Load Lock Replacement

Please explain this to me... I'm too tired to think.

At prime they made me buy 2 load locks. 6 weeks ago. I picked up a load at the yard and am heading out . The outbound guy told me "bad news for you. We need to take your two load locks cause this trailer has 2 bad ones. If when you unload the ones in the trailer are bad then get a form from your fleet manager to replace them next time you come through"

1. I am not even finished paying for those brand new never used load locks

2. What the heck do my load locks have to do with anything?

3. Just when exactly do they think I'm coming back... haven't been here in 6 weeks

4. Even of the locks in the traiker are OK they won't be as new as the ones I paid for smh.

Rainy D,

If the company made me purchase the load locks, then I would consider them my personal property.

Having said that, I suppose that it depends on what your company's policy is, regarding swapping/replacing load locks. I would get with my driver manager , and explain the situation at your earliest convenience.

Even though my company pays for my load locks/load straps, I'm not happy anytime I have to give up a set, because replacing them is usually a bit time consuming.

One thing you might want to start doing, is anytime you find yourself at a customer location, where there are mt trailers that belong to your company, check inside all of them, not just the one you are hooking to. Sometimes when the customer unloads a sealed trailer, they throw the load locks/load straps back inside the mt, making for an opportunity for you to pick up an extra set.

Personally, I prefer the straps, and have 3 sets on my truck, 2 of which I obtained in the above manner.

With my company I had to buy 2 of them as well. If something happens and I leave them in a relay truck I was told to either get them off the relay driver or pick them up the next time I went thru any terminal. My biggest complaint is the locks they make us buy. Load locks are pretty big and it's hard to lose them, but I've lost 3 of those dang door locks and those are more expensive than the load locks.

With my company I had to buy 2 of them as well. If something happens and I leave them in a relay truck I was told to either get them off the relay driver or pick them up the next time I went thru any terminal. My biggest complaint is the locks they make us buy. Load locks are pretty big and it's hard to lose them, but I've lost 3 of those dang door locks and those are more expensive than the load locks.

Yep... and even when I did find them.. they were sucky ones.. not bright shiny ones. Smh.

I've been using the two I found in other trailers...just in case I have to drop the trailer. So now my yucky two are sitting on a full trailer at prime and my pretty ones were taken by prime lol. I was at the terminal. I can understand if I drop a trailer aND they are in therr... but they took these off my truck

I also have to buy my load locks. When ever I have to leave them on a truck. I just message my DM and get new ones.

With my company I had to buy 2 of them as well. If something happens and I leave them in a relay truck I was told to either get them off the relay driver or pick them up the next time I went thru any terminal. My biggest complaint is the locks they make us buy. Load locks are pretty big and it's hard to lose them, but I've lost 3 of those dang door locks and those are more expensive than the load locks.

Yep... and even when I did find them.. they were sucky ones.. not bright shiny ones. Smh.

I've been using the two I found in other trailers...just in case I have to drop the trailer. So now my yucky two are sitting on a full trailer at prime and my pretty ones were taken by prime lol. I was at the terminal. I can understand if I drop a trailer aND they are in therr... but they took these off my truck

I've been trying to figure this out. I don't understand how someone could take, (or steal is a better word) yours.

Did you Qualcomm Management when that person took yours?

Or is this a small issue, and it's best to put it behind you, try to forget about it, realize in the big picture of life this is a tiny issue, be thankful you have a good job, and focus your mind on your next load?

I know how you feel rainy. Starting out with prime buying new load locks is part of your equipment. Having to give them up so soon really stinks. After a little while you'll come to realize that so many other drivers leave load locks behind you will gather a small collection of them, never needing to worry about them again. So far this year I've accumulated 12 new load locks. I'll put them in my garage next week during hometime. Maybe I'll make a load lock sculpture.

Has anybody had load locks stolen from them recently?

My son had one stolen recently and his one remaining is in bad shape. He checked with a couple of sources and he was told that there is a shortage and they were out of stock. I came here to see if anyone else has had this trouble recently.

Dutch wrote up above that he looks in other trailers owned by his company for some that may have been left there so I passed that on to my son who will be going to his company drop yard tomorrow morning. He may lock them to his tractor to prevent theft.

I had a Wayfair load once that left 12 load bars in the trailer.i told them but they didn't want them and wouldn't remove them. I ended up leaving them at the clean out dock at westrock in West Point Virginia. I had no place to put them and although I have a dozen straps on my truck I've yet to use one or a load bar/lock in 2 1/2 years. The load I just dropped at Molson Coors in Ohio had a strap GPI put on it and Coors left it in the trailer. I've even had the webbing straps left behind in my trailer, I just leave them in the trailer when I drop it.

I haven't heard anything, but would definitely advise locking them up. People steal anything. They sell them at truck stops, but I haven't paid attention if they've been out of stock.

Jesus I hope Prime doesn't still do this (noticed this thread is from several years ago). I've never purchased a load lock except the initial two from when I first got out of training. I have something like sixteen at the house just in case I have to drop trailers getting back to our dedicated load (used to be a common occurrence). I find them in drop trailers all the time.

Both of my dispatchers at Prime have messaged me about charging me for load locks once, and I went into a tirade and never got bothered about it again. I remember my first year at Prime they had sent out some message they were "getting out of the load lock business". Yeah...well I'm out of that business too. On the same token I don't bother anybody when I drop trailers with load locks in them.

It helps to have extra, I've sold some at beer yards that require two load locks and guys show up without em.