Shippers/receivers that want your keys

When going into the munitions area, not only do I give them my phone and camera, but my mic to my radios!

I haven't gone KABOOM yet!

 

Kind of related. When I worked the docks for Central Transport, there was always a bunch of miscommunication and the yard jockies would grab the wrong trailer.

One night I was unloading an easy trailer and was close to the nose. I come flying backwards with a pallet and got the weirdest sensation as the yard jockey got my trailer and was pulling away. I slammed on the brakes and stopped about 3 inches from the edge and kept pushing the brake through the floor board as I sensed movement. It's a weird scary feeling. Talking about coming unglued. I flew out of that trailer and was a cussing sailor as the jockey driver ran, lol. After I calmed down we shook hands. They implemented new policies after that because I was like the third one in a month. It did feel good to cuss out the dock supervisor and not get in trouble. One woman did warp the ground and it broke her back and leg about 6 months earlier.

Way back in my warehouse days I remember I guy that was killed when he hit the ground and tried to jump. The lift landed on top of him. You always ride it out if it happens.

Before I had a APU, I use to give them my house/car keys on a seperate ring. Nobody ever said anything.

 

The former DuPont plant in Parlin [they produced Nitro-Cellulose AKA 'Gun Cotton'] used to demand all lighters and matches...

you had to stop on your way out to get a lighter to put in the dash...they had you pick one from a tray full they stuck out the window.

 

When I worked at walmart, me and another associate were just finishing up unloading a grocery truck. I didn't see where the driver dissapeared to but the other associate, Eman, went in to pull out what we thought were the last two pallets. Turns out they were for another store so as Eman is walking out pulling his pallet jack, the driver pulled out just as he was walking on the dock plate. However his pallet jack crashed to the ground.

It was a load delivered by a Mesilla Valley Transportation truck with a double door trailer and not the usual roll up doors that the WalMart/Swift dedicated trailers have, which are closed and sealed by the driver on the dock.

 

If the companies are really interested in safety for their dock workers, they will invest in, and MAINTAIN dock locks. Asking for a driver's key is just plain BS.

There are so many steps they can take to insure the safety of their people, and requiring a key is definitely NOT one of them. I never minded them putting the glad hand lock on. I never minded having to drop my landing gear at Home Depot. I never minded having to completely unhook from the trailer.

And I can see the need to take lighters and other possible igniters in certain circumstances. Your cell phone will lock, so nobody can make calls with it. It's no big deal.

I worked one job many years ago, that took me into sugar plants in NE Colorado. I've seen what simple dust explosions can do. Got no problem with steps being taken to prevent stuff like that.

 

I work at a warehouse where a lot of swift and schnieder trucks come, and We do have Dock Locks it's just that we sometimes never use them, well My other co-workers do, Until one accident. Now we all make sure the Dock Locks are working right and the signals are right and the trailer tires are chalk'd.

 

We do several prisons on a regular basis, including super max in Canon City. I leave my pocket knife and leatherman with security, always lock the truck, and wait on the dock or in the security office per procedure.

 

i've got a frieghtliner key on a key ring i give them. i go to several places that demand my keys and a few that want my cellphone too if it has a camera in it. i just give them the non-working prepaid junk phone too.

i drive a volvo and my iphone stays with me

 

If they want my cell phone they can give me a credit app like i had too to get it and if they fail i'll require a large deposit....