Lost seal
Posted by PresentBarnacle6557@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 70 comments
I lost a seal while driving down interstate 80 in Iowa did not notice the seal was missing until arriving at my receiver in Fremont, Nebraska at which point the load was rejected now I’m being told I am responsible for the cost of the entire load. Has this happened to anybody else and what did you do?
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
If you're w2, they can't make you pay shit. Tell them that they owe you $25k for saying stupid shit. Then you're both being unreasonable and neither of you will get paid 🤷🏼♂️
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I’m 1099
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
You're signed on through your own LLC, you're not doing sole proprietar are you?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
No it’s an llc. Why?
Auquaholic@reddit
Your truck or theirs?
No_Edge_7964@reddit
Why are you transporting marine wildlife?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I appreciate your sense of humor, but I don’t think it’s very funny when I’m being charged $20,000
OutcomeSalty337@reddit
Company didn't have cargo insurance?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
They do but because there was no contamination the insurance is not accepting the claim.
No_Edge_7964@reddit
Sorry bud, can you file a police report and say the seal was cut? In all honesty I couldn't see one vibrating loose, someone has cut the load
Physical-Standard-69@reddit
I had a seal on a load for 90% of the trip, I stopped for potty break, didn’t look at the trailer and get to receiver; at check-in we both go to back off trailer and see that there is no seal, they ask about it and I said it was there that morning. I also had an abloy lock, and told them it had been on the whole time, also had pix of the seal on the trailer (got in habit of taking pix for dispatch). Anyway, they call in and check if they will accept load, eventually they do.
That said: GET A LOCK and TAKE PHOTOS!
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
The photos are a great idea but only prove they are on at the shipper. The lock is not possible on a hopper trailer with a manual tarp.
cliowill@reddit
Somebody took it off
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Only if they were running behind my truck at 70 mph.
cliowill@reddit
So you are saying it's possible
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Doubt it.
cliowill@reddit
Aliens
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Well them bastards owe me $20,000.00 then
lord_nuker@reddit
What is the load?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Low ash chicken by product meal. Dog food ingredient
Radiant_Swan187@reddit
We're you camping at the fuel island? Obviously id never. But some people snatch seals off when someone is being a peice of shit
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
No I wasn’t
MilkeyWhey@reddit
Holy crap a lot of y’all need to start reading your cargo insurance policies.
There’s no actual physical damage to the cargo to trigger the cargo insurance to pay. The load is being rejected because the seal is broken, not because the cargo was damaged, and that’s a very specific additional coverage.
Policies generally require direct physical loss or damage, not suspected loss or damage.
BingBongFyourWife@reddit
How did you lose a seal
What should the driver do then
MilkeyWhey@reddit
Probably call dispatch or his company and tell him what’s going on and ask them what he should do with the load.
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I did that and was told I am liable for the load
BingBongFyourWife@reddit
How did you lose a seal
And I’m pretty sure loads have insurance
This seems weird to me but idk
driver004@reddit
Ive never met a broker or client which did not make cargo insurance mandatory
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
The company that I’m contract with has load insurance but they refused the claim because there was no contamination
driver004@reddit
Then you owe nothing
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
The load is high end chicken by product in a hopper trailer
daemonescanem@reddit
High end chicken by product. Aka chicken guts lol
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Very expensive chicken guts. The load originally sold for $1340.00 a ton at 25 tons
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I’m not sure how the seal came off other than the vibration of the road. I know it was on the trailer when I left the shipper and again after I stopped for truck repairs I checked again and it was there. Just gone when I arrived at the receiver. The receiver tested the load and no contamination but still rejected it.
snarksneeze@reddit
I've worked as a loader for several companies and seen dozens of seal types over the years. I've never seen a seal that could vibrate loose.
If this is food, there's no way they 100% tested it for contamination, and even if they could it wouldn't matter. Their food license requires an intact, original seal. It's not even their choice to make.
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
It’s pet food
snarksneeze@reddit
Its still FSMA, its also likely cGMP and HARPC, all of which require the intact seal.
sixstring53@reddit
Seals are getting broken on trucks taking their 1/2 hour break in fuel islands. Not saying you did.
BusSerious1996@reddit
He probably did, but won't admit to it 😂
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
No I’m not a driver like that. My last stop was to get 2 airbags replaced at a loves in Iowa. I dropped my trailer in a spot and put my truck in the shop. When repairs were complete I hooked up to my trailer, did my walk around to make sure all lights worked and seals intact. I did not stop again until I arrived at the receiver tested. And the seal was missing then.
AlphaFox616@reddit
snip snip
-purged@reddit
I would fight it. You did what you was trained to do. You can't do anything if some prick decides to cut and remove the seal. The company should install seal safe on the trailer if they want to make it harder for someone to remove it.
