Use Your Satellite View Before Getting Into Trouble

I almost got into trouble because I didn’t survey my delivery location with my Google satellite view. My very bad. Fortunately, I noticed something wrong with where I was going, even though I was following my Omnitrac navigation. I was able to reverse course before I took a gravel road that didn’t look right. On getting to my destination at Cargill in Schuyler, NE, I talked to another driver at the guardhouse. He had also been misdirected by his company navigation. But he went up the gravel road over a mile, stopped at a farmhouse for information, and had to back out over a mile on this narrow gravel road in the dark. Not a happy experience.

My point: remember to survey your destination with the FREE tools of satellite view before you get there. Know your turns, know your roads, know your entrances, know where the guardhouses are located. This is CRITICALLY important if this is a location you are going to for the first time. After the first time, hopefully you know your route, but don’t take anything for granite, except in the Granite state.

Good idea. I first came across this strategy several years ago while reading a post from G-Town explaining how he always scopes out a customer location before arrival so he knows the best way to get into the dock.

I just used this tactic today. If you looked ahead, which entrance would you choose to use to get behind the building to the dock doors, and why? Green or purple?

Pffft! Roll the dice! Live life to the fullest! I think I can make it! What's the worst that can happen? I've got this! I think I've been here before....

All classic (sometimes) last words.

Great post, Bruce. Use all available resources and leave nothing to chance. The only "unknown" should be the lumper fees.

I'd be prepared for purple route in, due to the trucks on the outer perimeter....BUUUUUT with the slanted trailers, I'd be super cautious and double check all signs

I'm stopping around the front of the building, then walking it before I drive it.

This is what I do every time. Never fails.

I'm stopping around the front of the building, then walking it before I drive it.

Good idea. I first came across this strategy several years ago while reading a post from G-Town explaining how he always scopes out a customer location before arrival so he knows the best way to get into the dock.

I just used this tactic today. If you looked ahead, which entrance would you choose to use to get behind the building to the dock doors, and why? Green or purple?

Hmmm, good question. I might perhaps call the company number for shipping/receiving I always get on my assignment and ask them which side of the building to enter on. A driver would want to enter on the side of the shipping/receiving office. But without this specific info, I would probably choose the purple route. However, calling these phone numbers to speak to someone is a 50-50 proposition. You could very likely get the answering machine, leave a message, and never get a call back.

RD, you probably know the correct answer to your own question. Please elaborate.

Good idea. I first came across this strategy several years ago while reading a post from G-Town explaining how he always scopes out a customer location before arrival so he knows the best way to get into the dock.

I just used this tactic today. If you looked ahead, which entrance would you choose to use to get behind the building to the dock doors, and why? Green or purple?

Hmmm, good question. I might perhaps call the company number for shipping/receiving I always get on my assignment and ask them which side of the building to enter on. A driver would want to enter on the side of the shipping/receiving office. But without this specific info, I would probably choose the purple route. However, calling these phone numbers to speak to someone is a 50-50 proposition. You could very likely get the answering machine, leave a message, and never get a call back.

RD, you probably know the correct answer to your own question. Please elaborate.

Your company provides accurate phone numbers?!?!?

I always get the never-ending round robin, the employee call-out-sick extension, or "the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Goodbye" message.

For FUN, since I'm a non driver:

The purple route seems to be ALL T/T's . . . even the slanted ones.

The green route seems to be a mix, and mostly P/V's.. and predominantly box trucks in the mix.

I'd go with PackRat's suggestion and walk it ...... but 'I' personally love exercise, haha! ...

Finally, Purple is all T/T's.. the Green, not so much; looks like the only T/T's staged there are either drop offs being moved (when necessary) by a hostler in those close quarters, or are staged for storage, like pods. Box trucks seem to line the dock doors on the Green route.

I'd 'assume' Purple...but we all know what THAT stands for... SO, I'd delve in deeper, to be sure.

JUST MY HONEST OPINION~!! ~ Anne ~

I would take the purple entrance in RD's example. That was my initial guess based on the direction other trucks are facing inside. It would also allow me to do driverside back into my dock rather than blindsiding. It appears the angled docks on the left are likely pups.

To confirm my thoughts I used the street view which confirmed that the purple entrance has a sign "entrance only".