Look out for those that give information or want info.

Mostly for the newer driver...as if I have been driving forever... just a little advise from things I have seen in my short time and I am sure there are many more I won't remember to mention. This has to do with someone coming up to your truck while you at a light, usually at night, guy knows you are going straight down the road but he wants to inform you there is a low clearance or something else ahead and to turn down a street to your right or left. This could be a helpful person but from what I have seen, I think they are usually trying to get you into a street that you can not get out of easily and then do whatever he or they have planned. I had it happen in Chicago one night and once in New York, luckily for me, I had been to these places enough to say to him, oh hey thanks alot, and then continue on my merry way while he stands there with a stupid look in his face wondering why I didn't turn. The best advise is know where you are going before you get there...call the facility if you can, always plot your course by map or trusted knowledge.

Another little bit of info, you may run into those that want to know what you are hauling, sometimes, it is printed on the trailer so it's hard to get past that. If someone asks what you are hauling, tell them some useless crap like used toilet paper or dirty diapers It really isn't none of there buisness to know this stuff, it may just be #### chat or it may be a truck and trailer grab in the making.

We have all seen lumpers, every facility is a little different how they operate, beware of those that come up and want to get paid in cash though...they probably don't work there ! I had a guy try that with me and I told him, that ain't happening, company policy was to have payment set up by arrival. He jumped off the truck and said something like you won't get unloaded then. Then he just walked totally out of the parking lot. When the lumper came out to the truck, I told him what happened, he said the guy trys that two or three times a week, every now and then he gets some money out of someone. Now don't get me wrong...there are some lumpers I have heard of that just do cash for unloading, just know your area before you get there !

I had a guy come to my truck at night and knock on my door waking me up to let me know that my doors on my trailer was open. Well at first, being half asleep and just not thinking, I went to getting ready to hop out and see what the deal was. It came to me, screw it, it isn't worth it...besides I was hauling engines, lets see someone cart off one of those. It was a dark spot in the truck stop, perfect for bs to be going on so I just went back to the bunk. The next thing I know, he is pounding on my truck asking me why I am not checking on my trailer. I went back to the door and said to him, there isn't anything in there worth me getting up. Feeling very suspisous at this point, I dialed 911 and told them what was going on. They showed, amasingly in just 5 minutes, caught the guy still lurking around, talked to him for a bit and then stuck him into the back of the police car. The next morning, I checked, nothing was open, still locked, so I got in my truck and started the only engine that would and took my very alive self down the road. The moral here is, be careful of that sort of thing, we are all aways safeguarding our loads and if I hadn't stopped to think about it or if it had been a better lit area I would have probably have jumped out to see what was going on.

Thats just some of the crazy things that pop into my head, just thought I would put that food for thought out there.

 

It doesn't hurt to be careful, may hurt a lot to be careless !