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

As a temp driver I do A considerable amount of contract work driving a yard dog, My opinion is that its part of the job, In some lots they have you park literally inches a part and there would be on way for a regular tractor to raise the dollies.
I also do not readjust the landing gear is if you crank them down hard it will be tough on someone else to raise the legs.
I have no problems pulling them out, I have drivers sometimes ask us to spot them into difficult doors at times. I would rather that as deal with the mess when they miss.
Much faster for me to spot or grab a trailer than wait for a driver having a bad day, and we all have bad days, except those who lie about them.
By all means ask.

 

Amen to this brother. I was a yard dog 4 years with a Ltl freight Co. Got tired of P&d. Overflow freight went on o/o & we told them to drop their trailers on our drop line & we would dock them & pull them when loaded. Would always get Clem Clididlehoppers who would argue about us hooking their trailer. No time for stupid when working a 120 door dock with 2 guys plus hooking our linehaul.

 

Takes a real ####### to slide axle on scale. Ever consider u might break it Gomer.

 

I don't know about others but I would Bid the yard to take a break from local P&D and also for the OT. Gotta buy the youngins shoes & their Mama something nice every now and then.
Op ask the Dog nicely & phrase it with I know ur busy but IF you get a chance would you help me........

 

I’ve been to a place. The front gate tells you it’s tight. If you spend too much time backing to the door. Just drop the trailer. Jostler will put it in.

 

I have been trying to remember where this happened, but can't. I was at a place attempting to do a drop&hook and the clerk used his radio to tell the yard I was coming. When I entered the drop yard the yard dog driver blew his horn and pointed to an area and used his finger in a downward motion indicating drop it here. About 5 minutes later he came back with an empty trailer for me. As I was hooking up and doing my pre-trip he drove quickly by and I said thank you! He smiled and told me no problem because it's easier for me to spot and I don't want anybody else in the area where the empties are. You will be surprised at the number of yard people that are that way. If it will be a long difficult spot, they rather you just drop it and get the heck out of the way. A yard driver can pick up a trailer hook up the red airline within a minute and spot it.

 

Yup. Seen this a few times, and in most of the yards I have seen it, I was more than happy to let the yard dog park my empty.

 

Attitude is everything. When I was a yard jockey, I’d a driver asked me nicely to move a trailer or spot one I’d do it no problem. A lot of times I’d do it right then and there, done in a couple minutes. Having been an OTR driver and being a yard jockey at a tight yard I felt the drivers pain and helped out any way I could. On the other hand, the few drivers that were rude to me got moved to the bottom of the list of my moves.

 

Yard dog runs the sandbox, gotta play nice.