I Freaked!

I got to Michigan to my 90 with 3 minutes left on my clock. It was suppose to be a drop and hook. But there’s no yard just a giant mud hole. Okay let dispatch know and I wait on a live unload. My appoint was 15:00 to 18:00 finally they come get me at 20:30. I drive around back there are no lights just some more mud. They want me to back into a hole in the side of the wall. There is one spotlight on the dock it’s slanted deep and it’s full of water. There was not enough room to get the trailer straight and ease in. I was totally freaking. I just knew one wrong move would destroy my trailer. I could line it for the hole but couldn’t go down in that dark hole. They didn’t have yard dogs cause they didn’t have a yard. Finally a guy came out said he was a shuttler, he said he backs in there like 20 times a day. He said I’ll back your truck in for u. No sir, can’t let u drive my truck. He said okay I’m gonna sit in the passenger seat and talk u through it. It worked, I got it in there and out. But I told my fm don’t ever send me there again!

Goodjob for you and that surprise helper, Donna. Places like that every now and then keep it interesting, plus, since you got it done safely, these help build your confidence through the experience. Great work!

Donna...

I guarantee if you return to the same exact place 6 months from now, your attitude will be different. Your growth as a professional will be far slower if you avoid the tougher assignments. Plus I seriously doubt you want to create a resume of places you do not want to pick-up from or deliver to.

Donna, last week I delivered to a place in Omaha that was absolutely insane. I wish I could figure out how to screenshot Google Earth to show you the situation. I parked on the street because it was almost impossible to make a right turn into the facility. There was one truck in front of me and I was wondering what the heck is he doing because on the right side of the driveway the road did a 90 degree turn to the left. He went to that left side of the road and then did the Blind Side back into the facility. He went over the curb barely missed a light pole and a sign and backed in. I walked up to the security Shack and the guard told me I had to back in. Trust me four or five months ago there is no way I could have done this. I even wondered if I could do it this time? So I try to emulate the previous driver but I didn't want to drive over the curb and hit the pole so I stay to the left. This is where it gets crazy... So to avoid going over the curb on the right side I'm cranking my front wheels over the left curb. When I look down to my left there is rebar out of the concrete sidewalk bent toward where I was backing. In other words if I had to pull forward I was afraid I would puncture my front tires. I thought to myself how in the hell did anyone Design This?. That's why the previous driver went over the curb and barely avoided the pole. After many goals I got backed into facility. Only to find out I had to back another 300 yards and then do a Blind Side into the last door. This is the kind of stuff that goes on in the East Coast. Never expected it in Omaha BTW I did do a Google Earth and thought there was enough room for me to turn around but they had trailers along the fence that were not there before. In all it took me about 45 minutes to get into the dock. But I didn't hit anything and I was still 15 minutes ahead in my appointment. Guess what I was sweating like a dog when it was over... like I said before I could never have done this a few months before.

JunkyardK9, that was a real nightmare. I’ve yet to encounter a situation that bad. Kudos to you for being careful, especially locating that rebar before you ran it over. You should feel good about getting through that situation unscathed

Donna, if I had something like that, I would love to go back knowing what to expect and how to get it in. Great job.

G-Town I’m not from the entitled era, I’d never tell the folks I work for what I will and won’t do. I told him in a joking way he said oh so u want to go back next week? I said sure this time I will have a spot light to see what’s in that dang water.

Donna, one of the members is Diver. Maybe you need to borrow his scuba gear. Check out his picture, he’s ready for the really deep water filled craters.

Donna, one of the members is Diver. Maybe you need to borrow his scuba gear. Check out his picture, he’s ready for the really deep water filled craters.

From his picture I'm guessing he is a commercial diver... She would only need recreational gear.😁

Donna, both I g gives you more of a sense of pride when you successfully back into a dock that seems impossible. Those situations that seem impossible now will get easier with time and experience.