backing

what, now we have to wait an additional five minutes for someone to back in?..lol..GOD forbid if they are new to using a keyboard on a qualcomm..oh yea, it just gets better.

 

Thank you

 

Oh lord just what I need more noise late at night when I am trying to back between two trucks at a truck stop. Why waste the money when all people have to do is just GOAL. Save that money and give me a safety bonus.

Its simple get out and look and back slowly. Watch your mirrors and look for anyone trying to cross behind you. Use common sense and stay off the throttle when backing.

After a year or so those backup alarms on most of the trailers will stop working and be a waste of money in the long run. Spend the extra money on APU's or something that will actually benefit the driver.

Increase the number of days backing at the schools instead of all the classroom time that can be done in orientation. Have Mentor's focus on safe backing procedures because most of the students I have talked too say that they may have backed up a total of five times or less the whole 240 hours.


No matter what you do there will always be accidents when backing up and sending a goal message every time does not make me any safer. I am a professional driver and I know when to get out and look and when I do not need to. My job is to drive the truck and get the freight there on
time and in a safe manner and that is what I do.

You may state that accidents have dropped since the required GOAL message started but I guarantee you that there are a lot of drivers who just type it in and hit send and never get out of there truck.

Continue with the safety messages about backing sent over the qualcomm because I think these help and this is probably why you are seeing a drop in backing accidents. I don't think it has anything to do with sending out a goal message because like I said probably most drivers are just sending the message and that is it.

More training in backing is what is going to make a difference and that should be your main focus. If you are hiring tons of students then you can expect I higher rate of backing incidents therefore more training is needed.

I hate to see a company waste money on things when their drivers are just barely scraping by. A safety bonus of $25 to $100 a month will make drivers think about safety when backing more than any message you require them to send.


My honest opinion you are going about this the wrong way and before you decide to waste 100's of thousands of dollars on something that will eventually cause you more problems than what it was worth you need to start listening to the experienced drivers the people who actually drive the truck!

 

I think they have implemented a few of your suggestions. I went to Millington and they made us have 35 hours behind the wheel doing nothing but backing before they let us go on to road training. They told us we were the first class with that requirement. I think it helped a lot cause my mentor was surprised at how well I backed from the start. Also with mentors you have to do at least 40 backs before you can upgrade. Of course how many will just fill out the sheet and lie about how many you did is another story but that has to be really hard for Swift to police. In the end its not rocket science, if you are the least bit not sure where you are and whats behind you get out and look.

 

where i work, we did the smith system, and they enforce it big time. we dont have backup alarms but r required to blast the horn a lot, and if ur not sure use the GOAL, certain amount or backing accidents can get u terminated from my company

 

Hmm, not a bad idea. Maybe I'll go down to the Pilot in town and start doing this. I'd have to charge an extra $1.00 per horn honk, $5.00 per G.O.A.L., think I'll get any business?

 

That IS funny, but sad.
backing is one of the more difficult physical tasks in this profession in my eyes. It is also one of the ones i (usually) enjoy most.
I guess it provides me with more of a feeling of accomplishment than most other parts of my job (ie, static situation. stationary objects with just me to deal with)
As I have stated probably numerous times in the past, I do not mind getting out of my truck and helping guide another driver in..
AS LONG AS I see them GOAL at least ONCE.
if you don't get out, you are on your own , PERIOD

 

Since the hub bub of us having to send "Goal" and honk our horns began, I have been aware of drivers around me blowing horns before backing. Not Swift drivers, all other drivers. It is probably because I am just more aware of our company's rule concerning this, but just today at two different loading docks and one truck stop in the Houston and La Porte areas, I witnessed no less than 10 drivers, non Swift, honking before backing. It has probably always been going on, but I just never noticed before. The one Swift that backed into the spot at the truck stop right next to me did not. Just an observation.

 

Hey now, I did not create this policy! And I asked the safety guy the same question about drivers typing GOAL and not actually doing anything, and he said he didnt know, because nobody that had done it has had a backing accident!

Now, I agree it is stupid. But you know what? It seems to be working. And since you wanna bring up "professional drivers", well, seems we tried it that way, and after team drivers kept backing into their co-drivers it was decided something needed to be done.

So bring your information to your terminal. Bring your facts and figures. Go to your terminal manager, to your safety manager. Tell them why we need to stop doing this. Why we dont need to put those stupid backup alarms on trucks.

Now, having said this, YES I think its stupid. If I was a driver I would be offended as hell, and I would not do it. I would refuse. But thats just me, I am a hard-headed cuss about these things.

But... but I really cannot dispute facts. Statistics dont lie my friend.