight-limited route (we had a guy get a $11,500 ticket yesterday, which is a crime in itself).

As a result, we have a recording with directions ("press 4 if you need directions"), a website with a map and printable directions, and we have printed faxable directions (for the dispatchers, mostly before the web got so available) in a folder right next to the fax machine, and we have signs lining the route from the interstate.

I have been asked for directions so many times by some dumbass from the town with the post office or from a cell phone while rolling down some highway that I can't count that high. With about half these folks, English is a second language, so them even understanding the directions is a struggle. We can now transfer the call to the recorded directions, so we don't even have to put up with that any more, but the most amazing thing -- they still manage to get tickets or lost or both! Less than a third have GPS. And many of these trucks have dispatchers who either can't or won't help them. The losses in time and money are incredible, and many don't even have an atlas.

And before you suspect that I know not what they deal with, I have a Class A CDL, and I do know pretty much EXACTLY what they are dealing with, and I have to say, the main problem is many of them (though certainly not all) are lazy morons.

And just like you, I will always help someone who has at least tried to help themselves, but I damn sure am not going to have anybody, the secretary included, waste their time giving directions to someone completely unprepared to do their job.

End rant

I was wondering, as I read through this thread, if not being able to read might account for more of it than we think.

BTW, that is not meant as any sort of excuse or justification -- just wondering if that is part of the diagnosis.

Watch the movie Funny Farm with Chevy Chase and hope your chair dosen't end up in the lake!

"not being able to read might account for more of it than we think"

Damn good point. Never thought of that in the 15 years I've been at it. Certainly might explain some of it. The things we take for granted...

Don,
Yes I read "ALL" the your post's, And no that was not a knee jerk reaction, I've heard all this crap from various shipping and recieveing customers. I do agree with lazy drivers wanting you to do all the navigation for them. What I dont agree with is the general perception that most truck drivers, (And no you did not specificly state this) are retards. If you have a problem with drivers that are stupid then don't list your loads on the internet hopeing for the cheapest bid for moving your freight. If your customers are arrangeing the transport then have 6-12 independant truck owners that you deal with and can and will get your freight moved in the fastest, most dependable way possible and without damage. They should also clearly understand what is involved with moveing machine tools as far as weather tarping, Optimum chaining points ect. There are independant truckers that specialise in freight of this type but experience costs. You then recommend these companies to your customers.

Everybody wants truck drivers that are perfect but will not pay the premium
required to get pefection. Bitching about stupid truck drivers on this forum will never change the system to your satisfaction but it does reinforce the general public perception that truck drivers are unskilled, Stupid, and incompetent.
If you dont like what you get for drivers then you or your customers are buying the wrong or cheapest form of transport. Money talks, B.S. walks.

My reaction was meant to be insulting. Till you've wheeled 70,000 lbs. around in an unfamiliar area in all weather conditions then you have absolutely no comprehension of what is involved. Your original post is and was meant to be insulting to any decent truck driver.

What you've done for truck drivers. It's SOP for shippers to lift the tarps and drivers up to tarp the loads the shipper wants protected. How the hell else do you get 250-300 lbs. of tarp up 13'6" off the ground. You met drivers after hrs. and EVEN on a Saturday Wow!!!! Well any driver thats half assed competant would appreciate that and thank you for it, BUT what about what these drivers do. Cheating the log book,Missing meals and sleep, holding a turd for hrs,Missing important milestones at home ect. All because the shipper/reciever has a hot load that requires it to be delivered sooner than is physicaly possible and usually the shipper has made promises and the driver is the one that has to make it happen. I see nothing that should be changed in my original post.

Pete

OK, in that case you are one of those folks that always assumes the worst, likes to get mad and full of hate and I hope you don't come back here.

Re the "all truckers are retards" impression... here again, paranoid assuming the worst...total BS. Truckers reflect the population at large.. have met some that were very smart folks and some that were the dumbest imaginable and everything in between.