Is this a hard dock, or am I being a wuss?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Getsinyourblood, Oct 4, 2014.

  1. Getsinyourblood

    Getsinyourblood Road Train Member

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    I changed jobs about a month ago. Really like the company and the equipment and the manager. I am happy except for one freggin' thing. And that is the dock of the customer I deliver to. It is a small area to have to set up and back in. It is a 90 degree back in. Sometimes I will spend 15 minutes or longer trying to squeeze a 53 ft dry box into this hole. My trailer tandems are about all the way up and my fifth wheel on the tractor is all the way up, too. I make the unit as short as I can.

    It is the tightest dock I have ever had to deal with. When my hole is surrounded by two dropped trailers with no tractors attached, the back in is pretty manageable.

    However, if my hole is surrounded by two trailers with attached tractors, it is almost freakin' impossible. When I do get it in, my trailer/door misses the next guys tractor by about two inches. And when my trailer/door is this close to the guys tractor, my right front steer tire is against a curb. I refuse to run over the curb with my steer tire because I don't believe in running over curbs to back a trailer in, and also I am also afraid the trailer will lean and hit the guys tractor.

    Sometimes I pull off and refuse to back in there. The very young warehouse manager raises cane when I refuse. We are starting to have testy arguments when I refuse to back in this dock. When I refuse, the warehouse manager makes the yard man back the trailer in, but he gets pissed when I force him to do that.

    This warehouse uses a Hostler tractor and a full time yard man to back in their trailers. This manager thinks a Hostler tractor and a Conventional/Sleeper tractor are the same thing and can do the same thing. He knows nothing.

    Anyway, when the trailer does get in the dock by me or the yardman, I come back 3 hours later and the trailer is unloaded and re-loaded for the return trip.

    Here is another illustration of how tight this dock is. I came back last night to leave with the loaded trailer. I have to pull out and make a left to exit the warehouse. To my left is a tractor trailer that is backed to the dock. I pull out to near the curb, and steer hard left. I look in my mirror, and there is no way I can pull out hitting the guy's tractor.

    So I carefully back up and slide the trailer tandems all the way up just to PULL OUT of the dock and miss his tractor 3 inches.

    So if it is this difficult just to PULL OUT of the dock, can you imagine what it is like to do this in reverse?

    Anyway, I can smell an accident coming. And it is giving me anxiety. I am an average backer, and this sort of BS is beyond my skill set.

    So my questions are, Is this sort of thing typical? Should I bail on this account and go do something else? Should I just refuse to back in this hole everyday, and just call this warehouse manager's bluff? Because I don't think I can do this sheet much longer.

    What say you, Experienced Drivers?
     
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  3. Glp

    Glp Medium Load Member

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    They ought to have drivers uncouple while in the dock. Try being an LTL driver and having to back into docks like these all day long, although we have much shorter tractors
     
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  4. rambler

    rambler Road Train Member

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    The "tailswing" on a trailer when the tandems are all the way forward can get you in trouble at times as you already know. To eliminate it put em to the rear. This works with a lot of tough docks like you are describing here. I've found it much easier in a ton of situations. It's been my experience that tandems to the rear is just plain easier backing. Give it a try next time.
     
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  5. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    Have the yard guy do it. Unless no other trucks are in there. Guy sounds like a you know what.
     
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  6. w.h.o

    w.h.o Road Train Member

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    Google map the place, screenshot on post it here
     
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  7. Powder Joints

    Powder Joints Subjective Prognosticator

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    Him getting MAD does not hurt your driving record, so let him get mad, let the yard driver gamble.

    Mine was Melissas World Va[HR][/HR]riety Produce on Slauson Downtown Los Angeles. You know when you get there and the rail in front of the dock has every color of truck paint on it, and pieces of front bumpers laying under it. They would not let us drop either. all the other drivers were good at guiding you in, short turn area and close together.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2014
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  8. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Hi Gets, yeah, that is a tough one, like Glp sez, they should make the driver uncouple the truck. As far as going over the curb, if you notice at that spot, the ground on the other side of the curb is usually torn up from other drivers going over the curb, and I've done it myself. Sometimes, it's the only way to get in or out. If you are worried about damaging the tire, find a 2x4 to put down by the curb. Usually, crawling over a curb slowly shouldn't ruin the tire, it's a fast hit, or scraping the sidewall for a long distance that will do damage. I know it's easy to say, but try not to be intimidated by the warehouse manager. Tell him if he thinks it's so easy, why doesn't HE try it, although, that would be throwing gas on a fire. Maybe he doesn't know what kind of truck you have, as these morons never see the front of the truck, and they think everybody drives short yard horses. Remember, a miss is as good as a mile, and a 3 inch miss is good enough.
    I just read the post about running the trailer wheels back. While it's true, it's easier like that, sometimes, like you describe, there isn't enough room for that.
     
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  9. ezover

    ezover Light Load Member

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    if you are droping the trailer and coming back in 3 hours, i would have no issues having them back it in. if they have a full time yard man, they should not have a problem with it either.

    do like you are doing and tell them it's to tight with a sleeper unit, give them a choice, they can pull a trailer out or have the yard man back it in. i have told more then 1 person i am not going to risk a accident over something stupid.

    you may have to eat a little crow over it :)
     
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  10. Florida Playboy

    Florida Playboy Road Train Member

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    Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. It is not worth the stress and anxiety. Perhaps tell your boss to put you on a different account. Next time you're there can you take a picture of this dock and post it here?
     
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  11. Getsinyourblood

    Getsinyourblood Road Train Member

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    Lol..I'm going to try that.
     
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