scared to go places

I learned a lesson a couple months ago when trying to get into a ridiculous dock in St. Louis. They had one dock, downhill into a covered and dark hole. The only way to get into position was to go past the dock and make a hard right onto a twisting road next to a railroad track that wasn't on the company's property, then back at an angle toward the dock, maneuver around dumpsters and rotting pallet piles, try to miss a concrete post with 3" clearance on the blind side (that had multiple colors of paint from many trailers on it), try to miss clipping a loading ramp with the back end of the trailer (that had gouges from where numerous other trucks had hit it), then jack it hard to the blind side to try and avoid hitting a concrete post that was place in exactly the position a tractor needs to go to get in the dock (which was bent over and had front fender paint from numerous trucks)....

... after working almost an hour to get in the dock, doing G.O.A.L. over a dozen times, they started loading me.... without a ramp to let the forklift enter and leave the van safely... the forklift driver would get a running start to get over the 8" gap, slamming into the truck, then get a running start to bang into and up onto the floor of the warehouse to get out of the van (the edge of the concrete on the dock was warn away from all the impacts from the forklift wheels)...

... in short it was a highly dangerous operation.

Then in discussion with the warehouse employees on break I found out that most truckers elect to simply back into the alley and have them put a pallet jack on the truck and get loaded in the alley. They refuse to even attempt to get into the dock. They were laughing at my expense because I was new to the location and did all that work to save them the hassle of loading with a pallet jack.

In addition to G.O.A.L. it pays to G.O.A.A. (Get Out And Ask) if they will load with a pallet jack... it would have made my job easier and much much safer.... not to mention making the forklift driver's job safer.

 

One item I forgot to mention in my post is that you should also remember that your Central Refrigerated trailer tandems do slide. Don't get caught up in the moment and forget that you can gain some much needed help, just by sliding the tandems. You would be really surprised at how one, or two notches will make all the difference.

 

Yup,that is TRUE! If you are a rookie,or a female...they appear to be mad bc you are doing what they are doing and they thought they had the monopoly on this driving thang....lol And I love the ones that just sit and watch a rookie and shake their heads and laugh at them,but not ONCE approach and try to help. I try and help each and everyone I can,bc I remember starting out. Don't worry about them helping you,YOU figure out how to do it by yourself....it will happen,I promise.

Sammy you gotta get ahold of yourself,quit trying to find a better way,YOU HAVE TO GO THRU IT, so just be patient.
Intermodal easier? Who in the world told you that? Also 20 footers easier?, Those #### things make me look brand new when I have to back them into a dock,ugh they're the worst bc your so used to 53' the shorter ones get you all kakeyed! And they are also top heavy bc they over load them,so you have to be careful with them. I remember when I was first thinking about driving,I said I wanted to pull a pup around the country,now that's just funny.

 

For maneuverability, you would want to slide them all the way forward. Sliding all the way forward allows for a faster response in a tighter backing situation. However, you'll need to take into consideration of the extra trailer tail.

Of course, you're only sliding your tandems after you've arrived at the shipper / receiver. You'll always want your tandems in their "legal position" for weight distribution and state regulations.

As you probably are aware, you always want to be in the situation of backing in on your driver's side. When doing so, hug the driver's side tight while you're positioning the trailer into the hole. Most of the time, if you're hugging the driver's side, you won't have any problems with the tail of the trailer. Once you're positioned between the two obstacles, you have plenty of maneuverability to reposition, space and square by a series of pulling forward and straight line backs until you're perfected upon the dock.

YES! It will come to you and you will understand it with time.

 

Just for fun, Sammy, how about trying this: the next time you go to a dock you aren't comfortable with, make a short video of the place or take a few pics from different angles of what you're dealing with - they'd need to show not only the dock but also how much room or what obstacles you're working with. Then post them here.

You may not get any response soon enough on that particular back, but we could always chime in later with some tips that may help you out on the next one.

There's been some great advice on this thread - and I (surprisingly) haven't seen even one person come on here and bash you in any kind of way. Only support. Let this be a sign that you aren't alone and that your situation isn't unique - it's just part of it and you'll get through it.

 

BAHHAHAHAHAH THAT'S FUNNY!!!

 

I know this is off topic but; what were you hauling? And you were in a 53fter? Thanks

 

Meat... and yes 53'

 

i feel the same way as the op at times. i approach it a little different. i suck at backing, you could give me 10 football fields of room and i still may not get it on the first try. but I will get it there. if i know it's gonna take a bit, i simply tell the dock guys, hey nows the time for a smoke break cause this may be a while.

rarely is it the situation where what i have on that truck HAS TO BE UNLOADED IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES. so 99% of the time it aint a big deal. take my time goal as many times as i want and then hit the dock.