First major mistake of my career to date...

In short, I pulled out of a dock door on a red light. Here is what led up to it:

I arrived at an Americold warehouse one hour early with a load of produce, and was immediately given a door. This was driver unload, so I backed in, secured my truck and went inside to pull the freight off. Finished in 30 minutes, raised the dock plate and closed the roll up door. Usually I will wait on the dock for the receivers, but this time I went out to the drivers' waiting area. After an hour, the receiving clerk let me know that there was a shortage and that they were waiting for a supervisor to sign off. After another hour, I was handed my paperwork and was good to go. I went out to the truck, kicked out the chock, then got in, started the truck and pulled out. BANG goes the dock plate. (!) I look back and see that the roll up door is open and the red light is on. I walked back and looked in the trailer to see that it was loaded to within 5 feet of the doors.

Turns out that someone made an error and was loading the wrong trailer - MY trailer - with an outbound load. I never checked the dock status light because I had personally raised the dock plate and closed the dock door. I put too much faith in the warehouse staff doing their jobs correctly, and that could have ended badly. Remember that anything can happen, no matter how unlikely.

 

No damage, and no dock locks. Just the light and chocks.

I didn't check the light for several reasons: 1. I personally unloaded the truck and secured the door and dock plate. 2. I was handed the paperwork at the window, signifying that I had been released. 3. The lights at most of the facilities that I pick up and deliver to don't work correctly anyway.

Despite all that, someone found their way into my trailer.