Got Stuck On A Dock Hook This Is How My Day Went

So earlier today I was at a shipper in Troutman, North Carolina waiting to get loaded. The Warehouse gives you a set of instructions when you check in. Basically trailer clean, no straps or load bars in side the trailer, tandems back, square on the dock and uncuple the tractor from the trailer before they will load you. Well I screwed up the tandems back I got the trailer lined up with the door the pulled the locking bar out and proceeded to slide the tandems back. Instead of physically checking that the tandems were infact all the way back and releasing the locking bar to lock the pins in I just eyeballed it from the drivers seat. I got so focused on making sure I was square with the dock I failed to notice the tandems slid forward the approach to the dock has a slight decline so I was riding the breaks I didn't want to slam into the dock. Well they get me loaded and as I tried to pull away I couldn't because the dock hook was still under my ICC bar. The warehouse guys had to unload some pallets of product to lighten the trailer up so I could pull away. Oh and I almost forgot this is all happening while it was pouring rain. So what are my take aways from this 1) Always get out and check to make sure the tandems have slid back to the rear of the trailer. 2) Make sure the tandem pins are locked in even if I'm not un-hooking from the trailer. I've gotten a little complacent the past few months so far I've been lucky. But I know that luck can run out I've got to slow myself down and not rush.

Sucks but you learned a valuable lesson: don't take shortcuts! Get out and check it, just like a GOAL.

I delivered this morning in Statesville, then drove as far as I dared to Greensboro, NC, so I know what you had to endure today. That was the hardest rain I've ever driven in, that wasn't a named storm. Also the first time I've had the front safety radar device (I can't remember the name right now) cut out due to rain.

Also I forgot to mention I was also 700lbs over on my tandems when I went through a VA weight station. I slid them to far forward when I left the shipper. I had to pull around and fix it passed the second go around.

Also I forgot to mention I was also 700lbs over on my tandems when I went through a VA weight station. I slid them to far forward when I left the shipper. I had to pull around and fix it passed the second go around.

Are they usually pretty lenient at weigh stations?I guess I assumed if you were overweight your first time you'd be issued a ticket. I've been fortunate to not be inspected or be overweight (truck/trailer atleast 😝). I thought for sure yesterday was my "lucky" day, DOT pulled out from the median behind me, caught up then tailed me 5 miles, passed me then tailed the Hy-Vee 2 million safe miler that was half mile ahead of me 5-6 miles before pulling off to open the weigh station

Are they usually pretty lenient at weigh stations?

Thank you for asking Rob! I was curious about this situation as well. How could you know if your good when a shipper doesnt have a scale and theres no CAT before 1st weigh station you come across. I would hope they give you a chance to fix it

Depends on the state. I've had to adjust three times in VA for overweight with no ticket, but it's my home state.

Utah, I was over by 1400 and got a ticket, then adjusted and was fine. $52 paid.

When I was still with CRST I switched codrivers while on home time. My new codriver picked me up after he got loaded but was out of hours. I asked if he scaled it "yep" I drove out and hit the first scale and guess what... It was a VA scale, fixed it and no ticket. Learned alot feom that driver... Told me trucks are to heavy to blow over from wind. Nice enough guy but we didn't stay together long.

Omg I'm so sick of rain.. I'm currently in SC after being in sunny (and dry) Florida for a few days. Storming like crazy here.

Anywho, some states will let you fix the weight and not ticket you and others aren't so kind. My company's policy is to scale every load. If we're very concerned about weight issues, we let either Dispatch or safety know and West Side will "cover" us to the nearest CAT scale , (pay the fine for us, should we get ticketed) because you just never know, DOT has been known to bring out the portable scales and weigh you right on the side of the road or in a rest area, even.

Now, if we don't get a certified scale (could be from a customer who actually prints the weights, or a CAT Scale.. whatever, and get an overweight ticket, oh they'll pay it, but take it out of your paycheck. Just ask my other half lol. He had a load that only weighed 22k, went thru the scales in Chicago on I-80. He hadn't scaled the load because it was so light, but they claimed he was overweight with an $1100 fine. He couldn't argue it because he hadn't scaled the load. Naturally DOT scales could NEVER be wrong. I still get a chuckle out of that. The entire load must have been sitting on the tandems?

Lesson here is a CAT scale is cheap insurance. Our company pays for all scales (we use our fuel card, even with the app) so we have zero excuse for not scaling a load. My current load, I was told weighed 40k lol. I thought no way, scaled it and my gross was 44460 lol so maybe 10k or so. My other half picked up a whopping 52 pound load.. yes only 52 pounds. Truck scales the same both empty and loaded lol.

Are they usually pretty lenient at weigh stations?

Thank you for asking Rob! I was curious about this situation as well. How could you know if your good when a shipper doesnt have a scale and theres no CAT before 1st weigh station you come across. I would hope they give you a chance to fix it

I would say for the most part they are lenient as long as you are not over the 80000 limit and you can weigh legal with an axle slide. I had gotten a ticket while on trainers truck at a Tennessee scale, I took over driving and he hadn't weighed it. We tried sliding tandems 3 times but couldn't get it both bridge legal and weight legal at the same time so they gave me the option to get an overweight ticket-$100 or a bridge law ticket-$300...I took weight. The company paid it. Several times I've hit a scale house before a cat scale they told me I'm xxx over, I slid them came back around and sent on my way. I also notice if you are less than one hole (250lbs) off they tend to clear you without requiring you to slide (my experience not claiming law or fact) I once was 140 over on rears and once 60 over. I forget the scale house on those but they have an external weight display but cleared me to go.

We are supposed to scale any trailer over 20k, I had one that was like 16k and when I hooked it I knew something was off so I scaled it. 21,700 on the drives which is 1,700 pounds over for a single axle truck. It had liquid totes in it and I guess they didnt balance it right.

If we are a few hundred over on a axle we can get a dispatcher to sign off on it, and OD willpay the fine, if you do not get a OK your paying for it yourself. Each dispatcher is different on what they will OK and they can not ok you being over gross just on a axle.