I see this more and more, A guy trying to back into a tight spot in a truckstop and other drivers just sitting in their cab waiting to see if he hits something. What happened to helping a fellow driver? If it were you I bet you would greatly appreciate it.

I've heard this quite a bit lately, and I see it all the time at the TS I sometimes hang out at to chat with drivers. Seems folks would rather see what they think is a newbie wreck a truck or trailer for the laughs instead of helping out and potentially show some good will.

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TexasMike
No place like Texas ...

A few years ago, at a 'self-service' mine up in the mountains (I was hauling gypsum rock they use to manufacture drywall), a guy had his truck stopped on the scale. Apparently he had only used the Johnson Bar to apply the brakes - a big no-no - got out of the truck and went to the 'self-service' scalehouse. He no sooner gets into the scalehouse and the truck starts rolling forward, the Johnson Bar had sprung up. I'm pulling up to the operation about a half hour after this happened and one of our other drivers was telling me the story - laughing at the driver. I mean, this driver thought it was hilarious that this guy's truck rolled forward, off the dirt road and plowed into an embankment and needed a giant loader to pull him out.
I thought about my co-worker's reaction for a few seconds and probably had a big frown on my face - "What's so funny about that?". He responded that the driver was stupid and had it coming to him. I started getting a little - upset - with this driver, I simply didn't see ANYTHING funny about it at all. What's worse is that my co-worker could have STOPPED that truck, or at least yelled at the guy that his truck was rolling, before it got stuck on that embankment, he didn't say a word to this other driver because he thought he "deserved" what was coming to him.
I guess I don't understand drivers today - it definitely didn't used to be that way. Drivers always looked out for one another, it was more like a brotherhood - whether you were in the union or not. I also fail to see the humor or entertainment in watching a truck backing into another truck? They make these big, long trailers and attach long wheel-based tractors to them, the truck stops cram as many parking holes as they can in those places making it a very tight fit at best.
I doubt it's ever going to get any better.....

I always try to give the driver backing up some assistance. I guess thats just the kindness in me.......

I guess I'm a hipocrit, but in a good way. I help them if they are listening but I never listen to anyone trying to back me. The only time I've ever hit anything backing is when someone was backing me up.

i quit helping drives get backed into places they was having problems with last fall when i was at the krogers DC in woodlawan OH. werner driver was having problems backing in the dock (really tight an not much room to manuver) while im helping the driver he is gettin frustrated (wich i understand an try to look past that) then gets an attitude with me an starts cussin me cause im not helping him good enough. at that point i told him what i though an walked back to my truck. after 45 mins he finnaly got into the dock after hitting 2 trailers an a pole!! this is not the first time a driver has given me attittude while im helping them. but that werner driver made it the last time ill help someone!!!

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TOMBSTONES DONT TALK BACK

I wonder if that's the same Kroger warehouse I'm thinking about. It was ten years ago so I don't recall the exact location, but one of those Kroger DC's has an unbelieveable setup.

The building is at an angle to an overgrown chainlink fence. The doors at one end have plenty of room while the doors at the other end are pretty much unuseable except by the yard jockeys. Of course, the door I was assigned that day was the one with no room--and I was driving a borrowed stretched-out W900 with a turning radius of seven football fields!

One of the yard jockeys sat there and watched while I wrestled the wheel on that big 'ol KW for the better part of 15 minutes, trying to get it in the door--my arms felt like rubber! After he'd had his fun, he came over and told me to just drop it... he'd put it in. He laughed and said he just wanted to see if I could do it with that long old beast.

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This is NOT the Daytona 500... you don't win a prize for being first.

i dont mind helping if im asked to. never mind someone asking me questions i cant stand myself someone talking to me whiule im backing distracts me too much and i dont want to be a distraction to others.

I mostly see a group of drivers crowding up and watching. Then they look dissapointed when i don't smash the truck next to me.

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That is trucking today, remember when if you was broke down on the side of the road you weren't alone 5 minutes without another trucker stopping an offering assistance, and the trucks that went by not only got over so as not to rock your wagon or chance hitting you but were also on the radio asking if you were ok?
or going up a hill they had the courtesy to get in the granny lane if they were going slow so as to let you pass?
In general,watching out for each other,it was part of being a trucker,today is different no one sticks together in this profession to help each other and even take glee in another truckers misfortune, sad to say the IS the main problem with trucking today