This is probably a regular day for you vets but it was a big deal for me

Why call it the rub rail if you can't rub it a little?

 

Reminds me of the time i had the crusty old company driver whining about bumping the rub rail on the company steel trailer with a forklift. I was loading pallets on the deck with it parked on the shoulder, the road slope pulled me in when i was trying to back away and gave it got a love tap, not even a scuff and he flipped out. Next pallet on i gave it a nice bang, looked him dead in the eyes and drove off with him flipping out. The guy was known for pushing peoples buttons. Told the facility manager about it afterwards and we both had a laugh cause he knew how much of a dick the guy was.

 

If I was in that guy's place I would've asked you to be more careful the first time you bumped the trailer. That second time you did it on purpose you would be unloading the deck or I would be pushing the stuff off into the road.

Just because it didn't leave a mark doesn't make it OK to smash into other people's equipment. Over time smaller hits can slowly bend in the rail just enough that strap hooks won't fit through.

I've made loaders stop loading if they kept running into the side of my trailer. I've also gone to the boss/supervisor to make complaints.

 

The thing was, he was known for just being a miserable SOB, he thought he was the one in charge, he was just upset that we made him take the pallets when he didnt want to. He was the only driver i had to regularly tell off when he was trying to push our buttons.

I was always careful as possible with the equipment, i dont want to be the one blamed for tearing stuff up. I was trying to get the pallets centered on the deck and didnt have long enough forks to do it without a slight bump on the rail or else risk flipping the crate of bolts over on the deck.

He was a company driver for the private fleet delivering the product for the same company i worked for, its not like he was some OO with a shiney aluminum trailer, never heard a peep from those guys when theyd take the exact same load. We were trying to add about 1,000 worth of accessory parts to a load of precast that was about 44k, he caused a week long back and forth because he was refusing to take the pallets, we were all sick of dealing with him at that point. He would even try driving off up the road to strap after we told him about adding a pallet, had to chase him down to get the pallet on.

 

When I load or unload, I usually make a joke and notify them it’s my trailer and to please be careful. Usually I don’t have any issues after this. What I find is scraped deck from forks, not so much bumping rub rail.

 

Thats completely understandable, we dont want to cause any damage to equipment, but a light bump happens every once in a while. He tried to make it out like i was being reckless and beating on stuff, just showed him the difference. Didnt have problems with him after that.

 

He also tried to play the "i dont have enough straps" game to avoid taking pallets. Got a couple 2 inch hook on straps for the next time, showed him those and surprise, he pulled a couple of his own out of the cab.

 

I was trying to back into a similar dock once that was under a roof with the sun directly behind me. A dock worker was in the bay directing me but was getting frustrated that I was having a hard time and did not seem to be following his signals. After I while I invited him to sit in the driver seat and tell me what he saw. He looked in the mirror and saw a big black hole which was impossible to see inside of and the sun directly in the mirror. He then stood out side where I could see him and I was in the first try.

 

Tell shipper to add a light or reflective tape at the end of the dock then it’s easy peasy for drivers ..ps put a flashlight where you want you’re trailer to end up

 

Pretty much the only dock that I can’t hit on the first try is any dock with an empty dock on both sides of it. Without fail. Not problem backing blindside off the street across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic in LA, over a curb and blind u turn back around a bunch of shipping containers, school kids whatever… just don’t let it be into a wide open space lord please.