Question:
Monday (02/16/04) I was at a consignee (my first stop), and the 8 pallets I had for them needed to be broke down (lumped).
When I checked in at the dock door, the reciever asked if I needed a lumper---I said "do you have a break-down sheet?"....
He looked at me, then at the lumper standing by, then back at me, and once again asked if I needed a lumper.
I saw what was going on (by the looks on their faces) and said, "look, Ive been doing this for a long time and I ain't nobodies fool...show me a break down sheet and we can talk"
He said, the 8 skids break down into 12. (8 plus 4 equals 12, so I knew I'd have to fingerprint half the freight, plus I could see on my bill-of-lading that there was 12 different products on the load)---so I knew they were telling the truth.
So, I looked at the lumper, and by this time he knew he better not shoot me an obnouxious number, so he said "$40"---I said "get'er done" ($40 devided by 524 cases equals about .075 cents per case)---not a bad deal as far as lumping goes.
When the lumper was done, he came to my door (of the truck where I was logging sleeper), I gave him the cash, got my recipte and the BOL and asked him if there were a lot of drivers that came in there that had no clue and just hired a lumper for whatever he asks, without even looking at a break-down sheet to see exactally how much of the freight actually gets touched.
His reply: "JUST ABOUT EVERY DRIVER THAT DOES'NT COME THERE REGULARLY"
I told him that if that was the case then I could'nt blame him for trying the "over-charge" game on me---then warned him, there are drivers out there just like me that will call your bluff every time---and some might not be so nice about it.
Moral of the story: Get a break down sheet---this is a sheet that shows each product, the product code, and a Ti/Hi---Large wood/Small wood break down format.
i.e. if Bean & Ham Soup #003672 says L (for large pallet), 9 Ti 6 Hi (means the product is aranged in 9 cases per layer, and 6 layers high)---if they are already on large pallets (usually are), and aranged in a 9 tie pattern, but is 7 layers high, you must remove one layer and put it on a different pallet.
In the cinerio, you have "fingerprinted" 9 cases. The whole load may be like this, but a lumper will tell you he has to "lump the whole load", he is not lieing he has to lump the whole load (one layer per pallet for 22 to 24 pallets)---but he does'nt have to fingerprint hardly any of it, and will charge you $120 for fingerprinting 198 to 216 cases.
DON'T BE A CHUMP

Answer:
Good post white dog. I like taking the game much farther. Ive been doing this a long time and for me it's good exercise. When asked if I need a lumper I say no. I lump the load myself turn in the reciept ( keep book of reciepts in my truck). Now this works well for me as i'm an independant, but all the drivers that work for me do the same. We feel its just easy extra money. If you frequent grocery wharehouses you shortly find out the lumper scam. Easy work for good pay. Besides I dont like paying someone to unload their own freight.

Answer:
I too could pay myself to lump the load.....but I am a driver, I drive.
I will pay a lumper only because that is what we have to do for some stupid reason.
The money I use is my boss' money; but I treat the situation as if it were my own.
There are lumpers out there that can show up at a business and lump 2 loads, for a total of 4 hours and make more money than you and I TAX FREE(you don't actually think they use their real SS# on that receipte) in a day---and then go to the nearest crack dealer and take the rest of the day off.
I ain't got the time or energy to drive all day, lump freight, then drive to the next place, then to the next, lump, then on, and on......I like sleeping now and again.
The topic of lumping, and "why", and who should or should'nt have to do it has been done to death on here---this thread is a warning and a lesson to the newbies how not to let the sharks chew them up.

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Reminds me of some words of wisdom I heard on the Dave Nemo show:
Never argue with an idiot. He will only drag you down to his level and then beat you with experience.Sometimes you have to dig through a lot horsesh#t to find the pony.

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[quote]Never argue with an idiot. He will only drag you down to his level and then beat you with experience.
I don't even know what you mean by that; is it some kind of slam? Please elaborate.It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

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Ahhhhh......the life of insert hauling is a good one.
I wanna see someone breakdown a pallet with a 250,000 copy count.
However I have seen drivers who didn't secure their loads properly, and had to restack a 250K pallet.
4 and a half hours later

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Nice post. Very informative

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I didn't know that. I haven't ever needed a lumper yet... I have been to several grocery warehouses but always with stuff that is a straight pull like bottled water.

