Move 20ft ocean container on car trailer

[Luke'sScreenName]

A credit monitoring service?

 

[DavesTractor]

I think you have a good handle on this Sodo. The container seller probably pays the trucker by the hour and then pitches the flat rate and makes a little in most cases. Let's say the container company gets $400 flat rate from most customers, but then on average gets billed $325 from the trucker. He's good to go on many deliveries. He needs to be able to take the wins with the losses. And had he brought out each container separately on a smaller truck, like a rollback wrecker, he would have had no problems at all.

As far as log trucks, they are a rare breed in the way they handle corners. They are normally a truck with logs and a fairly extended hitch point for the trailer. They cheat very little on a corner due to the geometry. I have a Dodge 3500 with a 32' gooseneck (deck length) and there is no way I could follow a log truck on many mountain roads. That and we all know log truck drivers are the crazy guys...and I say that with respect. They are pretty sure the dirt roads are Pike's Peak and life is a race.

 

[Sodo]

fairly extended hitch point for the trailer. They cheat very little on a corner due to the geometry.

Very good point! Not a 5th wheel. Well I stand corrected on that.:duh:

Will see what they say.... I provided 7 pages of google earth satellite photos so they had the info. I suspect the driver picked it up, and the instructions, and due to inexperience did not confer with his "operations" just headed out. It's clearly in their court as I didn't have that experience at my disposal.

Agreed it sounds like they didn't have had a flat rate agreement with the trucker. They did an "upsell" and it was flat rate to me. And then may have "lost" some on this one. Are now trying to recoup some of their gamble. Not my problem.

 

[DavesTractor]

We have both contract drivers and employees that work for us doing deliveries. And I run a few deliveries also. Occasionally we will make a delivery that in hindsight is just plain stupid. A goat trail, if the goat was a brave one. We get it done, never upcharge, but then we tell the guy "the next time we deliver, or if you ever need a pickup for service, you meet us at the intersection of Steep Ave and Narrow Drive or wherever we feel we can get to safely. You can literally spend an hour going 2 miles on some trails when pulling a trailer. Much better to drop the tractor a little ways off and drive the tractor up the trail. Or we tell them, if we need to come all they way in again, its an extra $250 each way.

It does make for the best stories. Pictures of the truck with tires in one ditch, with the outer duals of the trailer hanging in the air over the opposite ditch. It can be sort of fun, as long as you make it.

 

[Sodo]

It does make for the best stories. Pictures of the truck with tires in one ditch, with the outer duals of the trailer hanging in the air over the opposite ditch. It can be sort of fun, as long as you make it.

This is prob what the kid was thinking. I had him park the truck and he pre-checked the entire route in my pickup to the site. And I went over the 'turnaround plan' that a local logger told me how he would do it. Driver elected to ignore that (2nd hand) advice on the turnaround, that episode was 2 hours stuck (after sunset).

It was 7 hours of my hard work but I enjoyed it (when it was still flat rate) & gave the kid a $60 tip anyway for his good attitude.

 

[California]

As far as log trucks, they are a rare breed in the way they handle corners. They are normally a truck with logs and a fairly extended hitch point for the trailer. They cheat very little on a corner due to the geometry. ... That and we all know log truck drivers are the crazy guys...and I say that with respect.

They are pretty sure the dirt roads are Pike's Peak and life is a race.

Fer sure. Long ago I followed an empty log truck (trailer carried w tongue over cab) back into the woods and I literally couldn't keep up with him in my 6-cylinder Chevrolet, slowing as I had to to dodge boulders and potholes. He was just playing with me. He likely made several trips a day and knew every inch of his road.

Another time I reached a right hand uphill switchback going pretty fast and had to swerve the Wagoneer right up the bank at my right to avoid getting run over by a loaded logging truck that cut the corner badly - at high speed - coming down the switchback. I was pretty sure his trailer duals were going to run across my hood at the last moment or else I was going to tip over sideways into them. The trailer tires missed me by a hairbreadth. Those guys are crazy.


For the flatlanders on here - Photo illustrating the extended hitch point that makes the trailer corner nearly in the truck's tracks.

.

 

[LD1]

Based on what others have said......perhaps you are right about their agreement with the shipping company. In that most times, they win, but this time, it cost them a little extra selling you the flat rate. And are trying to bluff/threaten you into paying. Their mind set is that they have nothing to loose by trying. I bet most times an overage like this happens, the buyer just pays up.....or at least pays some. Either way would be a win for the seller.

Just like when the cable or phone companies try to sneak in a little up charge on your bill or service call. Had one just recently with my Direct TV. Had a service call to re-align / remount my dish that kept moving due to improper installation of the post in the ground. My next bill had the equipment protection plan upgraded to premium @ 12.99/month instead of the usual 5.00/mo. And as many line-items as there are on the bill, with all the fees, taxes, etc.....in combination with being bundled with my DSL.....its an easy $8 to overlook. And I'd bet 99% of customers dont even question it and just pay.

When I called to complain, there was no push back at all about reversing the bill. But I further questioned them about who/when/why this change was made. They said the upgrade was initiated from the tablet of the tech that was out doing the service call. Even though I never agreed, was never asked about, and never wanted the upgrade. Kinda shady IMO. Of course all this is well after I gave the tech a good "review" when that survey call came the next day....as they are contract workers and the amount of work they get "depends" on how I rate them.

I dont do them reviews anymore.

I think your situation may be similar. In that the seller knows they lost this round. And figured its worth a shot to try to get a few extra bucks from you. Since you pushed back.....I bet this all just goes away and you wont hear from them anymore.

 

[clemsonfor]

Fer sure. Long ago I followed an empty log truck (trailer carried w tongue over cab) back into the woods and I literally couldn't keep up with him in my 6-cylinder Chevrolet, slowing as I had to to dodge boulders and potholes. He was just playing with me. He likely made several trips a day and knew every inch of his road.

Another time I reached a right hand uphill switchback going pretty fast and had to swerve the Wagoneer right up the bank at my right to avoid getting run over by a loaded logging truck that cut the corner badly - at high speed - coming down the switchback. I was pretty sure his trailer duals were going to run across my hood at the last moment or else I was going to tip over sideways into them. The trailer tires missed me by a hairbreadth. Those guys are crazy.


For the flatlanders on here - Photo illustrating the extended hitch point that makes the trailer corner nearly in the truck's tracks.

.

Not all log trucks are like that, I think there only like that out west. I bet there is not a log truck/trailer like that withing 500 miles of here !!!

I have personally only seen trailers like that on TV. And this is personally coming from a forester, who main job it is to oversee timber harvesting operations.

 

[California]

I'm surprised, I thought this design was universal.

The log haul road toward my gold mining camp in the northern Sierras is 20 miles that looks like this (except mostly more forested). It seems cheaper to engineer the trucks compared to building wide radius curves, when the terrain is so steep and the road is temporary.

Here's the closest video I could find. it's not quite the same but it illustrates the principle. You can see how the rear trailer axle (where the camera is) 'cheats' very little, it tracks pretty much where the truck's drive axles went. It's most visible when he curves left.

 

[DavesTractor]

Not all log trucks are like that, I think there only like that out west. I bet there is not a log truck/trailer like that withing 500 miles of here !!!

I have personally only seen trailers like that on TV. And this is personally coming from a forester, who main job it is to oversee timber harvesting operations.

That's very interesting. That is all we see around here for hauling logs out of the forests. You do occasionally see a flatbed with log bunks going down the road, but it is rare indeed. The logging roads out west generally require a truck that can do well on narrow windy roads.