Rookie Mistake Turning Around

The picture is of a big mistake made by a driver at a stop I made today. This was at Cargill in Dodge City, KS. A few of you may be familiar with this place.

When I pulled up to the entrance, the lane was blocked by this truck and trailer. I couldn’t quite figure out what happened, but it was obvious that the driver had gotten himself into a pickle. I think he could have backed out of it, but nobody got out to help him. I parked and went to see if I could help, but by the time I got there he was already disconnecting from the trailer.

So I learned that the driver didn’t know he needed to hit the scale there before leaving. He was trying to make a U turn to get back in the yard to weigh out. But the space was too tight to turn plus (hidden in the photo, a median with bollards) he couldn’t clear the median with his tandems. To his credit, he stopped before he hit the bollards and went to ask for help. The safety people told him to dolly down and disconnect. They then had a yard driver come and rescue the trailer.

This had a fairly happy ending. No damage to anything. This held up traffic for almost an hour altogether.

I think it was a new driver at this facility for the first time. He made a mistake but had the presence of mind to stop and seek help before any damage could be done. I felt sorry for the driver, I’m sure he was embarrassed, but I’m also sure it was a lesson he will never forget.

Yepper! Very familiar with National Beef in Dodge City. That's a BIG whoops. I would go across to the Love's, grab a shower and then come back to see if it was straightened out.

Laura

This example highlights two things that all new drivers should keep in mind:

1) Driving a big rig is difficult, and you'll be terrible at it for a while. That applies to all of us. Don't let it bother you. You'll make a lot of mistakes. You'll take a long time getting backed into places, get lost too often, and all kinds of stuff. That's the price of entry into this industry. Just keep calm, work through situations and remember the golden rule, which is....

2) Don't hit anything! This situation ends perfectly because no damage was done. It was likely frustrating and embarrassing for the driver, but otherwise completely harmless. They got his trailer clear of the obstacles and he was able to continue on with his day as if nothing happened.

That's how you do it. Soon enough he'll be good enough to avoid that kind of mess. But the only way he'll get the opportunity to improve is to keep his job and keep on trucking. If you keep running into things, you may run out of chances.

Keep your cool and don't hit anything. If you can do that, anything that happens will make for a great learning experience and a great story to tell down the road.

Yeah, Brett, spot on, couldn’t agree more with your comment.

I wish I had been able to stop and talk with this driver. Just the fact that he knew when to ask for help was commendable. There’s no shame in doing that, in fact it bodes well for his future.

That's a BIG whoops. I would go across to the Love's, grab a shower and then come back to see if it was straightened out.

I agree that is quite the happy ending indeed. Valuable lessons learned for that driver and he’ll get to keep on trucking!

What are some essential tips and advice for new drivers in the trucking industry to navigate the challenges and inevitable mistakes that come with driving a big rig .?

Good trip planning, and extensive research on the routes, and your pick up or delivery locations !!

use Google Earth, to see the real image of where you're going. It can be a grief saver, knowing exactly what the place looks like, and where the entry and exit gates/points are. Of course, google images can be older, so not always exactly accurate, but gives a better idea of the places.

And never rush yourself