Lumper Fee

What is a Lumper?

A lumper is a dock worker in a warehouse or distribution center that a third-party lumper service provider hires to load and unload freight for a company. They may also be contracted with a truck driver to unload and load a truck on the trucker’s behalf.

Lumpers are usually hired to do the following:

• Load and unload pallets from a trailer
• Use equipment like forklifts and pallet jacks safely
• Organize, depalletize, and repackage pallets according to where they’re going
• Stock shelves inside stores or warehouses (sometimes)

Any company can hire lumper services, but they are mostly seen at food and grocery distribution warehouses. This is due to the fast-paced, immediate need for workers to load and unload perishable items. Lumpers are given specialized training to learn how to handle perishable and frozen goods efficiently and accurately, which moves freight faster.

Drivers can also be the lumpers themselves. Some carriers require drivers to unload and load freight, while others only allow it if the shipper does not request an accessorial, like a liftgate. The carrier will then include an additional fee to the final bill for the extra service.

Other carriers, however, won’t allow their drivers to load and unload anything. Liability becomes an issue if a driver is injured while moving freight, which can delay on-time deliveries. Carriers also don’t want to pay insurance premiums or liability payments for drivers to do the work themselves. It’s easier and safer for companies and carriers to use lumpers instead.

What is a Lumper Fee?

Lumpers are incredibly convenient for everyone involved in moving freight, as they do the hard work for them. However, they don’t do their services for free; they must be paid for their work. This is where lumper fees come in.

A lumper fee is the charge applied to a bill for the labor required for loading and unloading freight from a truck. These fees are calculated based on the amount of labor provided, the hours it took to complete it, and the severity of the loads.

An average lumper fee ranges from $100 to $500 and is sometimes charged based on an hourly rate. It can be paid for via cash, fleet checks, fuel cards, or credit cards, though contactless or electronic payment is recommended for easier payment tracking.

Who is Responsible for Paying Lumper Fees?

Here’s a question: Who is responsible for paying upfront for lumper services? Does the responsibility fall on:

• The warehouse
• The carrier
• The shipper
• The truck driver

The answer: truck drivers must pay the lumpers upfront! The latter provides the convenience of loading and unloading freight that the former would otherwise be responsible for at a warehouse. They also are a third-party entity not affiliated with the warehouse, which means drivers are expected to pay the lumpers for their services.

However, truck drivers only pay the upfront fees. The final payment for lumper fees falls on the shipper, who receives them via their bill or invoice from the carrier or broker. Drivers are reimbursed for paying the upfront fees by the carrier through the shipper, which they keep track of using a paper or digital document called a lumper receipt.

Lumper receipts contain the following information:

• Date and time of service
• Description of service
• Lumper fee amounts

Drivers must keep lumper receipts on hand to submit for reimbursement by the carrier or broker. The receipts are also good for insurance claims or disputes, as they record expenses incurred during shipping. Without them, drivers won’t be reimbursed for paying the lumper fees and lose money from the load.

Ideally, drivers should be informed in advance about the cost of lumper fees. They should also be aware of the predetermined payment method set by the carrier or broker. In reality, lumper fees can vary significantly between companies, carriers, or warehouses, making it difficult to predict their cost. However, experienced drivers typically have a general idea of the amount of lumper fees and budget for them in their services.