Driver assist / driver unload
"Driver assist", "driver unload", "tailgate" or "driver count" means the driver does physical work at the dock: moving freight, unloading to the tail of the trailer, or counting pieces. It's work, and it should be priced.
What the terms usually mean
- Driver assist: the driver helps the facility's crew load or unload.
- Driver unload / hand unload: the driver unloads the whole trailer, sometimes by hand, piece by piece.
- Tailgate: the driver moves freight to the back of the trailer so the receiver can take it off.
- Driver count: the driver counts pieces and signs for the count, which also shifts responsibility for shortages.
Terms vary by company, so ask what the specific facility expects. "Driver assist" at one receiver is ten minutes; at another it's two hours with a pallet jack.
Hours of service
All time loading or unloading a truck, supervising or assisting, or attending a truck being loaded or unloaded is on-duty time under federal hours-of-service rules (on-duty time, 49 CFR 395.2). Two hours of hand unloading uses two hours of the driver's 14-hour window (49 CFR 395.3). That's time not driving, which is a second cost on top of the labor.
Count and sign
If the driver counts and signs for a piece count, the BOL is the driver's statement. If the load is shipper-loaded and sealed, many carriers write "SLC" (shipper load and count) or "shipper load, carrier count not verified" on the BOL rather than accepting a count they couldn't check. A driver-count requirement on the rate con conflicts with that habit, so settle it before pickup.
What the Rate Con Checker flags
The checker looks for "driver assist", "driver unload", "driver load", "driver count", "tailgate", "hand unload" and "driver must/to load, unload or count".
- No driver labor found: OK.
- Driver labor with a dollar amount nearby: a note, labor appears to be paid.
- Driver labor with no pay listed: flag.
"Appears to be paid" is a text match: a nearby dollar amount might belong to something else. Confirm the amount is for the labor.
What to ask for
Please add pay for driver assist/unload, or confirm no driver labor is required.
Also ask whether a lumper is available instead; see lumper fees. If the driver can't safely do the work (injury, no equipment), say so before dispatch.
Equipment and damage
Hand unloading also raises the chance of damaged freight and injuries. Ask whether a pallet jack is provided or must be on the truck, and note any damage you find before you start moving freight. If the driver breaks down pallets or restacks freight at the receiver's request, write that on the delivery receipt so a later shortage or damage claim reflects what really happened.