Saw something today - Just curious

Maybe he HAD to back into the shopping center to deliver?? I've done it hundreds of times myself, put on the four way flashers, put it into reverse and start honking the horn, they'll move! Whatever works, it was probably a situation where he didn't have another choice. If he did have other options then it probably wasn't the best thing to do but I guess we'll never know that.

 

I disagree with the previous posters.
From what you're describing, especially saying he went "800' to 1000' PAST his intended turn", THEN backed across the previous intersection & across both lanes of somewhat heavy traffic....
That is definitely wrong, to the Nth degree, on so many levels.

Anyhow, it would help to see his exact path on a Google map overhead, but from what you describe, a huge no-no.
Two basic rules about trucking & backing... you only back:
#1. When absolutely necessary.
#2. The least amount necessary.
I don't believe 800' to 1000' was the least amount necessary, by any means, in this case.

 

It's illegal I'm sure. If he had caused an accident he would've been in deep deep doo doo. Very dangerous and not professional. Don't do it.

 

You will (usually) at some point in your trucking career miss a turn if you don't go to the same places all the time but to backup that far is totally illegal. It's also possible that there as a sign saying no trucks on the first entrance so they might have gone further down to get into the next one and seeing a residential section coming up may have thought it was a bad idea to go further however backing up that far is totally wrong.

This is why I always look at Google maps to see the satellite view if I haven't been to a place before and if there is a turn in question and street view is available I'll use that too. Not something that was always available of course but they should have used common sense. If you see just down the road there is another road that goes all the way around and back to the same road so they could have turned around there. Just a bit of trip planning can help a lot. Some directions you will get can be outdated or flat-out wrong so calling a receiver you haven't been to and asking where their truck entrance is before you get there would work as well if you don't have access to a computer or a smart phone.

 

tjb10 echo's my thoughts also.
This is a perfect example of a driver not taking a few minutes in trip planning, to see the exact layout of his receiver, or call them for best route in & truck entrances.
Had he looked at a satellite view ahead of time, he would have known he could turn around by taking Old Penfield Rd.
Apparently, there must have been a sign at Pin A into the lot that said No Trucks, but I'd rather violate that, than back up about 600' or more on a 4-lane.