What would you do?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by TripleSix, Jun 7, 2021.

  1. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    BS. Your opinion is no less valid than anyone else’s, especially you’re smart enough not to do what this other driver did, or you know how to correct it.
     
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  3. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    First time, I would help.

    Second time, I probably would help again, but I would be quite conflicted about it. Sometimes people need to learn the hard way, but I would prefer to do without the extra scrutiny from law enforcement that could arise from some idiot dropping a high hooked trailer with my company’s name on it in the middle of the highway somewhere.
     
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  4. mpd240

    mpd240 Road Train Member

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    People only value your opinion if it means something. It’s got nothing to do with your gender.
     
  5. Brettj3876

    Brettj3876 Road Train Member

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    Didn't read any of the other posts. I would help him the 1st time. Explain to him the last driver may have had tall rubber so the wagon could be higher than his LP22.5s. Back under the 5th wheel a bit, pull the knob, hop out and make sure you're not gonna high hook/over shoot it. Tell him to get into a system and follow the system so that doesn't happen again.

    I personally always get out and check before fully committing. One of our trucks has LP 22.5 and the other tall 24.5 so it's ingrained in me to always get out and look.

    2nd time happening that's on him 100%
     
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  6. Dockbumper

    Dockbumper Road Train Member

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    That is a "maneuver" that should only take once. I have not done it.....yet.....never say never. Although I did pull out once with the landing gear down about 6 months in. For the life of me I could not figure out what that sound was. It was just high enough that it wasn't constantly dragging. I was at a big WM DC. It took me several hundred feet of driving to finally pull over and get out and look. I'm sure It caused more than a few laughs as I got out and raised the landing gear.
     
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  7. Mototom

    Mototom Road Train Member

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    Stuff that really bothers me when it comes to helping people is real simple.
    If I’m helping you back up, you can goal I don’t trust strangers either.
    But if you’re completely clueless like one CFI driver was dont completely ignore what I’m saying when you obviously have NO idea.
     
  8. Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    Not quite the same situation... but one time when I was yard dogging we had an intermodal driver come in and drop his loaded can without cranking the landing gear down. He tried to save it but it came down on his frame/drive tires and there was nothing he could do. I came upon him as he was out trying to crank it up. This was a hot day and the guy was probably pushing 400 lbs. I jumped out and cranked the trailer up for him because he was on the verge of collapsing on the pavement.

    This had nothing to do with me being nice (although I am usually pretty nice), mostly I just didn’t want a 400 pound corpse blocking my docks lol.

    Now would I help this guy again if he came back a week later and did the same thing? Meh...Idk, probably. But I wouldn’t be as nice about it the second time.
     
  9. Kyle G.

    Kyle G. Road Train Member

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    I can’t speak for all of them, but I was a yard dog for a few years and I absolutely would never do this. But I did have a bit of otr experience before getting into it so I guess I kinda knew what the drivers expected and always tried to go above and beyond to accommodate them.

    Many yard dogs frankly are just complete idiots, and inexperienced ones at that. And a lot of your facilities have docks and drop lots that have different terrain, some are level, some are not, some have pads, some don’t, etc. A trailer may sit right in the dock but will sit a foot too high once they set it down on the pad. But your stupid drivers won’t realize the difference so they just unhook and drive off. I have had to train and retrain a lot of yard dogs on how to properly drop a trailer. Some just didn’t get the concept.
     
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  10. Eldiablo

    Eldiablo Heavy Load Member

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    I leave the legs where they are. If your fellow company drivers leave them jacked to the sky how is that the yard dogs fault. You might need to talk to your co workers. I don’t know who’s coming in to pick up what trailers.
     
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  11. FozzyNOK

    FozzyNOK Road Train Member

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    Unless its a revenge move on some driver who pulled something idiotic.. NO yard jockey touches the landing gear.. with over a hundred moves on most shifts.. there isn't time AND the equipment that they use makes it unnecessary and takes too much time that they don't have. But of course in the world of victim truckers who would never admit that they are lust lazy sacks of worthless meat and can't be bothered to get their arses out of the truck to check their fifth wheel height. They high hook because like far too many other things.. they're lazy.
     
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