Swift Regret

Stick with it man. It was about 6 months before I got the hang of it once I got turned out. Don't have a defeatist attitude is you haven't been defeated

 

there were days for me, and there ARE days for those still working, that you cannot back worth a crap...

one day your real good, the next day you suck..

so what's the deal Neal..????

 

Hey Sunset, can you go a little more in depth on stretching the tandems in tight spots? And when you say tight spots, are you referring to tight holes, or limited space to maneuver. Thx.

 

I very much respect you being a stand up guy, and boasting of your weakness.

I'm kind of a busy guy. But if you can suffer along for a week or two, then get back to Phoenix, I think I could give you a few tips that would get you backing up like a pro.

 

I always have the hardest time backing when I deliver my first load after being at the house

 

it (for me) was always difficult backing into a door with no other trailers to use as a guide, and my (former) d'c center had NO striped lines...talk about not getting up even with the dock...lol

 

Your trainer isn't very good at his job...if he didn't want you to practice backing...and you never scaled a load with him ? ... did he even bother showing you how to chain up ??

 

Both tight holes and little space together some of the DCs in Chicago area are like this and you must slide your tandems at the gate before you back into the tight hole with narrow alley ways. Just take your time. And stretching your tandems makes it very difficult to hit objects with your tail.

 

You wont believe what my chain and securement education was...

I was given a chassis. (Containers) told that I needed 4 chain (UGH.. talk about WLL... 7000# times three Chassis to get.)

My chain training was literally two cement-steel posts side of the bay doors. wrap a chain around both and bind it tight done.

Now I do it.

GO.

That would be a load to remember because all three of the chassis were loose when I got back to the yard in Joppa. Making noises back there shifting their way out and off.

It would be a few years later when I got into proper flatbed and the trainer had me throw chain. Coil in particular. Shingles etc aint nothing, thats strap work. Any one can learn it. Thats the key word learn.

I don;t think the OP needs to stand up for anything other than knowing that training is a sham. Running revenue freight in time schedule with hardly no time to sit in a real yard backing and backing or whatever.

Another kind of training. Ice. Find a few acres of pavement bobtail and throw it around until you can do circles and figure 8's at will. If the boss had caught me abusing his 110,000 dollar tractor like that I would have been so fired. But no one would teach me and winter was coming. So I grabbed the tractor and taught myself.

Shades of Stripes movie after sgt hulka got blown up.

 

Well since he works for swift id say thats a very bad idea , he would rack up so many safety incidents with that camera , and these new trucks all the beeping and alarms going off , id say thats a very very bad idea unless he want to get fired lol