You may be the best load balancer in the industry. Even so, there will come a time that you’ll hit a rough patch of highway on a long haul and the freight in your trailer will shift. This is a quick, no-nonsense, step-by-step guide to help get you back on the road quickly and safely when that happens:
Step 0: Plan in Advance
Before you leave the warehouse, have a good sense of where along your route you can go to safely rework your truck. Having relationships with a couple of cross-docking facilities like AFS along your route can simplify the decision making process before stress kicks in. This is especially useful for routes taken frequently.
Step 1: Don’t Ignore the Problem
A balance shift in your trailer puts you and your rig at risk. Ignoring a shift in balance can lead to dumped loads that damage product or accidents that can damage your vehicle, run you off the road, or endanger yourself and other drivers. Delayed deliveries are difficult to manage, but pushing ahead to stay on schedule just isn’t worth the risk.
Step 2: Find a Safe Place to Work
It used to be common for truckers to pull off to the side of the highway to immediately rectify off-balance loads, but with it has come a string of armed robberies and accidents. Don’t do this unless and for as long as is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, find the next closest cross-docking facility on your route and pull off there to rebalance.
Step 3: Get More Hands on Deck
If you’re worried about how much time your rebalance is going to take, or if there’s too much for you to handle yourself, consider working with a reputable lumping service. Many lumping services get a bad rap, but some value truck drivers highly. Working with the right one can simplify your rebalance, give you access to specialized equipment, and get you moving quickly.
Step 4: Don’t Haul What You Can’t Deliver
If you’ve dumped your load, there’s a chance either the packaging or the products themselves have been damaged in the process. Taking these to the customer can lead to confrontations and a damaged reputation if not handled delicately. In reality, you may have a quick fix that a rework service provider can handle. This is especially handy if you have another delivery you can make nearby while they work on the product. Otherwise, the load becomes a liability for gas and space.
Step 5: Get Back on the Road Quickly
The most frustrating part of dealing with an unbalanced load is the way it affects your delivery schedule. At AFS, we partner with truck drivers in hopes of reversing the stigma of lumping services. We understand that what you need is quick, safe, efficient service where we listen to your needs, not provide a slapped-together system. We pride ourselves on our flexibility, dependability, and fairness. And we believe in treating everyone the same. If you’re ever in need for a crossdocking facility to rebalance a load in Central Indiana, we hope that you give us a call.