Help for a new american

[KeithY]

My FFR roadster is due to be shipped any day now.

My questions is Should I tip the truck driver?

Coming from a country where tipping is not the norm I find it hard to figure out who to tip and how much. I've got the waitstaff, bartender thing sorted as well as bellboys and porters but the rest is difficult to know what is expected

Keith

[John4337]

I did, he went above and beyond helping carry all the boxes into the shop, etc.

John

[Jazzman]

I've been here all my life and I still can't get all the tipping stuff sorted out!! I asked the same question three years ago, and the general consensus is that it is not required, but greatly appreciated. If you need or require more assistance from the driver than might be usual due to a long driveway, or gravel, or your house is on top of a hill that no semi truck can manuver, then yes, more of a tip is probably appropriate. My wife and I disagree on the "statement" that tipping makes, but here is my opinion: Tipping should be acknowledgement of and an extra monetary gift for service that is over and above what should be already expected for such a service. In other words, if they just did what they are expected to do for their job, no tip is warranted. (Warning: my wife disagrees with my opinion. She sees tipping as part of the salary of the employee. We have a 30 year long disagreement on this, and yet she still puts up with me!!) However, in my experience the drivers that deliver our cars are great, do whatever it takes to get everything exactly as you want it, and do it with a really great attitude. Mine got a nice tip, and I did not have anything special about the delivery location.

That's just one man's opinion of course!!

[Derald Rice]

I am in agreement with Jazzman about the philosophy of tipping, and if it makes any difference, my wife and I do not agree.

However, when my kit was delivered, in the excitement of the delivery, I totally forgot about it.

This was in the era before the truck had the gantry crane, and I cannot count how many times over the last 17 years I have regretted not tipping.

[KeithY]

This sort of agrees with the philosophy of tipping in Australia. Most people there earn a living wage from their employer. My daughter at 16 had a vacation job at macdonalds in the summer vacation that paid $17 per hour and a big mac was still only $3.50 There tips are seen as something that you give to reward service above and beyond . My shop is at the end of a downward sloping drive and as I am getting the complete kit with the summer sale wheels and tires package I was thinking a decent tip would be in order especially as the pay rates I see advertised for trunk drivers don't seem great to my eyes.

[cv2065]

My Dad always said that tip stood for "To Insure Promptness"....My driver was every bit of that and then some, so yeah, he got a $20 spot.

[mburger]

I tip my pool guy $20 every two weeks.
If I had a delivery driver going above and beond he’d get a minimum a 50 spot.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Yes. Driver helped getting my stuff up my driveway & the chassis onto jack stands. Truck had to park in the street & everything had to be carried in by hand or with the pickup. We towed the skid with the chassis up the hill on his dolly pulled by my lawn tractor.

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/members/albums/50738-bear-avhistory/bear-avhistory-1226-picture12017-d3.jpg

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/members/albums/50738-bear-avhistory/bear-avhistory-1226-picture12009-d2.jpg

Driver went out of his way to be helpful. I would give what you think is appropriate.

[cv2065]

Yes. Driver helped getting my stuff up my driveway & the chassis onto jack stands. Truck had to park in the street & everything had to be carried in by hand or with the pickup. We towed the skid with the chassis up the hill on his dolly pulled by my lawn tractor.

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/members/albums/50738-bear-avhistory/bear-avhistory-1226-picture12017-d3.jpg

https://www.ffcars.com/forums/members/albums/50738-bear-avhistory/bear-avhistory-1226-picture12009-d2.jpg

Driver went out of his way to be helpful. I would give what you think is appropriate.

Man Kevin, that's a driveway and hill to boot!

My driver was skilled enough to snake through my neighborhood and park right in front of the house, which is where the tip came in. Had I had to come out to the main road and roll a dolly to the house would have requited a LOT of extra effort, so as Kevin says, do what you are comfortable with and marry it up to the situation.

[OnlyAndy]

My Stewart guy, Scott, was a peach. Very friendly, cheerful and helpful,,, It was getting on toward dinner time and from my house he was off to San Diego. I gave him $25 to have dinner on me and after he left I wished I had given more. Yes, tipping is an awkward situation most of the time.

