What Lowes free delivery cost me.

[Oaktree]

Down south they would just leave it on the porch !

In my case they would have left it in the driveway. Porch door was the narrower of the 2.

5 decades ago I was driving a freight company truck in KC. Had a residential delivery. Turned onto the street and stopped. Both sides lined with trees overhanging the street. Backed out and at next stop called the dispatcher and told him about it. He said "that's a first" "usually I get a driver calling me saying they've knocked down a bunch of tree limbs".

Substitute power lines and you're describing a situation I constantly ran into at a place I worked at a few years ago. Commercial operation at the end of a residential dead-end street (business was there first). Power/phone/cable lines were kind of low and criss-crossed the street a couple times. We always requested deliveries be made via box truck, sometimes we got an 18 wheeler anyway. The better drivers realized the situation beforehand, others not until it was too late.

 

[LouNY]

Also in NY it has been an unusual winter. No frost in the ground to speak of, lots of mud and slop.
It froze a couple of inches last night so I'm going to go down to my stone/gravel pile and get a bucket load
to put in a low spot in the driveway that hasn't stopped settling from a new culvert install last fall.
Just walking around in the afternoon sinking an inch or so.
I have very few good deliveries on my driveway as it's a quarter mile steep uphill with an S curve in it.
Once snow season starts I put a large tote down by the road for normal delivery's. Most anything large
or on a trailer I meet them at the bottom and unload them there. It is possible to get a truck tractor (day cab)and
short trailer or a large box truck if you are a good driver otherwise it's a disaster. I've had UPS get stuck,
even had a pizza delivery get stuck this fall. In my ground when there is no frost and it's waterlogged and soggy there is almost no bottom.
It always amazes me the number of delivery drivers that seem to want to try the driveway and screw up.
So far I've been able to get most of them unstuck or back on the driveway with my tractors, did have to borrow one of the
farms tractors once. My tractors are 55-80 HP and 10,000 pounds plus so fairly capable. It will be interesting once I get my newest
project up and working good a NH 8160 so 12,000+ pounds and 90 hp. Doesn't everybody need more tractors
But it is easy to get stuck in these conditions and even more so with incompetent drivers.

 

[5030]

All about money today... sad.

 

[Snobdds]

See I think a driveway should be idiot proof. It should be wide enough to accept delivery trucks and get them back out in a manner that dosen't mess everything up.

There should be no anxiety to having a delivery...Any idiot can manage my driveway.

 

[Eagle1]

Until the world invents a better idiot...........

 

[ponytug]

Gee, I don't know @Snobdds, you've got a turn and hill in that driveway...

Gorgeous photo! Congratulation on a beautiful place, and yes, that driveway looks darn near perfect.

All the best,

Peter

 

[NHBX]

Until the world invents a better idiot...........

Seems to be a priority these days!

 

[Snobdds]

Until the world invents a better idiot...........

Already factored in...

 

[Straightgrain3016]

I worked receiving for a manufacturer. Had a truck come in with two pallets for us. One was in the back the other was in the nose of the truck. I would routinely move a few pallets to get at a load, but I refused this one. As I told the driver, once I start loading and unloading that freight I am liable. Deliver the rest and then come back. He got mad and said there would be a redelivery fee. I call the dispatcher and explained. No redelivery fee, since it was there problem.

I am glad it worked out for you. It is a pain to pull pallets back. I am assuming you didn't have a loading dock and had to use a chain.

Doug in SW IA

Being caught between a "rock & a hard place"; this shipping delima was made worse because the mower was a 40th wedding anneversary gift...

Missed the anneversary but my wife understood the situation.

Edit: I claimed Force Majeure....

 

[Oaktree]

See I think a driveway should be idiot proof. It should be wide enough to accept delivery trucks and get them back out in a manner that dosen't mess everything up.

There should be no anxiety to having a delivery...Any idiot can manage my driveway.

Sheesh, we have town roads that aren't that wide.

 

[Snobdds]

Sheesh, we have town roads that aren't that wide.

Wait until I tell you that I have never had a pot hole.

I live by the rule of...good roads have good ditches. Mine are at least 6 feet below the road surface.

 

[ovrszd]

Wait until I tell you that I have never had a pot hole.

I live by the rule of...good roads have good ditches. Mine are at least 6 feet below the road surface.

My rule is a road without a ditch is a ditch.

 

[JasperFrank]

We got a new set of Washer/Dryer from a big box store. This was to be delivered and installed. After watching them fumble around with the boxes, and them not having the right pigtail..... which was part of the order, not having the right tools, and not having the order in place on the loading, I didn't let them in the house. "Just drop the boxes here." These were second party contractors. And I don't even think they were bonded.

 

[Jstpssng]

In my case they would have left it in the driveway. Porch door was the narrower of the 2.

Substitute power lines and you're describing a situation I constantly ran into at a place I worked at a few years ago. Commercial operation at the end of a residential dead-end street (business was there first). Power/phone/cable lines were kind of low and criss-crossed the street a couple times. We always requested deliveries be made via box truck, sometimes we got an 18 wheeler anyway. The better drivers realized the situation beforehand, others not until it was too late.

Technically the wires are supposed to be 13’6 or higher over the roadway. Yet as the business owner or employee, you are the one who is going to be in the hot seat, no matter who is remiss.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

See I think a driveway should be idiot proof. It should be wide enough to accept delivery trucks and get them back out in a manner that dosen't mess everything up.

There should be no anxiety to having a delivery...Any idiot can manage my driveway.


View attachment 783780

I just watched “idiot drivers” on YouTube. I can see them hitting those trees.

 

[Straightgrain3016]

I was gonna comment on the rural driveway specs in NFPA1144; but, never mind; some other time when I can provide specifics.

 

[civilian]

I was gonna comment on the rural driveway specs in NFPA1144; but, never mind; some other time when I can provide specifics.

Waiting for that. Jon

 

[Straightgrain3016]

Waiting for that. Jon

OK, I'm just a rusty-uncurrent, school-trained ICC building inspector, and the regs have changed since I was active/current.

Here's my .02 on driveways; delivery access problems are similar in nature to FD access problems.

I see a whole lot of rural homes that do not meet the standards for fire department access; the older or myopic-designs of rural homes may be intentional, through ignorance, or simply neglect.

NFPA 1144 (1140) is designed for protection of homes in wooded areas, but all of the access requirements are the same no matter where homes are located...FDs need access to do their jobs; 8'-10' clear space around the home, turn outs every 200? feet, minimum heights (16'), widths(12' I recall), cleared driveways, radius of curve, % of slope, spaced out buildings, cut backs of trees & shrubs, etc.

16' high fir limbs in the summer are 6' high with snow or ice.

The specs also inlude fire-resistive construction like double pane windows, T111 siding, blocking, etc.

Not aimed at the OP or anyone else, but driveways that can prevent a fire truck from reaching the home, will probably prevent a 30' box truck from doing the same.

The info is free & public; the pic is a sample.

PS, there are grants to help home-owners prepare, and insurance companies are watching from above.

I pray this helps.

 

[Straightgrain3016]

NFPA LiNK®

The leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical and related hazards.

link.nfpa.org

 

[lman]

Around here private driveways are better than the county roads they connect to. Paved driveways connect to half paved, half dirt roads with chuckholes that just keep getting bigger. Makes me wonder where my taxes go, I guess for new roads in town.