PLS Logistics Show Brokers How to Treat Drivers/Carriers

by Hervy
(Whiteville NC)

I picked up a load in Jacksonville Fl going to Whiteville NC. Was a decent rate out of Jacksonville. That was a plus right there.

It was a load of tires though so of course the trailer is funky. Which could be why the load paid what it did. Regardless, I'd rather get the rate and deal with the smell after.

(I just commanded the universe to work that out for me. Believe it or not lol. Just like I did when i took a Florida load lol)

Anyway, come next morning at the dock, they asked me did I pay the lumper fee. My response was, "I know nothing of a lumper fee. No I didn't pay."

So I go to receiving and indeed there was a lumper fee. Called broker who didn't answer.

(They never answered the phone! When I tried to do check calls no answer. When I called for comchek no answer. However they DO call back in reasonable time!
(So maybe they're in growth stage just short of needing to hire another person as opposed to trying to use the current staff...I understand that situation. I'm a business Man))

Anyway, when they called me back they informed me that their process is either I pay the Lumper myself and turn in the receipt or they will issue a comchek but it will take 4 hrs.

I said it's ridiculous for it to take 4 hrs. There's no reason that should be the case.

They repeated the same thing several times.

I said ok do the comchek. Then they said they needed this list of stuff including insurance certificate. I'm like ok send that list to my dispatch.

Anyway we got off the phone getting no where.

I went ahead and paid the lumper. They called to see if I had filled out the info for the comchek I said I already paid. He said they will send new rate con with lumper fee on it.

I emailed everyone on the rate con telling them I paid already and asked for reimbursement today for the lumper. (Meaning I didn't want to wait to get my money back) Let them know that the process should be to inform the driver in advance next time about lumper situation. That it's better for relationship building than their current process.

Mentioned that if there was any question about whether my advice was correct or not to reverse the roles and look at it from that perspective.

Joshua (Logistics Coordinator) later sent me an email with the express code for comcheck and then called to let me know and thanked me for hauling.

Also stated that had he known there was a lumper needed at delivery he would have told me in advance but he didn't know.

I thanked him for doing the right thing and shining a positive light on PLS logistics and himself.

He thanked me for hauling the freight and we lived happily ever after, lol!

I would definitely haul for PLS again because of Joshua Leffew Logistics Coordinator.
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So the take away from this experience for people reading
are as follows.......

For Everyone.... Present your case and ask for what you want. Sometimes people are in the position to make a different decision than what was stated to you. The end result could depend on timing and if the person you're dealing with is stand up quality or not. You'll never know how things can work out until you ask.

Brokers.... Don't set up business operations in a way that is unfair to carriers/drivers. You are just causing disharmony and extra time spent on handling issues and putting your workers in potentially unpleasant situations or unnecessary problem solving task when they could be more productive doing something else.

Plus quality carriers will remember and make notes and possibly spread information about how you do business if you're practices are less than desirable or at least fair. Also, the time is coming when you can't escape a poor reputation. Look at what I'm doing right now. That's going to be common.

Individuals at Brokerage ..... If you're in the position to make a decision to do the right thing, even if it's an exception from standard procedure, make the right decision.

It makes YOU and THE COMPANY look good!

With the right person, it could bring about larger rewards than you expect. Right now because of Joshua at PLS Logistics they are getting a positive review which would have been negative had he just blew me off and let the situation die out.

He had the leverage to do so. I had paid and he had already told me the normal procedure after doing so.


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