GOAL

They're only following the lead of the yard jockeys who think it's cool to yank on that train horn at 0230.

 

Got inspected by the DOT on a hot day in Florida. (circa 1984) I was hauling pallets of sod with the water pouring out of it. He saw that and pulled me over.

He was hanging on my tank. Told me to blow the horn. I blew the air horns!

Very frustrating stop for him. Upper 90's, humidity off the chart. I sat in my air conditioned cab. I told him I was light on the load. He weighed me with his portable scales, measured my wheel base and told me to go. I asked, "how heavy?" He said, "why?" I told him if I could carry more I was going to do it!

No donut for him that day!

BTW my DM sent out a message "I can't believe only 5 of my drivers backed up today!"

 

guess who tootled his horn in the truckstop last night. i'll give you a hint: it wasn't me.

 

I had a qualcomm message this morning...My DM says he went to the terminal manager and said the drivers think it is a safety issue to beep the horn while backing....dude said to tell them to stop every few feet while backing ..then beep the horn...some crazy ####

 

I have a backup beeper on its way.


Sharing the shipping box with my new oogah horn.

 

Guys Not that I agree with the policy, I think the horn beeping is crazy, but this had to come from the lawyers. After one of ours backed into a guy removing a trailer jack in Spokane, pinched him bad between the truck frame and the trailer, the overthinkers had to ask what are we doing to warn other people we are backing up. The goal deal came as a result of the same accident. The accident is not rumor either, I read the account in the spokane paper with a picture of the Swift truck and trailer.

 

Simple truths.....(just my opinion)

1) A driver that doesn't take the time to GOAL or doesn't have the respect for the property, not to mention the lives, of others, should be FIRED. Simple, direct and the grown-up thing to do. A driver that is not keenly aware of his/her own inexperience and his/her own need to take every reasonable precaution, whether while backing or doing any other driving maneuver, has got to go. We all make mistakes and we are all subject to lapses in attention, but willful disregard is inexcusable. A driver that needs some kind of prompt (like the QC "GOAL" message) to do what is right and prudent doesn't need to be in the driver's seat.

2) Instead of "tooting" the city horn every few feet, try this.......






"GET OUT AND LOOK EVERY FEW FEET!!!!!"




Now, I am NOT good at backing yet. I'm not good at a lot of the things that make for a good, proficient driver, but I'll be ###### if I need someone to tell me to be careful and pay attention while operating a rig.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. The QualCom can be a great tool for instruction. Instead of the daily dose of "don't do this or don't do that", how about some "if you do this you will improve ________________". (fill in the blank. Could be lots of things.) Don't tell me to turn the truck off when it's freezing outside and I need sleep. Instruct me on how the ###### Webasto works. Mine works fine now but I didn't learn how to regulate it, etc. from the very people who are complaining about "high idle" percentage. How tough would it be to tell drivers who have "faulty" Webasto bunk heaters that the heater MUST have return air to work properly. If the cabinet below the desktop (in Volvos) is packed to overflowing or if the return air vent between the bunk platform and the cabinet is blocked, the heater can't "breathe". This is just an example.



"Teach a man to fish......." Okay?

 

Well ladies and gents .......there may be a little message in your driver mail from safety.............lol,think they ARE serious about this one......

 

Oh boy what's next? Sorry guys while I am pulling into a spot at a truckstop I will be #### if I wake everyone up. I agreed to the goal as I should but this has gone two far. Time to stand out in front of terminal with picket signs saying no we wont blow!


Now why don't they just take the more logical approach to backing issues.

GIVE THE DRIVER A SAFETY BONUS!!! Even if it is just a $100 a month that will make some of these people really goal. Most likely 90% or more of drivers are just sending in the message and that is it.

I wish I had time to remember all these new rules but you know what I only have 11 hours to drive a day and it takes every bit of that just to make a decent paycheck. How about saving your money on the quailcomm messages and give the driver a raise or bonus.

Let us do our job safely the way we have been trained to do. Some of us have years of experience and don't need to stop every few feet and blow. WE ain't got time for that when 5 trucks are waiting for you to back up into your spot at a truckstop.

I sure the hell do not want to explain to them why it took me forever to get into the hole!

 

hahaha maybe next they will make a person from safety ride with all of us for a week.hope she is cute...