Cargo Theft

[SueAnn]

@SueAnn it is important that you know what a high value load is. Most drivers don't know. I was sitting in the drivers room when one jackass starts popping off about a $300,000.00 load he had and how it was high value and then the rest of the idiots chimed in on the value of the loads they have hauled I had to walk away.
The main guy had a load of gears. BFD! No one is interested in that.

A high value load is one that can be easily be sold on the street. Not the value of the load and some of it may sound silly but things like
Baby food.
Baby diapers.
Meat loads. Steak, chicken, etc.
Certain electronics.

There are many more but I am sure that you get the idea.

That makes sense. That kind of load would be easy to get rid of on the streets. I have no idea why people talk about their loads. They may as well write it on the side of the truck. Boogles my mind. All of this is so new to me, I really appreciate you taking the time to fill me in.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I'm always worried the 1500lb paper rolls are gonna get jacked. So I hammer down and don't stop for anything. I haul ass 22mph up those hills and pee in a catheter.

 

[Elizabeth2017]

I'm always worried the 1500lb paper rolls are gonna get jacked. So I hammer down and don't stop for anything. I haul ass 22mph up those hills and pee in a catheter.

Do you mean a diaper?

 

[Electric Chicken]

Do you mean a diaper?

No. They're big rolls.

 

[SueAnn]

I'm always worried the 1500lb paper rolls are gonna get jacked. So I hammer down and don't stop for anything. I haul ass 22mph up those hills and pee in a catheter.

Don't do what some do. List time, date, location and what cargo you are hauling all over social media.


I have a general policy that generalities are ok, but details just aren't wise.

When I do load, I try to not stop for 150-200 miles until AFTER I leave the shipper. I also try to stop 100 miles before a receiver.

If you do stop, make sure you can get backed up against something else to prevent access to your trailer. A lock can be defeated. Hard to move a building or another truck.

And like others said, buy a good quality lock. Mine are all over $45 in cost. It will also break the jaws on a bolt cutters. Not saying they can't be defeated, just makes it harder for the more honest theives.

The Toronto - Montreal corridor is well known for truck theft, Cargo Theft and hijackings.
Organized crime and almost no one is ever caught.

Do you scale your load before you go?

 

[ironpony]

Do you scale your load before you go?

Do you want to pay a $400 - $500 fine?

With experience you'll know the loads you don't need to weigh.

 

[Rigjockey]

Do you scale your load before you go?

Depends on how heavy it is.

 

[SueAnn]

Depends on how heavy it is.

Do you want to pay a $400 - $500 fine?

With experience you'll know the loads you don't need to weigh.

I just asked a friend about that and he explained it to me. As you can tell, I'm lacking experience. lol

 

[SueAnn]

I'm always worried the 1500lb paper rolls are gonna get jacked. So I hammer down and don't stop for anything. I haul ass 22mph up those hills and pee in a catheter.

A Catheter???? Ouchhhhhh!

 

[ironpony]

I just asked a friend about that and he explained it to me. As you can tell, I'm lacking experience. lol

You should scale everything when you first start, to see how load weight affects the axle weights, and get a "feel" for how the truck reacts to weight.

That's experience.

When I get a load that puts me heavier than 80,000 gross, or a lot more than 34,000 on one set of axles - the way the truck "drives" tells me there's a problem.

Do you scale your load before you go

I stop at the first truck stop with a scale in-route, before I roll past a state weigh station. If I suspect a problem, then I might go out of route to scale - if I find out the state weigh station is open.

 

[Rigjockey]

You should scale everything when you first start, to see how load weight affects the axle weights, and get a "feel" for how the truck reacts to weight.

That's experience.

When I get a load that puts me heavier than 80,000 gross, or a lot more than 34,000 on one set of axles - the way the truck "drives" tells me there's a problem.

If a new driver is weighing 15,000 lbs loads the company is going to kick their ass for wasting time and money on scale tickets.

 

[ironpony]

If a new driver is weighing 15,000 lbs loads the company is going to kick their ass for wasting time and money on scale tickets.

Depends on the company.

Personally. I'd spend the small bucks it takes for a new driver to educate herself, rather than the larger bucks required for a government lesson.

