Lumpers

I have tried to understand why some places have lumpers and some don't since I payed my first lumper fee check. My trainer explained that it is a union thing, but couldn't elaborate. The other day I learned that my neighbor is a lumper, so I asked him, being sure that he knows, but he didn't either! I hope it is not a military level secret, and someone can explain to me - if it is better to unload and load with the company employees, then why there are lumpers? And if not, why lumpers are not everywhere?

I just assumed that they are an independent service because shippers and receivers are too cheap to pay. It can be a real pain trying to get approval, especially in an area with spotty cell coverage.

They are indeoendent for sure. It is insteresting, how they get the job? Can shippers/receivers kick them out? Can they walk into, say, a Walmart DC and say that from now on they will be here?

Maybe they give the warehouse a percentage in order to be awarded a contract. It seems to pay really good.

3rd party company with lumpers. Warehouse is CHEAP and save on wages, insurance etc.....Only had to deal with that at a Kellog's DC, was $605 to unload us. I joked with the ladies, dayyyum $600 ?? I'd do it myself for $300 lol Plus we were 12 hours early, and had to sleep there til we luckily got an early dock, at 11 a.m. appt was at 2 p.m.

Took em 3+ hours, because it seemed by the sound, they worked 30 minutes, and stopped for 30, rinsed n repeated. Weekend DM's were idiots, said they could only load $500 on my comdata card (had no checks on us, never needed em) Told em duhhhh, there's 2 of us load half on each of our cards! And we're locked at door til we pay up.

I hated loads that required lumpers. What a hassle. Glad that they were seldom a factor.

Lumpers have been a sad situation since whenever. It seems like, "If you bought it, I trucked it, you own it, so you unload it." That probably will never happen. Glad I'm retired and don't have to deal with lumpers anymore.

Lumpers have been around forever, indeed. Since before the big trucks had diesel engines.

When I drove from 88 to 93, there were very few lumpers. Drivers loaded and unloaded their trucks. My co-driver and I had a lumper one time to unload apples and they charged $300 (1991).

When I came back in 2014, there were lumpers at WallyWorld that charged $50 and a couple years later there was no charge. Most food places have lumpers and generally it is run by Capstone. What they are doing PackRat, is unloading, restacking the load and then they get another few pallets, restack that, etc.

Having had to load/unload a truck and stack it to how the customer wanted it back when I was driving the first time, one would be too tired to drive after taking 2 to 6 hours to get that done, but we had to keep going. Being a company driver, it doesn't bother me too write out a check for a lumper. I'm too damn old to be loading/unloading a truck.

Laura

It is not about drivers touching or not touching their freight. Personally, and especially after working local, I am perfectly fine waiting while someone has fun with his forklift. It is more about who is that someone - an employee of a shipper/receiver or an employee of a lumper company like Capstone.