Process Of Dropping Off/Picking Up A Load.

In a previous message, I had asked about the responsibility of a driver when picking up a load and signing for it.

Would an experienced driver explain the process of dropping off/picking up a load and how the trucker knows that the merchandise (he is signing for) is in good condition?

Thanks

Sometimes you will pick up loads that are already loaded and sealed so you won't get a look at the load. Others you will have access to.

If you have access to the load or you can watch it being loaded, you will be able to inspect it easily enough. You won't have to worry about the condition of the product inside its packaging or anything like that. You'll mostly be making sure the load is loaded and secured properly so it won't get damaged along the way. And as far as what you're signing for when you pick up a load, you're generally just signing for the number of pallets on the truck. Sometimes they'll ask you to verify the box count or something like that, but not very often.

For loads you don't have access to, how you handle it will depend on the situation. Most of the time you'll have nothing to worry about and you'll just be signing the paperwork stating that the load was pre-loaded and sealed. So they know on the other end that as long as the load is still sealed you will not have responsibility for the count or the condition. If you feel you'd like to inspect the load to make sure it was loaded and secured properly, the shipper will usually break the seal, let you inspect and secure the load, and then re-seal the trailer.

Most of this is very simple, routine stuff. Experience will soon tell you when you have something to be concerned with and when you probably don't. For instance, if you're loading 44,000 pounds of baked beans on pallets and the load is sealed, there probably isn't anything to be concerned about. You won't have to inspect and count the load or anything like that. But if you're hauling loads of gigantic paper rolls, you'll definitely want to inspect it to make sure they're loaded and secured properly.

Some of this just comes from experience. In the beginning, always take the safest approach. If you're unsure, check the load. Make sure it's loaded and secured properly. After a while you'll get a feel for this sort of thing and it's no big deal.