Hard docks.......what was the worst docks you had to back into??

I used to deliver to a Goodwill store, that was next to a low income clinic. The docks were tight, but there was enough room, if no one parked in the way. Inevitably, there would be a car parked under the 4'X6' sign on the fence that said NO PARKING. I would leave nasty notes, more than once, someone from the clinic smoking outside would tell me "Oh, that's Dr Smith's car" or similar.

Would you frequent a doctor who couldn't read?

 

I had quite a few that were a PITA when I was pulling reefer, mostly on the east coast. Most should have been done with an LTL trailer and a day cab.

One treat was a tater place in Dallas, Harry Price and Sons. Blind-side in off a 3-lane, 1-way street, with traffic. 2 homeless guys would offer to help and they actually knew what they were doing. 1 guy even had a safety vest and he was the one stopping traffic. Heavy homeless/panhandler area. I gave the guys $5 each for the help and the second time I went there, there they were again and even remembered my name.

 

Back when I worked for Stevens, it was a meat receiver off of Little West 12th street in Manhattan. Had to blindside back it in, with help from the lumpers. Had a taxi driver in a turban yell at me in what I can only assume was Hindi. One of the lumpers yelled back at him in Spanish. The cabbie jumped the curb and nearly ran him over to get around me. This was all after I had to pay $20 to get into Brooklyn on 278 (remember when you could cross a bridge in NYC for $20?), cross the Manhattan bridge and then pay some guy $20 for directions as there was construction blocking the road my original directions on the QC told me to take. The lumpers lightened my wallet another $120 albiet through a comcheck.

Recently it was at the Azar nut company in El Paso, TX with my former employer. This place normally the yard dogs dock your trailer but they were behind and short one yard dog driver. He told me if I docked my own trailer, they'd unload me right away and I could start my weekend. This required me to back in off the street, aim the trailer to the right to manuever around a docked trailer in the dock to my left and into the middle dock, all the while missing the short container in the right dock. I also had to make sure my nose didn't tear off the gas piping in front of the docks. My boss and her husband drove a few minutes later to get my trip paperwork to make out my check. When they saw where I had docked the trailer, they were shocked that I managed to get in without destroying something, lol.

 

Packrat--I believe u mean Maggios around the corner on Washington st(had little w12 address--office was there by Wilmers) place where backed against traffic and blind round the bldg--w/all the meat Rollin carts lined out in the street along the drivers side
well there is sumthin u oughta no if u don't already Stevens and some of the NATL carriers were only ones the made back in--unloaded rezt of uz in middle of street--frankly they just enjoyed ###### w/the newbiez which is what they consider Stevens
Just Sayin--only needed to back there w/swingin since the rails were there--but unloaded sides outside many a time also
Just sayin:

 

Maggios, that's the one!

 

#1: Foxboro Terminals, Foxboro, MA. 14' high retaining wall about 110' from the dock doors, 53' trailers lined up, trying to rub rivets with the two other trailers to make it fit; gave up, got a yard dog to do it for me.

#2: Target? Staples? St. Paul, MN. Underground parking garage, dock built for cabovers and 45' trailers--went in with a 53' and a long nose Pete. It took dropping the trailer and rehooking at another angle both to get it in and get it out. I know it's tough by the amount of concrete eroded from the pillar where you must turn right to set up (so many trailers have hit it, it looks like a concrete-eating beaver has been gnawing on it).

#3: Hotel in Vail, CO. Underground garage, again, and had to drop it and rehook to get it turned around (built for bobtails). Could just pull back out on that one, though.

Been to the caves in MO but got a nice straight pull-up, which is good because I was new and you would all be talking about the guy who collapsed the mine still. LOL

 

Hardest dock i've ever had to back into was the dock at the Kaiser building 300 lakeside oakland ca..... its off the street, sublevel, and with a 48'- you actually have to run your drive wheels up on the small 18 inch curb with about 4-6 inches between your front bumper and the cement wall to the parking lot next door.

I've seen on MANY occasions guys thinking they cant make it in (they weren't trying to go up on the curb).... If i was in a good mood that day, i would walk up to them and tell them they HAD TO drive up on the small curb- sometimes they believed, me, sometimes they'd pull out and deliver from the street!

 

Yep trucks once in have to fold their mirrors in . Next trailer is not going o fit if trucks on both sides do not fold them in . Last few feet you need to fold yours, your mirrors will hit trucks on both sides!