Is it doing too much to ask a yard dog to pull a trailer for you

I agree with this 90%. Most of the time if someone got it in there, you should be able to get it out.

The exceptions:

• There is another trailer physically blocking yours (ie your trailer was spotted, then another trailer was put next to it at an angle so the corners overlap, or the other trailer is too far forward and a sleeper can't make the swing)
• There is not space between the trailers for the dolly handle to go around.
• You cannot get enough leverage to get the crank handle to engage.
• The trailer is not level side to side - ie passanger side is on the frame rail while the drivers side is about the the 5th wheel. No chance of raising that if it's loaded.
• When the trailer has sunk and the more you crank, the more it sinks.
• When it is obvious if you try and hook you will get stuck (which happens more frequently with these #*!@#$%! automated transmissions).

If I do need to ask the yard jockey I make sure I am polite and wait patiently. Their job sucks. It's "hurry up and wait", they're dealing with everybody's cruddy equipment, hunting for trailer #5634 which is supposed to be in spot B36, but B36 is vacant and after looking thru the whole yard find 5639 in spot d36. When they call the clerk to ask the clerk responds "i told you d36 and 5639, pay attention dummy."

As to trailers getting dropped high - I drop my trailers at the right height - look at my fairings.



I also know our yard guys had to crank the trailers up when dropping them in the dock this winter. The area under the dock plates was sheet ice so if they didn't have space between the plate and the apron the trailer would ride the plate. Only an inch or so, but enough the dock workers couldn't lock the trailer in.

 

At the Jefferson Chrysler plant (Detroit) the yard dog had limited space. Would put trailers 3" from each other in the empty lot. I would find the correct empty (it might have been in different lots) then go ask the yard guy to pull it forward so I could get to the landing gear.
Never had a problem doing it, or at least never acted like he did.

 

Maybe I’m just living right, but 90 percent of the yard dogs I talk to are friendly and helpful.

 

Like all drivers, depends on what kind of day they are having.

 

We have (5) yard tractors and one is , daily, at an electronics warehouse, second shift.
not unusual for him to move and re-fill most of the doors.

One guy who didn't like it complained that after having a list of 160+ moves, they would run out a few hours later and give them another 40 - 50 moves...

 

Hey now EZ , I'll go out of my way to help a driver , always have always will a soda always is nice.
Most guys are pissed cause the spotter on the previous shift left 10 moves on the clipboard or slept all day , we weed the drama out fast.
All I.ask is "DONT SLIDE AXLES ON OUR SCALE!!"

 

I have asked a yard dog here and there for help, but typically it's my baby. The picture above I as actually ended up needing their assistance because I couldn't pull the trailer out of the spot as it was too close to the building with the 2 trailers beside it so close. By polite, and understand that their assisting you is a favor, not their job requirement.

 

Wait, what happened? What, you couldn't get to the handle because the trailers were too close? I've already been on my knees, cranking the handle a half turn at a time in low gear. Most, not all, yard jockey's, aren't truck drivers. They are dock workers that pulled the short straw and have to move a wagon, and they, like their dockworker buddies, hate their job, and only do what's required, and helping a road driver, is not part of their job. That, in my book, would be the definition of a "schmoe".

 

No, I got the handle taken care of doing the under trailer crawl, not the first time for that particular pain in the rear situation. My situation was with how close to the building they had dropped I couldn't pull forward far enough to start the turn with my tractor and not have trailer swing hitting the trailer adjacent.

 

Just ask... If they say no waive a $20 that always seems to work