Was it a plastic seal or cable type?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
It was a cable type and it was not cut because I didn’t stop between truck repairs and delivery and it was on when I left truck repairs. I think the shipper didn’t have it secured good but they have video of him installing it so they have denied all responsibility
CutTurbulent3015@reddit
I honestly would start carrying extra seals, and stopping just before delivery to double check it. Should be as simple as making sure it's fixed on the paperwork and initialed by you, if a seal needed to be replaced.
beavismorpheus@reddit
We had theae metal lock boxes that would slide over the seal.
https://vehiclesecurityinnovators.com/product-category/freight-defense/trailer-seal-lock/
I wonder if he was blocking the fuel isle or there was some other incident where he set upset someone. I'd always give the seal a mild tug, just to be sure it's locked in there. Seems virtually impossible for that thing to fall off. And he said it was of those metal wire ones. Those are extra tough.
But, I like the extra seal idea, then double check at the last safe ramp.
Seems worth them few extra seconds for extra peace of mind. Ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure. Now all that trouble he has to go through. I hope they aren't going to throw it all in the dump now. I got extra motivation when my reefer went out with tons of beef because that would be sad if those cows died for nothing.
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
It is a dog food ingredient for the expensive dog food brand royal canin. The broker resold the entire load but could only get $725.00 a ton instead of the $1340.00 it was originally sold for.
driver004@reddit
While best practice be ready for it to be a reject anyways. 50/50 chance
COATHANGER_ABORTIONS@reddit
Yeah if it's a plastic one idk what they expect. All it takes is you take a little too much time after fueling and some dude gets pissy.
If it's that important of a load, a seal that can't be popped with one hand is probably the way to go.
Bagzthehoney@reddit
Just take the L cause this story sounds janky af
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Can you explain what you mean by janky?
Bagzthehoney@reddit
Been driving for 9 years and have had all types of seals. I can’t recall not one time where a seal has fallen off. The only time I’ve seen one come off a trailer is if I took it off or the shipper/receiver has taken it off. Even if I were to go to a repair shop or truck stop no one has ever thought to mess with it. Only time I have seen or heard of what your dealing with is if someone popped the seal and had stolen the product off the truck which you should have seen during a pre/post trip
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I agree. I have 12 years driving and 1 year as owner op. The only explanation I can think of is the shipper didn’t not slide the cable in the lock piece far enough for it to secure and like an idiot I didn’t double check it to make sure.
joelmooner@reddit
Man why did I have to see a photo of your dick when I clicked your profile?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
I don’t have a profile pic. This is a shared profile with my wife
mr-doctor2u@reddit
Your wife is a cock hungry "bbw" and you like being cucked?
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Jealous?
mr-doctor2u@reddit
Sir, she is a very very large lady. Im sure she has a great personality and I'm happy for you but I think im set.
PresentBarnacle6557@reddit (OP)
Why don’t we keep the comments of the pictures in the community that they’re in and at a public community is like this one here. Use some common courtesy.
joelmooner@reddit
Well your wife has a huge fucking dick and also looks like a dude.
But really? Gunna delete your photo of your dick and keep up the photos of your old ladies snatch? Rude. Shared my ass.
lord_nuker@reddit
😂😂😂😂😂
Matlovestruck@reddit
Don't pay anything yet. First, check your BOL and rate con for any language about seal integrity and liability. Most cargo insurance covers this kind of situation. Call your insurance company before you do anything else. Also, a missing seal doesn't mean the freight is damaged or tampered with. The receiver can inspect the load and accept it if everything checks out. Some receivers reject on principle but that doesn't automatically make you liable for the full load. Get everything in writing from whoever is telling you that you owe the cost. Don't agree to any deductions verbally.
MilkeyWhey@reddit
Most cargo insurance specifically excludes this because there’s no actual physical damage to the cargo to trigger coverage under the cargo insurance. Broken seal coverage is an add-on.
Regardless, OP needs to contact his company and advise them that the load’s been rejected and see what they need him to do.
keytiri@reddit
This is why I carry a 3D printer 🤷♀️
Milk_MAN1963@reddit
We lose seals on milk loads a couple times a year. It's just part of doing business. I don't make the driver pay for it. I even think it's illegal to make a W2 employee pay for anything
Emergency_Ad1152@reddit
I heard Steven transport does this.
driver004@reddit
It’s not necessarily illegal but if such a minefield most companies don’t bother
Milk_MAN1963@reddit
It's not something I would do. Shit happens when you own a business
driver004@reddit
Pretty much, it’s one reason why I tell people that want to get into owner operating that if you don’t have a habit of putting money in a savings account on the order of at least a few hundred a week you ain’t gunna make it. When it rains it pours especially in trucking
deezkeys098@reddit
Depends on if your company 1099 or owner op. Of your company start applying for jobs immediately and switch jobs asap if your 1099/owner op your carriers insurance will cover the cost.
DeadRatRacing@reddit
Not that this will help you in this situation, but we always do a gentle tug test before departure. Then check each time you stop before you leave the truck, for a piss stop or whatever. This way if the seal goes missing, you can immediately make a phone call explaining it was there when you left and have your driver's log showing it wasn't unattended.