A lot of the bad things that have happened to me have been my own fault.

Hi everyone, I don't post a whole lot, here, but this is a more appropriate forum for this, then my other forum.

I'm fairly new to this, but not brand brand brand new anymore. I've made enough mistakes now to where I can say I have a little experience. That's essentially what experience is, making mistakes or having a few close calls. Now the mistakes I have made, have all worked out in the end I guess, but please learn from my mistakes especially you new guys like me who instead of going over the road are starting your careers at Beer, Coke, Pepsi or Sysco Foods companies like that.

Some of this stuff you wont fully be able to appreciate until it happens to you, but #1 if you have to go to some place that is kind of tight remeber that trailer off tracks if you have to go to some place that is tight or you don't think you can make it through the whole way or don't know, do not do not pull into that lot. I have gotten my self into trouble pulling into lots that I should not have pulled into. Drive around the block again if you have to throw on the four ways park in the street heck when it's safe to do so and you can do it make a U turn, but for the love of God do not pull into that lot. This also goes for you guys driving straight trucks same applies if your in some Class B straight truck especially the tandem axle ones and your cargo box is one of the big 28' or 32' foot long straight trucks, your in the same boat, I've been in situation where tractor trailer nor straight truck were going to make it through.

Second and I've done this and so will you, and it's easy to do especially when you have a lot of stops on and your running like crazy moving fast trying to get things done and this is something you will get better at, but it takes time I've made this mistake multiple times and you will too, but for the love of God double check your pick sheets. The worst thing in the world is getting to your last stop and realizing you shorted a customer 3 stops ago a case or two of something and have to go back. I kick my self kick my self every time that happens it's happened to me and it will happen to you I can almost bet on it, but really try to watch out and be careful about it, however that is something though that is inevitable you will make that mistake. Espcially if you work at like Sysco and have a route that does all chain restaurants and there all the same and you deliver the Morse street restaurants order to the Williams street restaurant, yeah that does happen and it's a big mess to clean up and it's a very embarrassing phone call to management when it happens.

Also if you are using an electronic pallet jack anywhere around a lift gate, be careful, you can very very very easily launch an electronic pallet jack off of a lift gate, take the extra time to familiarize your self with the pallet jack and how it operates. I almost launched mine off of the lift gate of one of our company straight trucks, thank god nothing came of it, but it wasn't fun.

Second if you are using an electronic pallet jack anywhere be careful, those things can get away from you very very quickly it does not take much. If you are on an elevator with an electronic pallet jack don't even touch the thing until the doors are open and your at your floor if you have to take the key out of the pallet jack and hold it in your hand. The last thing you want is that jack to go through the elevator doors and cause thousands of dollars worth of dammage and you are stuck in that elevator for 4 hours while they are trying to get it fixed to get you out.

Second backing, when you come to a tight gas station and you think humm that car is sticking to far out , I probably shouldn't back in, then don't back in. I one time scratched the bumper of a car because I thought I could make the maneuver and I couldn't. Don't try to be a hero.

Also securing the truck and your belongings. A lot of these companies will have you do this terrible thing called C.O.D meaning Cash on Delivery. I am living living proof because this happened to me and it's happened to a lot of other people, but try to secure the truck the best you can. Today someone got into my truck and stole my bank bag. They got my house keys, my car keys my company cell phone (it was an el cheapo flip phone I never used it) and my medical card and some checks from deliveries I had made. Now here's the thing, the checks you can put a stop payment on those, and my personal stuff, well, it wasn't worth anything. However it cost me a lot of time, and I had to phone it into management and now what happened was I made a whole lot of work for everyone else and my self.

Here's the thing I know some of these trucks don't have the best locking mechanisms on them, but lock your passenger door always always always had I had mine locked today that might had made all the difference in the world. If you can lock both doors do it, if you have safe like my truck throw all the checks and cash into the safe I did one out of two today and that's why today wasn't worse, but throw everything you have in the safe and hide your personal stuff the best you can, I keep my wallet on me at all times, same with my telephone and my company handheld computer. If your drivers side locking mechanism doesn't work or is jammed, then okay here's what you do make sure all the company money is secure in the safe everything, hide your stuff the best you can and then take the key of the truck with you. That way you know okay stuffs in the safe so even if your stuff is stolen the companies property is safe and that to me is almost more important. I travel light but heavy. My work bag has mostly crap in it, the only thing worth anything is my truck GPS the rest of the bag isn't worth anything, I keep my wallet on me you should to.

Also when you have a company computer or handheld, those pieces of equipment are very costly do not lose them. One guy once said to me "Ever since they told us if we lose our scan gun we will have to replace it with our own money, I've kept mine so close that I could have fathered a child with it."

Look all the things that were bad that happened to me were all common sense things that should have been avoided. I like to think of my self as someone who is practical and conscientious, however I am human and humans are not always rational thinkers everybody has there moments and I've made mistakes. The trick is though making sure your mistakes are small and you learn from those. Trust me when you get into delivery you will have days when you are pushed to your absolute limit and you will also have days when you are pushed over your limit. I've had those, there not fun, but they can be bareable, because as long as nothing gets stolen out of the truck, the truck it self is okay and you didn't get into any trouble, and I'm not talking screwing up an invoice or something, that's nothing you can get that fixed at the end of the day, trust me I've screwed up an invoice or two and you will as well although I will say this about that, a paper work error now and then is forgivable, if you come back to the yard everyday with screwed up invoices and paper work management will have a talk with you. That is actually one that I have tried very hard to be vary conscientious about I really try to be through when doing paper work, because it helps immensely on the back end of the day when you want to go home.

Like I said a lot of the bad things that have happened to me were my fault and should have and all have been avoided every single last one of them. Now at the same time, miss picking, while that can be avoided, that is going to happen, you will do it. That is not a matter of if, but when.

Anyhow I'm done, thank you
Mike

 

I can't imagine how many people you just helped. Thank you for taking the time to impart your experiences. It's invaluable.

 

I would only add that house keys and car keys should be in your pockets and your medical card should be in your wallet and the cell phone should be in a holder on your belt. money belongs in a bank bag and nothing else.

but everyone has screwed up when they are new and learning, anyone that says otherwise is full of it.

 

Or you could just not bother and get a non-driving job.
Fifty million problems solved in one fell swoop right there.
Surprise! Life doesn't have to be a constant struggle...

 

Be organized, stay focused and don't hurry. This will save you alot of grief and embaresment.

 

That's the bottom line right there never rush. Nothing good comes of that, in fact that's how you screw up.

 

and keep a condom in the wallet,because that first kid you have,that you never see, has a momma that wants money.So I tell my other son that his brother from another went running down mommas leg..

 

At first glance I thought..."i'm not reading this, too long"...............I'm glad I did!!!

Well presented, kudos to you!!

 

Outstanding! Thank you. Im as 'green' as green can get and this is GREAT info.

 

Screw ups + survival = EXPERIENCE! The longer you do the job, the more "EXPERIENCE" you will gain. And yeah, almost all "bad things that happen" to us, are our own fault. Kind of takes a mature individual to admit their screw ups and not try to come up with some flimsy excuse.

Good job, Mike!