Flat-bedders Get There First!

Well, I realize that most of you guys driving vans and reefers have a lot of experience with distribution centers or large storage facilities. We Flat-bedders don't get to see much of those kinds of places, but I realized last week that we actually go to those places long before you guys ever do. You see over the past year I have delivered sections of concrete tilt walls to new D.C.'s being built, and have also later on delivered the steel girders that support the roofing, and then came back to deliver the roof decking material for them. Then when they get the building closed up we start delivering the warehouse racks that are used to stack palletized goods on. Where as you guys back up to those hundreds of dock doors, we pull right inside the building and deliver. Here's a few shots of the interior of a new P & G distribution center that I was inside of delivering warehouse shelving.

These places are so large that you can easily drive around inside and get your truck turned around to head back out - heck, you could easily do figure eights inside there if you wanted to. Here's a shot of the shelving sitting on my truck as I'm waiting to get unloaded. This is about the third distribution center I've been involved with from start to finish. I've never been back to any of them once they're operational, but next time you are at a new distribution center you can just realize that I was there ahead of you.

Now we know why DC's are always slow to unload dry vans and refer trucks. It takes them awhile to learn we ain't coming inside of the build and they actually have to come to us. Now we can blame flatbed drivers for the DC employees be slow.

Been to too many of those. (wal mart,target, etc.) Glad you helped put the buildings there so I have somewhere to go...

You forgot about the concrete pipe and manholes that are delivered so that the water can be drained from the parking lot so those driving vans don't get their feet wet.... LOL

I hate getting my feet wet since the only thing I do is check the seal on my drop and hooks.

Now we know why DC's are always slow to unload dry vans and refer trucks. It takes them awhile to learn we ain't coming inside of the build and they actually have to come to us. Now we can blame flatbed drivers for the DC employees be slow.

. . . especially if they are distributing CHICKEN . . . it seems that Tyson and places like that wait forever before they figure we aren't coming in and decide to load the trailer parked at the dock . . ."Is that why they open the doors and back up to those openings in the wall?? I was wondering what that was for . . . "

Jopa