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And you can verify the statement how? I happen to know "Lumpers"
that are Family men,not unlike yourself. They do it for a living to support their Families. They perform a service that YOU Drivers don't want to. I also know that most "crack heads" are not willing to work for a living,let alone hump
freight. Yes you have to know the ins and outs of Lumpers,bargaining the best rate is a good practice. WE are all trying to make/save a Buck.
I find it humorous how Drivers have this hatred of Lumpers,when they created the problem in the first place. The Grocery Houses did not invent the
practice of Lumpers,they used to supply help at no cost. It was Drivers,mainly
the OTR ilk that started it by hiring a Lumper to take their place.

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That the easiest to avoid getting ripped off and or dealing with lumpers and their "ilk" is to latch onto a flat or a tanker
CD

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Real good info White Dog - Thanks
I start driving school next week at the local cc. I worked for Murphy Motor Freight (long gone) agent in Owatonna, Mn. when I was in high school as dock worker and designated "lumper" when the Twin City drivers had a straight load of groceries for Associated Grocers warehouse in Blooming Prarie (A/G gone too I think).
At that time (1966-1967) the Macks that Murphy had in the fleet, B's, C's, R's, and U's, about 95% didn't have a rider seat so had to set on a wooden box with an old blanket for padding.
I lumped most of the freight and the driver checked it off on his manifest copy.
But as I got to know most of the drivers that got that what they called a "milk run", they would sometimes, if we were ahead of schedule, let me goof with the truck in the back warehouse lot. Just running in granny gear with them standing on the step. They probably would have been terminated if they had let me do that in the big city, but this was 80 miles out in farm country .
But let me tell you it was a big deal for a kid from a small town who was truck nuts and now 37-38 years later will try to become a professional driver.
Thanks for letting me ramble
Codger

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There wouldn't be a need for lumpers at all if there was no such thing as driver unload freight. We are drivers, not warehousemen. I didn't sell it nor buy it, why should I have to unload it? I know it's a subject that's been beaten to death, but I'll ask it anyway. Railroad engineers and airline pilots do not unload the freight off of their equipment, so why should truck drivers?

Answer:
And you can verify the statement how? I happen to know "Lumpers"
that are Family men,not unlike yourself. They do it for a living to support their Families. They perform a service that YOU Drivers don't want to. I also know that most "crack heads" are not willing to work for a living,let alone hump
freight.
I was giving an example Rabelam or Rabelkim (why'd you change your name), and I was refering more to the guys that "hang out" on the docks or on a C.B. and ask if you need a lumper before you even check in.
However the "lagitimet" lumpers (with a company name and logoed T-shirt) that actually pay taxes like you and I, on their income---they have an honest job, and a Supervisor that quotes a set rate (i.e.-.12 cents per case), and they make an hourly rate----can still screw you if they think they can get away with it.
As far as your question about how do I know about the crack thing. How do you know it's not true?
I did'nt mean to make it look like I was lumping (no pun intended) all lumpers into one category----just like "not all truckers use speed like half the population belives".
Look Rabelam; you said Drivers have this hatred of Lumpers,when they created the problem in the first place., first of all, I don't hate lumpers, most of them are pretty nice---I hate the thought of paying someone to unload someone elses frieght and break it down to fit on someone elses shelves.
Secondly; lumpers were around long before I started driving, so I created nothing---just like, the Blacks can not blame me for slavery just because I am White; I never owned a slave.

Exactally!![/b]It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:

Yes it has. Unloading freight is not in their job description,it is concerning
"Drivers". It's part of the "job" unfortunetly,unless your Carrier specifies otherwise. The arguement is moot. Southwest Airline Pilots do unload
"Baggage"showing there's always an exception to the rule.

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I thought we went through this a while back about Southwest Airline pilots humping baggage. Someone said they once saw a pilot tossing bags and just assumed this was policy. Sometimes some pilots will help to keep the pushback on time, but this is rare. So far, I haven't seen any pilots tossing bags on A&E's new reality show, "Airline."
MrClark—Groucho Marx 1890-1977