Avoiding Special Service Fees for Freight Services
#1: What are “Special Services”?
The list of what trucking companies classify as “special services” can include a couple of dozen types of “services”. However, for most church customers, the four that will come into play most often are…
- Call ahead appointments;
- Lift-Gate Service;
- Inside Delivery;
- Set in Place.
#2: What are “Call Ahead” appointments?
This service means that a dispatcher will call your location and attempt to make sure someone will be present when your order is delivered. Trucking companies often like to charge for this “service” even though it actually makes their job easier if someone is present when the truck shows up. At times this service will be included in your freight quote. If it is not though, you can often call the “destination terminal” (the terminal from which your delivery will actually be made) and by providing your tracking number to a dispatcher, be able to make a delivery appointment yourself for no charge. We find that dispatchers overall like it when you make their job easier so we recommend this proactive approach.
#3: What is “Lift-Gate” service?
This service means that the truck delivering your order to you will be equipped with a lift-gate that can lower your order to the ground. Lift-gate service can run from $50 to $150 additional. Most orders are not quoted with lift-gate service. Therefore, if the truck shows up with a lift-gate and the driver casually asks if you want him to lower your order to the ground, and you say “sure”, they can invoice you up to $150.00 for that “service” even though you might not realize the charge your affirmative answer is obligating you to. However, if the driver chooses to lower the items himself (which he likely WILL choose to do), then be sure you write on the delivery receipt “Lift-Gate NOT requested” and that additional billing to you will not be added.
#4: What is “Inside Delivery”?
This service means that the driver will actually not only get your order off of the truck for you, he will set it inside the front doors of your church. He will though not take your order up or down any steps or to any other location in your building. He will not remove any packing materials from your order. He will simply get it inside your front door.
#5: What is “Set in Place”?
This service means that not only will your order be brought to your location, and not only will it be lowered to the ground via a lift-gate, and not only will it be brought inside your building, but it will be taken to where you will be using the item(s), unpacked and “set in place”. This is an expensive service that would be extremely rare for any church to choose to incur the expense of.
Most orders are quoted “no special services included”. Now you know what those special services are and how to avoid having additional charges to your church at delivery.