Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

If the space is tight width wise meaning trailers close on both sides then it is easier to move the tandems all the way to the back. Thus creating less trailer overhang. Where you pivot your tandems is where the edge of your trailer is.

Now if you have a short distance to get into a dock then move your tandems all the way forward. This is also a good trick to do when you go into the cities. Like Philly and NYC. Especially when there are cars parked on both sides of a tight road. This allows for a tighter turning radius forwards and in reverse. Make sure not to move your tandems until you are in the city. You do not want to go through any weigh stations like this. (loaded)
Hope that made sense!

I guess I touched a nerve with the meat loads! My wife and I always felt so bad for the single drivers, it made me mad! Single drivers are out there fighting to survive only to be told by a butcher that they have to take 10 hours before leaving. Hell, you could go haul another load in the amount of time! Of course sometimes it took ten hours to find your trailer in that muddy mess of a parking lot!

OK here's a SUB-THREAD FOR CENTRAL FOLK:

TIGHTEST SHIPPER/RECEIVER YARD DRIVING FOR CENTRAL:

My vote is one of the caves in MO. The Government one. It is ridiculously tight and not just where your tires are but the top of your trailer too.

My second vote is Proctor/Gamble in Ohio. Now that is tight. That is one of the tandem moving parking lots. It sucks too because the trailers are so close you have to crawl underneath of them to put the landing gear down and it takes forever.

Third vote was the Con-Agra. I think it was in Mo. We had a W9 and just couldn't do it. Several times we needed the yard dog there.

 

Some of the more challenging places to back into...

Simmons Foods - Van Buren, AR - Go into the lot and turn around...which is fun all by itself...set up and blindside into the far doors. The only thing that makes this back a little easier is that there is a gap between two of the doors for a stairwell and man-door which gives you just a tad bit more room between trailers.

Bi-Rite - Brisbane, CA - back in off the street, uphill, because you can't turn around inside customers lot...not enough room...2 sightside turns, one from off the street into lot and the other into the door...forget about doors 17 and 18, there's a fence on two sides and if there are trucks in 15 or 16 you can't get in.

Houston Food Bank - Houston, TX - Blindside S-back from the school driveway across the street through 4 lanes of traffic, between 2 road median islands and through a gate to get to one of three doors.

Nestle - Danville, VA - Door 11 is fun...if there is another truck in any door, hug his hood. Gotta pull all the way to the far corner and jack it in. If you don't go far enough into the corner or have enough room to mega-jack it, you'll land on the trailer in door 10.

Forever Blossoms - Miami, FL - If you follow Central's local directions you will end up with the chance to blindside jack into the door or attempt to turn around on some of Miami's most pleasant side streets. Central says go straight through the final stop sign. Don't. Make a right turn and go down to the other end of the building and make a left into the lot. Even if you do that you still can't straighten up the truck in the door with a 53' and still allow traffic around you.

 

You get a copy of everything.

 

Or swing the butt of your trailer into another truck's batwings or side of trailer, which has been done to me on more than one occasion.

 

you must have been sittin 7 days then because it generally takes that long to get the meat out the back door once it goes in the front door. they have to get settled calmed down from the trip then vet checked and schedulded for slaughter then they have to be inspected by the usda and left in a cooler for 3 days i think before its turned into ground round and t bones then packaged and boxed and loaded onto the trailer. theres some vids on you tube search cattle slaughter you just need to have a strong stomach to watch them

 

good luck greg i guess you wont be coming down to run the port then. sounds like you got a good gig.

 

Nope Chompi....
The Government caves in MO is the Space Center. It is tight but not too bad.
The Blast Inc caves are the worst. They are about a mile from space center.

I hated Champaign due to the short distance between the curb and the trucks at doors. The time to load sucked, and the drop lot was way too disorganized and tight.

 

No but I know a guy who quit Central lives in Macon and is looking for "local" work

 

Sitting in the south bound rest area at the 75/474 split. Call him up and have him take me out for supper, would ya?

 

Wow, Central still does "Forever Blossoms". That was like one of the first places we picked up when we drove for Central.