Say just noticed that da%m John Deer but a hole in the floor of my tralier loading their tractors. The tractors are still in my trailer (any buyers lol?) Point is I took pictures of the tractors by the hole in my trailer floor....whata you guys think of my chances of suing John Deer and winning on the cost of the tailer floor repair?

 

If you manage to get money from them I want you as my lawyer! I think you'd have a lot better case if you noticed it and told them while they were loading. Good luck.

 

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Dam holes there n the tractors are still in my trailer over it......so what kinda case against me you think they can build, anyone in our buiz knows NO shipper will load your trailer with a hole showing daylight. Kinda hard for me to have been the one with the tractors STILL in there, and I have pics to show this.

 

How did this happen to you?? With all your prep, double checking and then checking again- oh my god Pepe what is going on?? Well to start with did you notify the supervisor of the crew that loaded the trailer after the loading was completed? (You know when you were checking the load before driving off.) I though not.

OK, so now you departed the load up location without checking, but we're not completely screwed yet. Lets approach the situation from the standpoint of finding the damage at the time of unloading. Maybe something like this,

"Hello Mr. Receiver- I am Pepe a hard working owner operator. Can you please unload these wonderful JD tractors from my truck. The truck which I have invested every last dime I own in." (R)="Ok, Mr Pepe will do let me get my crew on it right away."

Cargo is unloaded under the watchful eye of O/O Pepe who now sees the damage after unloading. (Pepe) "Mr. Receiver, oh my gosh look at the damage to my trailer!" (Receiver and crew looking at truck) (P), " Mr Receiver is there any damage to the JD tractors?? No, great this must have happened at the time I was loaded at the factory. I need to make a claim for damages, can you walk me through the process??"

Well if that won't work, call JD ask for the shipping department and contact name and the letter starts out- Dear Sir, During loading on May XX the load crew at your facility damaged by trailer in the following:.......

Hope this helps, make sure you get a repair estimate and remember to include your down time claim (loss of income due to loss of revenue) please include photos..
Good Luck--Bill

 

Hmmm thks Bill...yeah the only thing I can see in my defense is that with the tractors in there now, its really hard to find the damage since its at the nose of the trailer (hard to get by the tractors to inspect.) I found it here at home when I was inspecting the tractors themselves all the way from back to front since I am only aboout 40 miles from the shipper now on a 2300 mile run.
I only found the damage before I unloaded cuz I wanted to check the freight over since I was almost there :-p
Hmmm wonder if I filed a claim with my Ins. Co if they would go after JD for me?
Yeah I think I am headed for small claims court.

 

Pepe, Since you are not at the unload point when you get there tomorrow ask to the see the manager or however will sign for the tractors. Ask them to walk you through the claim process and get someones signature acknowledging the damage on the trailer BEFORE YOU UNLOAD. Make sure to get a business card from the guy. You are in a way better position on this since the JD's are still on the truck. You need pictures to show how hard it is to see the damage with the load on and the signature at the drop off for verification of the damage. I would even call JD at the load up point before I let the load come off the truck. Bill

 

Pepe I forgot to ask, any damage to the tractors??

 

lol nope...none I see at least.

 

Say I bumbed my own post to see if someone had a trailer they thought the shipper damaged?......comon steve or G-man...had to happen at least once to you and what did you guys do? :-p Damn when I had a company trailer just called the company....hmmm calling self dont wana hear this complaint!

 

they`ll probably say you secured the cargo improperly and its your fault.