This Was A Pain In The Booty

Well, I went to a shipper in Wisconsin yesterday, and 2 of the company drivers said to me we don't see many sleeper trucks in here and the other guy said it took him 45 minutes to get it in. So of course I wanted to turn the truck around and park it on the street. You want this product there it is..... But of course I didn't do that but I did turn the truck around so I didn't have to blindside in. I got turned around and I started to back, then G.O.A.L.ED. Moved my truck 5 ft up to get a better grip on the situation, now I'm looking at a trailer in front of me so I can't make my full turn. Back up again at an angle and looks like it may go, but goal again. Too close on the other side. Finally the yard dog moved 2 trailers so I get more room to maneuver. I get in there then a string load of company trucks go behind me as I'm backing. By this time I'm not in a good mood. And I wasn't thinking clearly, I started to back into the dock. Now my DL calls, we have been playing phone tag for awhile. I kept backing and didn't goal this time and hit the trailer on my blind side with my hinges, but put 2 scrapes on the trailer next to me. Luckily no one was in it or wasn't a truck hooked up to it. So I filled out some paperwork, took pics for the company and for Swift and sent the info to claims. So far I haven't heard anything about it.

Moral of the story, if you have to goal a thousand times, then do it. And never get distracted when backing. If your DL calls, ignore them and call back after you are safely backed into your dock.

I have never answered the phone before and I don't know why I did it this time. So it was a lousy day.

Real Diel,

Sorry if I high jacked your thread. But I now know why they should not send a sleeper to small space places to load or unload.

I've seen some of 3 company drivers struggling to get in to their docks because there isn't any room to put trailers elsewhere.

Hope this helps the next person who has a small space to back up and dock.

Raptor

Theres Walmart store on the Maine route that has a sign:

"Yes, we know it is tight. No we are not going to help you. Yes others have done it."

And they used to out new drivers on that account

Raptor thank you for sharing that unfortunate incident. Just goes to show you how one moment of not being 100% focused can cause trouble, thankfully it's pretty minor damage. I'm not big on backing into tight areas like that until after I'm in. Then I feel pretty dang good!

When I was with Hummer, I delivered to a business that normally only took box trucks. The road started at about the "U." my truck actually went a foot or two into the driveway across the street from the dock.

He's a flatbedder though. We all know they can't back for squat. I'm pretty sure their trucks don't even come with mirrors.

Funny, one of the places I’ve picked up at a couple times is a finger dock inside a pole barn. Unfortunately, the door on the barn is narrow enough that you get your trailer lined up in the dock, then fold in your mirrors and back till you feel the bump.

Real Diehl, you think you have it bad? I have a 10 cubic foot wagon to haul behind my Cub Cadet and it's like I never backed anything up in my life. Constant GOALs and course corrections. I almost ran over my dog yesterday.

Here is a common ocurance at tank washes

That’s pretty tight!

A few times I went to places that I really had trouble believing you could fit a 53' with a sleeper cab. I'd always ask them, "Are you sure you've had trucks like this in this dock before?" They'd say things like, "Yap, but it took them like an hour."

I'd always say, "If it can be done, I can do it. If you say it has been done then I'll have it in the door in a few minutes."

I never went to a place I couldn't get it backed into, but there were a few that made me laugh out loud when I first saw them. Like come on, is this a joke???

I had one of these in Omaha a few months ago I think I talked about it on here I literally had to back up off the street and then almost an eighth of a mile I'm not exaggerating. I was in the last door of the complex. Took me almost an hour but I didn't hit anything. It was so ridiculous that usually I get flustered when things take me that long... I thought screw you who in the hell designed This place? I messaged my dispatcher afterwards and said why do you hate me? LOL