 

[GAnthony]

If a new driver is weighing 15,000 lbs loads the company is going to kick their ass for wasting time and money on scale tickets.

when i first started driving, the company i was with demanded that i scale every load. i think it was so that we became familiar with the whole thing. maybe too many drivers were taking chances with heavier loads or the drivers were just not sliding tandems or 5th wheel properly..????

i left maybe about 6 months working there, so can't say if they had relaxed that requirement. but they went out of business (US Express bought them out)

 

[Lumpy1071]

Speaking of "Inside Job"...
I don't know if any of y'all remember ProLine Carriers out of Nashville or Service Merchandise Stores (aka Nervous Merchandise after they BK'd and screwed a bunch of good trucking co's) anyway.....
Back in the later 90's:
I had a good friend that drove for ProLine and they hauled for Service Merchandise and carried a LOT of high dollar freight including jewelry and electronics. They had about 4 trucks get "hijacked/pirated" in the NY/NJ area before they found out somebody from the company was in on it.
Allegedly, some drivers, company reps and Service Merchandise people were all indicted for several interstate crimes.
Neither ProLine or Service Merchandise are around. Been gone since around 2000.

I pull a bulk tank. Anybody wants to steal my load, g'head! Good luck. Need a bucket or a spoon?

 

[SueAnn]

You should scale everything when you first start, to see how load weight affects the axle weights, and get a "feel" for how the truck reacts to weight.

That's experience.

When I get a load that puts me heavier than 80,000 gross, or a lot more than 34,000 on one set of axles - the way the truck "drives" tells me there's a problem.



I stop at the first truck stop with a scale in-route, before I roll past a state weigh station. If I suspect a problem, then I might go out of route to scale - if I find out the state weigh station is open.

Good to know. Thank you.

 

[SueAnn]

Speaking of "Inside Job"...
I don't know if any of y'all remember ProLine Carriers out of Nashville or Service Merchandise Stores (aka Nervous Merchandise after they BK'd and screwed a bunch of good trucking co's) anyway.....
Back in the later 90's:
I had a good friend that drove for ProLine and they hauled for Service Merchandise and carried a LOT of high dollar freight including jewelry and electronics. They had about 4 trucks get "hijacked/pirated" in the NY/NJ area before they found out somebody from the company was in on it.
Allegedly, some drivers, company reps and Service Merchandise people were all indicted for several interstate crimes.
Neither ProLine or Service Merchandise are around. Been gone since around 2000.

I pull a bulk tank. Anybody wants to steal my load, g'head! Good luck. Need a bucket or a spoon?

 

[SueAnn]

You should scale everything when you first start, to see how load weight affects the axle weights, and get a "feel" for how the truck reacts to weight.

That's experience.

When I get a load that puts me heavier than 80,000 gross, or a lot more than 34,000 on one set of axles - the way the truck "drives" tells me there's a problem.



I stop at the first truck stop with a scale in-route, before I roll past a state weigh station. If I suspect a problem, then I might go out of route to scale - if I find out the state weigh station is open.

You have the experience to know. The heaviest I've hauled so far 55,000. Once I have more experience, I'm sure I'll be fine knowing how the truck reacts. I think scaling everything when I first start is a good way to expand my knowledge of how the weight effects the braking and how the truck and trailer reacts. Thanks for your reply. It helps to have as much information as I can get before I'm turned loose.

 

[SueAnn]

Depends on the company.

Personally. I'd spend the small bucks it takes for a new driver to educate herself, rather than the larger bucks required for a government lesson.

I'm on your side and don't want any government lessons!!

 

[Electric Chicken]

I forget our exact policy but I scale everything for California and everything over 30k no matter where it's headed.

We also like to help the next driver by putting the weights and pin locations on the bills along with type of truck and amount of fuel.

It might not be exact for them but it at least gives them a starting point.

 

[SueAnn]

I forget our exact policy but I scale everything for California and everything over 30k no matter where it's headed.

We also like to help the next driver by putting the weights and pin locations on the bills along with type of truck and amount of fuel.

It might not be exact for them but it at least gives them a starting point.

That's great. The more information, the less mistakes are made. I like that.