Scared Out Of My Mind

You have an address? I'd like to take a look

 

Oh wait I'm just seeing your pic!

 

Man man that is very Tight! Glad I don't have to deal with that pulling Tankers

 

I make multi stops almost daily, and we pick up new accounts all the time. Sometimes I deliver in residential areas, and places not meant for a big truck. As much as I do not like most technology, google maps street view and satellite view really help me orient where the dock is and what to look for as I approach. Don't worry about what happened, you'll be fine. Companies are understanding about a situation like that where you're delivering to small retail locations.

 

I have been known to look at Google Earth frequently.Case a new place out way before I get there.Also usually "Rodney" in the store,is more than Anxious to rattle off directions and instructions on how to get in there.Makes him feel important.#1 rule in trucking.Dont Do Anything Unsafe.You might Pee off someone trying to get into the "Starbucks" for their mandatory $4.99 Lattes(3 times a day).Who cares. Another rule,Dont get yourself into a situation where youre trapped or stuck.Been in traps,had a sweaty head before,trying to get turned around.This is common when just starting out.Not so common after a few years.You tend to become more Cautious and patient.I remember one time years ago delivering to a strip mall in Branson Mo.Trying to get out of there with a "53.Asked a Conway with a short trailer"Does this go all the way around,Can I get out that side."Oh yeah ,you should be fine.I should have taken the extra "3 minutes" and walked it out.It had a rock wall with cars on one side and a bas... Yellow concrete pole on the corner! Too tight for a 53".Got mirror 2 inches off wall,couldnt make it.Tried tandem sliding etc.Backing out around fairly tight corners was "Out of the question".So what did I do? Ill admit,I purposely kind of used the yellow pole on the corner,to sort of slide and push my empty trailer clear of the corner.Got some yellow paint pressed on my tires(may have uprooted the pole slightly.Took trailer back to drop yard and "forgot about it"

 

I cut my teeth at Werner. First week off my trainers truck I made the mistake of setting my tandems after pickup instead of at the truckstop after weighing. Pushed them too far back, ran the trailer up on a cement barrier. Two tires, two rims, gashed the trailer ribs. Explained what happened, and that it was a learning experience, 90 days probation. Day 85...New Jersey. Let off the brake at a red light about to turn green, drifted back 3 feet and nudged the car behind me. Woman came out of her car like she was going to murder me for not even denting her car.

Cops came, and after she was done screaming, I got my pictures, she left. Cop asked "You weren't wearing your seatbelt were you?" With the *Wink wink nudge*. "No..I wasent..." 65 dollar seatbelt ticket, no inspection for the accident, no accident write up, no points no nothing. He just had to write SOMETHING and saw she was being unreasonable and I was being respectful.

90 more days probation...

Its not the end of the world man, Werner was pretty forgiving. Mostly because both accidents were non DOT reportable and generated no CSA Points i'm guessing...

Learn, Apply, Move On.

 

Don't worry too much. In my first two weeks as a solo at Werner I had two incidents,
1. ripped off the trailer door while exiting inside building dock.
2. notched a trailer of the same man who was guiding me into a dock next to him
both were reported.
I did not have any consequences. These were little things and so is yours. If they were to fire every new beginner over this nobody would stay there for more than 6 months.
However, I left Werner soon after as their pay was unsatisfactory. At the time their policy was no more than two incidents in a year or something like that.