[GoDadGo]

We gave our driver $50.00 and a King Cake that my wife made since we were the middle of the Mardi Gras Season.
If you don't know what a King Cake is, then you have never properly experienced Southeastern Louisiana, specifically New Orleans Culture.

[j.miller]

I will say this...I am not a trucker...I paint cobra replicas...HOWEVER, many times I pull my trailer with my Cummins Diesel at 70 miles per hr and get treated like ****e ! Nobody wants to be behind a truck, even if it's moving faster then they are. Being on the road with a truck and trailer gives me just the slightest inkling of what Pro truck drivers put up with ever damn day from mindless ner-do-wells who have no idea what it takes to move one of those massive beasts down the highway. I don't tip a trucker for what he does for me when he gets to my place....I tip him for what it took to get to me...and if he's in a wicked pisser when he arrives....I STILL TIP. $100 bucks is what I tip but that's just me ...da Bat......Truckers Move America ….Give them some respect !

[RJD]

A tip and a glass of ice tea.

[Chuck Sloggett]

We gave our driver $50.00 and a King Cake that my wife made since we were the middle of the Mardi Gras Season.
If you don't know what a King Cake is, then you have never properly experienced Southeastern Louisiana, specifically New Orleans Culture.

I hope he didn't break a tooth on the Baby!! ( I was stationed at NAS Belle Chase west river in the 80's)

My wife baked a nice batch of cookies for him + gave him a tip. -- Chuck

[PeteMeindl]

Warren, the driver that delivered our car, was absolutely great and we tipped him. It's been interesting, actually, to notice the difference in attitude and professional ability of the various folks that have delivered major parts to us for the car. I definitely saw a strong correlation between the difficulty of the delivery and the ability of the driver.

[CDXXVII]

I agree with this philosophy. My driver was a total A%$ H%$$. Completely impatient and could not wait to get on with his next delivery. I tipped him $100 just because everyone on this forum said I should. If the guy goes out of his way to put a smile on you face that you can not wipe off than by all means tip big. If the guy damages the finish on your chassis because he would not take an extra second to be a little careful than tip accordingly. Just my 2 cents worth which is what I should have tipped him.



I've been here all my life and I still can't get all the tipping stuff sorted out!! I asked the same question three years ago, and the general consensus is that it is not required, but greatly appreciated. If you need or require more assistance from the driver than might be usual due to a long driveway, or gravel, or your house is on top of a hill that no semi truck can manuver, then yes, more of a tip is probably appropriate. My wife and I disagree on the "statement" that tipping makes, but here is my opinion: Tipping should be acknowledgement of and an extra monetary gift for service that is over and above what should be already expected for such a service. In other words, if they just did what they are expected to do for their job, no tip is warranted. (Warning: my wife disagrees with my opinion. She sees tipping as part of the salary of the employee. We have a 30 year long disagreement on this, and yet she still puts up with me!!) However, in my experience the drivers that deliver our cars are great, do whatever it takes to get everything exactly as you want it, and do it with a really great attitude. Mine got a nice tip, and I did not have anything special about the delivery location.

That's just one man's opinion of course!!

[Boydster]

My driver back in Jan 2017 was great. We had to move all the boxes to the back sunroom of my house, the car into the garage and all done over uphill concrete, gravel and gravel / grass. He helped me get the car off his dolly and onto my frame dolly. He had given me a call the day before and an hour before. He also checked with me after rearranging his truck to make sure everything was good. He talked about the artwork on the truck and how much fun it is to see peoples faces when he opens the doors and their car is right there staring at em. I gave him $100. I def feel he went above and beyond.

[WarDamnEagle]

I tipped $100. My driver called me several times on his journey to discuss which other stops he had and when he might be there that was best for me. Then he showed up when he said he would. He took a risk of getting stuck by driving his truck into the wet grass where I instructed him to and helped me unload in the rain. That guy earned every penny with exceptional service. TO me the communication on the front end was a great customer service touch.