Comments By Vendingdude

I should have pointed out that the white thing sticking out from the trees is a parking curb/grass area that bears the marks of tangling with many a truck's RF tire or bumper. This made an alley dock a risky option, in my opinion.

Three TTers meet at the same time... .

Sounds like the opening line of a joke

(Three TTers go into a bar and...)

Sure looks to me like there's room to spin around and sight side it in. Look at the curvy dirt marks from trucks that hug the woods and turn around clockwise. Then go far enough out to the street to set up for a big arcing driver's side back.

Why don't you try calling a higher up and see if you can go back into training? I would.

For Swift? After I already been terminated?

Yes. You never know what could happen. Short story.

Way back when as a teenager I landed a job at a Golf & Games; you know, arcade games, go carts, miniature golf. My duties were keeping the games clean, replacing bulbs on the course, picking up cigarette butts, all the boring stuff that keeps the property looking nice. One night it was bit slow and everything was done and I asked the "shift manager" if there was anything else to keep me busy. He was annoyed at me interrupting his flirting with the girls at the snack bar, but made up some job for me to do.

After I had done that, I again asked him if there was more to do. I had already taken a break and was not scheduled to go home for another hour or so. I had as yet not learned how to milk the clock and assumed being paid on the job meant actually working (imagine that!). This second interruption perturbed him enough that, to impress the ladies I'm sure, he told me to "punch the f... out and go home" followed by "and don't come back". It was clear I had just been fired for working too hard. Huh.

The next day I got mad enough about it that I called the establishment and talked to the main manager, but he basically didn't want to discipline his assistant and backed him up and judged that if he had reason to let me go he wasn't going to supercede that. Undeterred by this BS, I figured out how to contact the owner and was able to speak with him for a minute.

Very quickly, he put me on hold to call the manager. When he came back on the line he told me to go back to work tomorrow, that he'd taken care of things. Turns out there had been other complaints (harassment, weed, etc.) about the assistant but nobody had the balls to do anything about it. I went back to work, the manager apologized to me, the assistant was let go. I worked there the rest of the summer, and got to flirt with the girls myself (when there was time, of course).

The moral is you just don't know what will happen when you ask and make your case. Perhaps the DM you dealt with is no longer there, or had complaints against her. Perhaps the policy has relaxed. Perhaps someone is in a decision making capacity that remembers you and can vouch for your character. What if right know that terminal is desperate for someone to sit in a truck? You have nothing to lose by asking.

Smile. Yes ma'am yes sir a couple times. Relax, it's just a phone call. Find out a little bit about the company so you can drop a tidbit in the conversation if it comes up. Makes you sound like you are committed and almost own the job already. "So, I drove by your new terminal in Smallville last week. Sure looks nice. I heard you took good care of your drivers, now I believe it.". Corny, but something like that.

"Also, never ever let someone rush you into being unsafe. When you're trying to back up into that spot, and the other drivers are waiting for you to get out of the way, do not rush just to appease them. Ignore them. Fugetaboutem. Do your thing.SAFELY!"

And if you find your patience thermometer about to blow, bail out! Missed your pullup? Visibility bad? ****ed drivers creeping into your space? Just give up and circle around. It REALLY is not worth the chance of an incident with witnesses just because SOMEONE ELSE is impatient. YOU, the rookie, (or veteran, for that matter) lose NOTHING by shooting for another space at a truck stop or shipper. Of course, if at a shipper and you have an assigned space others just have to wait. Get help, GOAL a lot, etc.

LOL Rick. I knew someone would post a version of this here. No surprise it's you. Classic.

If people there are that desperate to risk their lives for a little fuel (assuming they knew they were risking their lives......) I wonder what the stats are for truck driver kidnappings, truck jacking, theft, etc. Don't wanna drive there to find out. Must not be too bad or you'd have a guy riding shotgun... literally. Still....

"Of all the things involved in flatbedding, tarping will be the thing to eventually chase me out. To me it has the highest risk for the lowest pay. But I'll admit when I finish a particularly hard tarp job I'm kinda proud. Yeah I know, who notices?

Well, another flatbedder would notice I guess. But i digress..."

Well, Turtle, I've never tarped a flatbed load, but i know how dangerous, dirty and taxing it is. I notice a neat tight job, especially on an awkwardly shaped load, and mentally tip my hat to the driver. And then remind myself I'm glad it was him not me. I'll just as easily spot a haphazard flapping-in-the-breeze ruin-the-tarp job as well. More people are noticing if the flatbedder takes pride in his work, or was in a hurry or is just sloppy than you probably think.

Sirius XM rules, without a doubt. I mix it up a bit too. Since I am in my fifties, my favorite music is anything 80's. Occasionally I'll move over to the 70's or even earlier stuff. Rarely anything from grunge on up. My brother was the heavy metal guy, not me. Didn't grow up country, so that's not my thing either (though it chould, I guess, because almost all my adult life has been in pretty rural areas...)

Other music that makes the cut will anything from New Age to Chill to Religious to Classical.

As for non-musical listening, news and talk reigns. Occasionally Forensic Files on HLN, but that can get too gross to engage the mind listening to how they solve axe murder rape cases while driving at 2am. On the flip side, I enjoy listening to popular sports at times, at if I'm in the mood for an uplifting message I like hearing a Joel O'Steen sermon. I also will play motivational, spiritual or self-help CDs from my collection at home.

I try to stay away from negative programming, from vulgar comedy to Howard Stern to CNN. Lol.

Wow, I'm all over the place too.