backing

So every time you back up you're supposed to send a message saying GOAL and then you're supposed to beep every few seconds. ####### pencil pushers obviously don't understand that when you treat your employees like idiots you end up with idiots for employees.

And I'm not calling anyone an idiot, except for the idiots that come up with these silly knee jerk reaction rules. No wonder the older guys blame the mega's for the state of the industry.

 

I will blow my horn once as I start to back-up, if people are around, except in a truck stop.More if I think it is needed.

 

Well now that certainly makes sense. Look at it this way. Your horn is on the FRONT of your truck, ie your tractor. But if you are backing up, the first thing that is gonna run over somebody is the BACK of your trailer. Anybody else see this?

Hey, I think I will invent a remote horn that is placed on the back end of the trailer. And then the driver can sound it as they are driving forward. . .

 

Well, I will explain it to this way. Sound radiates out from it's source in a broadening pattern,, refects off objects, etc. In other words some of the sound { certainly not all of it } scatters around 360 degrees. If you are standing near the rear of my trailer, and I blow my horn, and you do not hear it, I doubt if you will pass your next hearing test.
Too many people do not pay attention to their surroundings, and I have learned to compensate for those who do not think very well.

 

Just take one of them back up beepers and wire it to go off when going fwd instead of reverse. Shouldn't bother you since you'll be in front of the ##%&*( noise.

 

This morning about 0500 I was backing out of my parking spot. As usual, I nose-in whenever I can. "Whenever I can" means whenever I've got plenty of room to basically straight line back out of the spot. Anyway, as I was backing out I thought about this "beeping" idea Swift is promoting. I just couldn't get myself to do it. Ya see, I didn't know when the drivers parked beside me had shut down. They weren't there when I shut down so it's just possible that one or both of them had shut down very recently and had just gotten to sleep. Maybe not, but I just had to think about how I would feel if I had just dozed off and some nitwit newbie beside me started beeping his little horn. I thought, "Hum, that would piss me off!"
So, instead of beeping, I used three other strategies. Here they are...

1) I backed very slowly.
2) I focused intently on ALL my mirrors...yep, all 6 of them.
3) Even though I was 99% certain that I would not damage anyone's property, I got out and looked a couple of times just to be sure.

I realize that these are novel ideas and I'm surprised that no one but me has ever thought about them, but, let me tell you...THEY WORK!!

Try it next time you back and tell 'em Oldnew sent ya!

 

But, I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

 

i was told with the goal message--sposed to put the place/city/state where your backing...

Im with you on the horn thing--gonna piss off alot of folks...

 

sooooo thats what all that beeping was about in the TS last night! One more reson to do your research and pick a good company to go work for......less stupid rules.



American Trucker

 

As I mentioned in my post on the "Goal" thread, I was taught during schooling and training to toot the horns before backing. Although I actually haven't done so in the last year, it does actually make good safety sense...within reason.

Now here is the thing....YOU HAVE TO THINK OUT THERE PEOPLE! Every situation is gonna be different, every back different. Are you gonna toot the horn EVERY time you back up? NO! Like everyone is saying, that's only gonna get somebody p!ssed at you. You have to use discretion. If you are at shipper or a dock, chances are pretty small that you're gonna wake someone up. So give the horn a quick toot and back it up. I know Swift says to beep every few seconds, but screw them, that is just being ridiculous. That much is completely unnecessary. If you are in a truck stop, again, use your head. If it is daytime, a couple quick toots would be fine. No need to blast the horns. I just tap the button a couple times and stick it in the hole. Now if it's getting late or is really early still, don't do it, be considerate.