Growing Pains

Here is an experience that I found amusing. I’m certain that the driver who is the main character in this story did not find it amusing at all.

Yesterday, I delivered to a big DC in Texas. I go through the standard guardhouse ritual and am told to take my paperwork to door 6. This is the dock next to shipping and receiving. But I’m really early for my appointment, so I pull along the fence and wait in my truck. Shortly thereafter, a truck comes by and the driver backs up to door 6. Now I thought this was a new driver because this was an easy easy door to back into but the driver did about 8 GOALS and probably 12 pull-ups. I was impressed by his diligence and adherence to good safety procedures. And he was determined to get backed into the door perfectly centered and straight, so he just kept at it until he had it done to his satisfaction. Before he was completely finished with his backing, which must have taken all of 30 minutes, it was time for me to go into the office and get my door number for a live unload. While I was still there, this very conscientious young driver comes in, gets up to the window and informs the clerk that he is docked into his door. “What door is that?, she asked. Door 6 replied the driver. She told him he hadn’t been assigned a door yet. He told her the guard shack person said door 6. She started laughing and told him this had happened before. His door was not #6, but just where the office was. The space he backed into was on the side of the office for live unloads. He was picking up and his door was on the other side of the office. I could see he was not a happy camper, like he was thinking “I just spent all this time and effort and now I have to start all over?” But that’s how we learn. I made my share of rookie mistakes and I’m still learning. Thankfully this mistake did not involve property damage or a preventable.

Here is an experience that I found amusing. I’m certain that the driver who is the main character in this story did not find it amusing at all.

Yesterday, I delivered to a big DC in Texas. I go through the standard guardhouse ritual and am told to take my paperwork to door 6. This is the dock next to shipping and receiving. But I’m really early for my appointment, so I pull along the fence and wait in my truck. Shortly thereafter, a truck comes by and the driver backs up to door 6. Now I thought this was a new driver because this was an easy easy door to back into but the driver did about 8 GOALS and probably 12 pull-ups. I was impressed by his diligence and adherence to good safety procedures. And he was determined to get backed into the door perfectly centered and straight, so he just kept at it until he had it done to his satisfaction. Before he was completely finished with his backing, which must have taken all of 30 minutes, it was time for me to go into the office and get my door number for a live unload. While I was still there, this very conscientious young driver comes in, gets up to the window and informs the clerk that he is docked into his door. “What door is that?, she asked. Door 6 replied the driver. She told him he hadn’t been assigned a door yet. He told her the guard shack person said door 6. She started laughing and told him this had happened before. His door was not #6, but just where the office was. The space he backed into was on the side of the office for live unloads. He was picking up and his door was on the other side of the office. I could see he was not a happy camper, like he was thinking “I just spent all this time and effort and now I have to start all over?” But that’s how we learn. I made my share of rookie mistakes and I’m still learning. Thankfully this mistake did not involve property damage or a preventable.

Are we certain that isn't an autobiography, BK? A soliloquy, of sorts ?!?!? I'm. Just. Playing. !

I'm really just pulling your chain, because you let me! Yet, . . . it IS kinda funny, though. Poor guy, humbled !!! Bet he'll know NEXT time he goes to that receiver . . he'll have that evil yet triumphant lil' grin going on, haha!!!!

You said it, good sir. It's all a part of life's (and trucking's) lessons. I'm sure Kearsey can top that one; her earliest Y/t vids are still a 'laugh with/learn with' kinda entertainment!

Thankfully this mistake went off Scot free, is right!! All's well that ends well; "All in a day's work!"

Be safe, my friend;

~ Anne ~

I can empathize with this conscientious driver… the ‘guard shack person’ should have better explained the process… surely this is not the first time this mistake has been made there. I’ll bet the guard shack people are deliberately vague with their instructions as a form of entertainment. I would be, if I was a guard shack person.

Okay, I’m going to summon my Inner Steve Reno now, and tell a little story, to elaborate on my previous post… about 26 or 27 years ago, when I was a U.S. Army Reservist with the 88th MP Co., we spent the weekend working at Ft. Monroe in Hampton Roads, covering for the active duty MPs, who were enjoying the weekend off celebrating their annual MP ball festivities. One day I was assigned to the main gate. It was a terribly boring assignment, as Ft. Monroe is an ‘open post,’ meaning anyone can drive on, no credentials needed. Well, we noticed that at our little station at the entrance to the post, there was a wired foot pedal that controlled the stoplight at the entrance to Ft. Monroe. So we did what any bored young men would do, and messed with drivers all day long, making them wait excessively long at a red light, or turning the light green only long enough to let one car through. I almost caused an accident by changing the lights so fast I had three cars congregated in the intersection at the same time. The real challenge was doing it while keeping a straight face, because we were standing out front-and-center, waving cars in and out.

Anne & Pete B: “But for the grace of God go I”. Yeah, that’s right, this place had people in the guard shack who were not doing a very good job of communicating. The shipping and receiving office woman was very nice and efficient. I remember when I first went solo, it could be very intimidating to me going into stops while still trying to figure out the process. Stop by stop the patterns start to emerge until the process becomes routine. There is no doubt about it, the rookie year is tough to get through.

Here is an experience that I found amusing. I’m certain that the driver who is the main character in this story did not find it amusing at all.

Yesterday, I delivered to a big DC in Texas. I go through the standard guardhouse ritual and am told to take my paperwork to door 6. This is the dock next to shipping and receiving. But I’m really early for my appointment, so I pull along the fence and wait in my truck. Shortly thereafter, a truck comes by and the driver backs up to door 6. Now I thought this was a new driver because this was an easy easy door to back into but the driver did about 8 GOALS and probably 12 pull-ups. I was impressed by his diligence and adherence to good safety procedures. And he was determined to get backed into the door perfectly centered and straight, so he just kept at it until he had it done to his satisfaction. Before he was completely finished with his backing, which must have taken all of 30 minutes, it was time for me to go into the office and get my door number for a live unload. While I was still there, this very conscientious young driver comes in, gets up to the window and informs the clerk that he is docked into his door. “What door is that?, she asked. Door 6 replied the driver. She told him he hadn’t been assigned a door yet. He told her the guard shack person said door 6. She started laughing and told him this had happened before. His door was not #6, but just where the office was. The space he backed into was on the side of the office for live unloads. He was picking up and his door was on the other side of the office. I could see he was not a happy camper, like he was thinking “I just spent all this time and effort and now I have to start all over?” But that’s how we learn. I made my share of rookie mistakes and I’m still learning. Thankfully this mistake did not involve property damage or a preventable.

That sounds like me starting out. I'll be damned if I am going to damage anything. I have taken 30 minutes to back into a door with no trucks nor trailers on either side while I try to figure out whether or not I am actually lined up with the space. Back in the spring, I was just under a year solo, I was at a Target DC and struggled like hell to get the trailer in the door...

No other trucks nor trailers within 3 doors on either side. Wide open spots have perplexed me at times.