Refusing a back.

Generally it is possible to make almost any kind of backing maneuver or forward maneuver ... but some are just impossible. When they are impossible it is up to the owner where you are delivering to ... to make some kind of accommodation for the maneuver to be accomplished successfully ... otherwise they simply go out of business or take delivery elsewhere. Once had to pick up some gamma and omnicrom at a place in Cleveland. Took one look at the place and declared it impossible ... no one and I DO mean no one could possibly make those turns. The place had been set up in the 1920s when trucks were ALOT shorter. Went to the owner and when he saw my face he said not to worry and they would take care of everything ... it'll be a cake walk. What they did was to put a greased up skid plate placed at a 45 degree angle on the wall of every corner. I would pull the tandems up on the greased skid plate and then two forklifts would raise the other side of the trailer and the whole rear end would slide out far enough to make the turn. Most god-awful tight spots I've ever been in, but the owner knew in advance it couldn't be done without the skid plates and the forklifts ... learned from that that there is definitely more than one way to skin a cat.

 

Deep breath. Its only going be another spot. Or another blind side backup. Or recessed dock in a building.


Like FM said, google earth can put you at you location. Scope it out. Find then best way in. Ya might even catch a truck in the dock.

Throw your flashers on , get out scope your area of work. Be smarter than what your working with.
What's the saying.

"Don't give the ####### the benefit of the doubt". The guy on the phone, dispatcher.

 

I had problems this winter hitting a dock that may see one T/T a week, box trucks the rest of the time. I asked how other drivers did it and was told to put my nose up in the far corner of the lot and jack it in. The problem was the guy who had plowed their parking lot pushed all the snow up in the far corner and I was short about 6 feet of critical maneuvering space. I gave the guy on the dock the option of spending the better part of an hour watching me try to hit the door or bring out the forklift and pallet jack and I'll be gone in 20 minutes. He chose the fast option.

One I DID refuse was a small (about 20 cases of Christmas fruitcakes) LTL delivery to an office park that had a "No Trucks Allowed" sign on the street. The customer told me that "trucks do it all the time", and I said "but I'm not". They customer was pissed that they had to meet me at a nearby parking lot, so I gave my FM a heads up and that was the last I heard about it.

 

thats the single most important tool I have for final approach planning. Just as important as the atlas is for enroute planning. If I'm going in somewhere for the first time, it's the first thing I check and I study it thoroughly. Much to be learned from a good satellite view of both the area around and the actual place you're going.

 

I had one once that I attempted and then refused. I took a look at where I was going to have to get to the house with these prefab walls and told them there was not enough room. I could get the trailer into the driveway but I could not swing the nose of the tractor around because of the trees. I tried 5 different times with the same results.

The guys on site just could not understand why I could not back up to the crane because the truss guy did it. I was driving a 2001 Wester Star with the 82" sleeper and a 53 foot tri axle stepdeck. They said all the guy did was slide his axles forward.... Well Duhhh! Shorter trailer, daycab and sliding axles really helps in this situation. Hell I could not even pull up into the driveway because the trailer off tracked into the trees.

I finally said enough is enough and you are just going to have to move the crane. If they had done that in the first place I would have been unloaded by then.

Good thing none of them are brain surgeons.

 

Some of these situations are why every driver should keep bungi cords to keep flaps tied up to clear curbs if necessary. Or remove the tractor flap hanger if it just drops into a holder like many do.

 

In close to 8 years of driving if there is a will there's a way... And every time I put that boy in the proper hole... 99% of the time any shipper/receiver you go to has had another driver do it so you are expected to get in that dock/hole... I've had it to where I have had to back in and #### my tractor a complete 90 degree angle so I wouldn't slide off the side of the hill...


As far as backing down to a customer for not being able to "back" the one thing the customer will do is find a company who doesn't cry about it....

Ive been at it close to 8 years and can Honestly say I love to come up to the "Delivery" or "pickup" that's going to challenge me...

Make me actually work!!!! I normally come out swinging!!!!Get Er Done Truck driver!!!

Who cares about GOAL... Every professional good driver uses GOAL...

Its either Get out and look or stay in and tear up

You choose...

 

U are the driver, you make the call when you leave. It's your responsibility . If you don't think you can make it without damage, don't do it. Call your Boss/Dispatcher and tell them it's out off the range off your possibility's. They may tell you, a hundred driver did it before you without damage, doesn't matter.....if you think you can't do it, don't do it. It's that simple. You are a new Driver without a lot off experience,so what is the problem to tell your boss/dispatcher exactly that. If you do it and do any damage, guess what your Boss/Dispatcher will say ?!?!?!? WHY THE HECK DID YOU DRIVE IN THERE? WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME YOU CAN"T MAKE IT..................?

 

and if he does damage? then what?

 

At the end of a long day on a three stop run I had to back into a building 8 feet off the curb. Cars parked on the opposite side of the street. Nose of the Freightliner was in the street when I finally bumped the dock.

Then I saw the dock workers laughing. I had not opened my doors! Had to pull out and do it all over again... This time with thick reefer doors making the trailer more wide and blocking more of my view.

Mikeeee