Rant: called the concrete supplier in Nashville and waited 3 hours for a short load

I needed 4 yards for a patio pour last Thursday, and the dispatcher said they'd be there by 10 AM. Truck showed up at 1:15 with no apology or explanation, which killed my crew's whole morning. The debate is: do you call around to five different suppliers to get a better time guarantee, or do you stick with the same one for pricing loyalty? Has anyone else dealt with delivery windows being a total joke?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyh8415d ago

Just ask them what their actual schedule looks like for the day instead of trusting a promised time. Last time I called around for quotes, one outfit flat out told me they run 2 to 4 hours behind on short loads during summer and to plan for it. That honesty saved my bacon because I told my guys to show up at noon instead of 8 AM. Maybe try asking the dispatcher straight up if they're actually running late before they even give you a window. It feels weird to question them but it beats sitting around with your crew doing nothing.

logan_thomas8715d ago

I've been through this with Nashville Ready Mix and a few others, and honestly I think calling around can make it worse. I was on the hook for 5 yards last June, called three different places to try and get a morning window, and ended up with the 3 PM truck from the guy who admitted he was behind. Now I just stick with one supplier and call them at 6 AM the day of the pour to ask what their actual load order looks like. The dispatchers usually remember that I'm the guy who calls early and doesn't yell, and I've gotten pushed to the front of the list a couple times because of it.