Refusing a back.

There wasn't much room in front. And several "drivers" refused to back in until the other truck was unloaded, holding up everything. I don't wait.


And I didn't. If you try, you can do it. If you don't try, you'll never learn.

 

Yup. It's easy as hell to say "I can't..." and never try. The only way to get better is to push your own limits.

Look the situation over and get a mental image of where the truck and trailer need to be. Take it slow. Doesn't matter if you get out and look 1000 times...you won't look like a rookie unless there's a "crunch".

And as for "my wheelbase is too long" or "my truck doesn't turn well", those are bullcrap excuses. My truck is a 240" wheelbase set-forward axle Mack that needs a 40 acre field to pull a u-turn. Seriously. Pulling a 39' end dump, I can cut the wheel all the way and drive in circles and my trailer will never pivot on it's axles. I still take it anywhere the customers need their stuff. I've been in & out of places company drivers in their <200" wheelbase set-back axle trucks that turn on a dime have refused because "it's too tight". Grow a pair and do your job.

 

Joseph those are the ones I hate going into, a black hole for a dock and you know in order to hit it right you have to pretty well be touching the doors of the trailer beside you. Makes it eve more fun with reefers ... at least it wasn't blind side also ...

 

so this building was recessed and drop dock. No lights inside. Till I was in the dock. They had it dark for me to see my marker lights. And a canal in front of the dock entrance.

Had my fill of them

 

The Show Must Go On ... Unless you really cannot back in what so ever

 

Thats a cool story about your 240" most likely a CH mack with 39' dump. Unless the city of Camden tore down the building in front of the dock and the light pole next to it as well your gonna have a bad time in a 53 with 265 wb and your gonna hear that "crunch" your talking about. It was #### near impossible for a single axle with a 45' to wedge in, I know because I helped him in.
The load was not refused, unloaded it on the street and pallet jacked freight to the tail. Or like places with no docks backed a box truck to the tail and transfered freight, or lastly deliver to ltl co. Who would then make delivery in appropriate sized trailer.
You have not seen every dock there is buddy don't let your grapefruit sized "pair" do the talking because your ignorance is showing.

 

now you know it isn't any fun until it's a blindside lol some great examples being shown here for the OP of situations he will face at some point if he hasn't already

this one was in the middle of downtown, one street off main street.......just getting there was an adventure but then it's also a one-way street so no choice but blindside.

one of those I mentioned in my earlier post to the OP that you just have to stop, pull the 4 ways, get out and assess. pole and brick column on the left, not a dock to the right but an office that was added as an afterthought that stuck out into the dock area and the manager's car parked in there as well and she's nowhere to be found to move it. pic is from the opposite sidewalk so that's the max room to maneuver.

slide the tandems all the way back, find the pivot point and center it in the hole and then use all the space available including the sidewalk in front to straighten up and walk it in....and get out and look about 20 times as you hold up traffic and make sure you don't hit anything in the process.

just as important as getting in with some of these places is getting out. due to the swing on the column and pole just left the tandems back and used the sidewalk in front to get out then slid them up once I was back out in the street.

 

This is one I hit a couple times a week, not really that bad but it's a 3 truck dock and the idiots always have their spare trailer in the middle, I typically wait 20+ minutes every friggen time a truck hits that place. Watching them Austin Powers back and forth into the thing. Not saying I hit it instantly the first time like I do now, because I didn't, but scary how bad some guys are with this thing. Just gotta go in drastic as hell and cut all the way to get back under yourself, seems most guys try to turn "nicely" and make it look smooth or something, no room for that crap! Especially since thier no room in front of you at all, whoever built this place is a douche. Then of course once your straight you go blind as hell because there like a 7 watt light in that thing.

 

There are a few situations where I've told them it can't be backed into a certain spot. But, it's a little bit different when you have a top-heavy 80,000lb. machine sitting on the trailer. There are side-slopes and dips that you don't want to attempt with large machinery because it can put you far enough off the center of gravity that you risk turning over. Regarding non-heavy haul, I don't think there's been a time I've refused backing into a dock or loading bay.

 

Great post! I have had those back in's where all I could think of right away was WTF????? I was never the best backer out there. (still not) But I kinda make things work some way or another without taking out lives and property. Luckily, I only get those once in a while, and ended up laughing about it a few hours later. NYC and Philly were some of my toughest moments with a 53' trailer. But, I think you are wrong on one point. Not everyone can do this job due to it's unique situations and stressful situations. I know plenty of college grads who would be traveling northbound on any given interstate and turn right off the ramp without realizing that they are heading east.